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Re: Egad, its EADS!!!!



Folks -

Okidokie then, here goes....weaving disparate threads together, including
purposes of the list, change, open discussion on difficult topics...here's
my questions...

Have descriptive standards in their many forms - including Rules for
Archival Description (RAD) above the 49th parallel, EAD, MARC et al. - made
for better OVERALL professional practice in archivesland, or have they
hijacked the professional agenda?  Have other areas like the appraisal
(non-monetary) of the archival record suffered as a result?  Do we do a
better job of serving our constituency through descriptive standards, or
have we taken on the appearance of glorified data entry clerks?  Is the
technology of descriptive standards just a smoke screen in front of this
wider issue?

Cheers!

Mark (taking the lid of of Pandora's box) Walsh

At 02:26 PM 10/30/2000 -0500, you wrote:
>It seems to me that Kim has a point.  There is something to be said in this
>profession for having consolidated searchable records.  I for one know as a
>researcher how frustrating it can be to have to go to 3, 4 or 5 different
>records finding aids to see what there is on a particular subject.  It's not
>that I'm against the progress of electronic means of finding "stuff," I'd
>just rather not let the technology get ahead of the profession.
>
>Just my humble and inexperienced point of view,
>
>Tom Anderson; Collections
>American Museum of Science and Energy
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Scott, Kim A. <kascott@MONTANA.EDU>
>To: ARCHIVES@LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU <ARCHIVES@LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU>
>Date: Monday, October 30, 2000 1:29 PM
>Subject: [ARCHIVES] Egad, its EADS!!!!
>
>
>>Bonita's explanation of offline responses to her query on EAD is right on
>>the mark.  I have long suspected my opposition to this "standard" is shared
>>by many who are somewhat timid when bucking a scheme backed by the big dogs
>>in this business, and asking them for their opinion in private is probably
>>the only way they are going to admit it.
>>
>>It would be fine thing, in my humble opinion, if all manuscript collections
>>in this country had AT LEAST a catalog record in some union list such as
>>NUCMC before we all get pressed into some sort of finding aid matrix.  Just
>>one little 'ol record; just one, right in there with the books and the
>>serials so that some poor slob looking for OK Corral material knows where
>to
>>find it.
>>
>>Once we have the catlog records in place, knock yourself out with the
>>finding aid.  Add bells, whistles, Visa Card payment boxes, user counters,
>>free Irish Spring sample offers, whatever  you like.  Just get the catalog
>>record in first, willya?  Somebody out there would really appreciate just
>>searching an OPAC once, and not having to go to some special finding aid
>>shadow catalog to see if you have anything on their topic other than a
>book.
>>
>>
>>
>>Kim (the grump) Scott
>>
>>A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List!
>>
>>To subscribe or unsubscribe, send e-mail to listserv@listserv.muohio.edu
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>>
>>Problems?  Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <rschmidt@lib.muohio.edu>
>
>A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List!
>
>To subscribe or unsubscribe, send e-mail to listserv@listserv.muohio.edu
>      In body of message:  SUB ARCHIVES firstname lastname
>                    *or*:  UNSUB ARCHIVES
>To post a message, send e-mail to archives@listserv.muohio.edu
>
>Or to do *anything* (and enjoy doing it!), use the web interface at
>     http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/archives.html
>
>Problems?  Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <rschmidt@lib.muohio.edu>
>
>

A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List!

To subscribe or unsubscribe, send e-mail to listserv@listserv.muohio.edu
      In body of message:  SUB ARCHIVES firstname lastname
                    *or*:  UNSUB ARCHIVES
To post a message, send e-mail to archives@listserv.muohio.edu

Or to do *anything* (and enjoy doing it!), use the web interface at
     http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/archives.html

Problems?  Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <rschmidt@lib.muohio.edu>