Committee on Cataloging: Description and Access

1. JSC Membership Changes

   Effective January 1999, Ann Huthwaite of Australia is the JSC’s new Chair, and Margaret Stewart of the NLC, and JSC Secretary for the last few years, is the new CCC representative. Jacqui Norfolk, of the State Library of Queensland, will serve as the JSC’s permanent Secretary, with host countries providing Recording Secretaries for JSC meetings.
   
   
   

2. JSC Activities in re: International Conference on the Principles and Future Development of AACR

   As noted on the JSC/AACR Web site, there are eight action items arising out of the International Conference on the Principles and Future Development of AACR that JSC is currently engaged with:

   1. Pursue the recommendation that a data modeling technique be used to provide a logical analysis of the principles and structures that underlie AACR.

      Part I of Tom Delsey’s analysis of the logical structure of the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules is complete, has been reviewed by JSC, and is posted on the WWW for international comment by September 1999. Delsey has completed the first draft of Part II of his analysis, which JSC reviewed at its meeting in Leeds in November. His final document will be posted to the WWW in March, likewise for worldwide review by September 1999.

   2. Create a list of the principles of AACR2.

      In parallel to Delsey’s logical structure analyses, the JSC has compiled a list of the principles that we perceive to be operant within the code. I have agreed to massage (de-dup., rearrange, etc.) the list for further discussion, while Barbara Tillett has agreed to go through Delsey’s analyses to pull out what those analyses indicate the code’s principles are.

      JSC will review the results of these exercises and the comments received on the Delsey analyses at our Fall 1999 meeting in Brisbane.

   3. Formalize the recommendations on seriality endorsed during the Conference and introduce them into the rule revision process.

      Jean Hirons’ report-including recommendations for action, but not specific rule revision proposals-is due to the Chair of JSC by early April 1999. Like the Delsey analyses, the report will be put out for comment (for 6 months?), following which rule revision proposals are to be developed.

   4. Solicit a proposal to revise rule 0.24 to advance the discussion on the primacy of intellectual content over physical format.

      This is being pursued by CC:DA’s own Task Force on Rule 0.24, chaired by Martha Yee, whose final report is due to CC:DA by ALA Midwinter 2000.

   5. Maintain an AACR Web site.

      JSC has accepted John Attig’s offer to help redesign the site, and the NLC’s offer to continue hosting it.

   6. Publicize and reaffirm, on the AACR Web site, JSC policies, procedures, and activities as well as the current processes for submitting rule revision proposals emanating from within or outside AACR author countries.

      To get this item moving, I have agreed to send to JSC copies of the rule revision process brochure developed by CC:DA.

   7. Develop a mission statement for JSC.

      JSC completed this work at its November meeting in Leeds. The Mission Statement reads:

      “In support of effective cataloguing practice, the Joint Steering Committee develops and maintains the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules according to established principles for bibliographic description and access. To this end, the Committee works in a timely and proactive manner to formulate a cataloguing code that is responsive to changes in the information environment and that results in cost-effective cataloguing.”

      The statement has been forwarded to the Committee of Principals, via Mary Ghikas, CoP Chair, with a request for endorsement.

   8. Determine if there are any existing surveys on the extent of use of AACR2 outside the Anglo-American community and if no such survey exists, conduct such a survey.

      JSC has determined that such a survey has already been carried out – in a thesis by Pino Buizza and a follow-up article by Diego Maltese. It was agreed that the survey’s results should be included as an appendix to a White Paper on Internationalization of the Code being drafted by the JSC’s new Chair, Ann Huthwaite.

   
   
3. AACR2e

   AACR2e is finished and out, as is the hardcopy version, AACR2r98. Synchronicity between the two is now a major JSC concern.
   
   
   

4. Rule Revision Proposals either Approved or Withdrawn: CC:DA Action NOT Needed
   1. Omission of dates, numbers, names, etc. from the title proper [4JSC/LC/26/LC follow-up]
      --> 4JSC/LC/26/LC follow-up/CCC response endorsed, with deletion of “on item” from the Governor Rhodes note.

   2. Relationships with other serials [4JSC/LC/28]
      --> 4JSC/LC/28/CCC response endorsed.

   3. Prescribed punctuation for the series area [4JSC/LC/30]
      --> 4JSC/LC/30 endorsed, with Proposed Text B. Secretary will make corollary changes to 2.6A1, 3.6A1, 5.6A1, 7.6A1, 8.6A1, 9.6A1, 10.6A1, 11.6A1, and 12.6A1 for incorporation into Rule Revision document.

   4. Numbering grammatically integrated with series title [4JSC/LC/32]
      --> 4JSC/LC/32/ALA response/CCC response endorsed, with deletion of “a” from second sentence in proposed text.

   5. Prescribed sources for series area for serials [4JSC/LC/39/LC follow-up]
      --> 4JSC/LC/39/LC follow-up/BL response endorsed.

   6. Prescribed punctuation for the title and statement of responsibility area [4JSC/LC/40]
      --> 4JSC/LC/40 endorsed, with Proposed Text B.

   7. Definition of “numbering” [4JSC/LC/42/LC follow-up]
      --> 4JSC/LC/42/LC follow-up endorsed, with addition of comma after “character.”
   
   
   
5. Pending Rule Revision Proposals: CC:DA Action NOT Needed
   1. Rule Revisions [4JSC/Rule Revision/1/Consolidated/1]
      --> Officially pending, awaiting ACOC, BL, and LABL responses.

   2. Definition of “monographic series” [4JSC/LC/46]
      --> JSC could not come to consensus: ALA supports the proposal, with amendments; ACOC supports the amended ALA version; BL, CCC, and LABL do not support the proposal. Tillett will send the BL a copy of the relevant CSB (#81, Summer 1998) and BL, CCC, and LABL will reconsider the proposal in light of the CSB and the Leeds discussion.

   3. Works that report the collective activity of a conference, etc. (21.1B2(d)) [4JSC/ALA/28]
      --> under JSC consideration.

   4. Entry under corporate body (21.1B1) [4JSC/ALA/29]
      --> under JSC consideration.
   
   
   
6. Pending or New Rule Revision Proposals: CC:DA Action Needed
   1. Definitions for “Computer disk” and “Computer optical disc” [4JSC/ALA/25]
      --> ALA to undertake a final version of the proposal, incorporating CCC and LC response comments.

   2. More than one series statement [4JSC/LC/37]
      --> JSC could not come to consensus: ACOC and ALA support the proposal; BL and LABL do not; CCC did, but has withdrawn its support. LC will produce another document, with additional clarification of why 4JSC/LC/37 came to be (i.e., as a consequence of PCC’s review of the LCRIs) and of the fact that the proposed revision has existed as an LC rule interpretation since the 1970s with no negative effect on retrieval since an added entry is made for a series without numbering. [c.f. 4JSC/LC/37/CCC response/BL response/LC response] Does ALA wish to reaffirm its support?

   3. Not all parts in a series [4JSC/LC/45]
      --> As with 4JSC/LC/37, JSC could not come to consensus: ACOC and ALA support the proposal; BL, CCC, and LABL do not. Again, as with 4JSC/LC/37 LC will produce another document, with additional clarification of why 4JSC/LC/45 came to be (i.e., as a consequence of PCC’s review of the LCRIs) and of the fact that the proposed revision has existed as an LC rule interpretation since the 1970s with no negative effect on retrieval. [cf. 4JSC/LC/45/BL response/LC response] Does ALA wish to reaffirm its support?

   4. Harmonization of AACR2 with ISBD(ER) [4JSC/ALA/27]
      --> non-ALA constituent bodies have now responded, except LABL. ALA needs to review their responses.

   5. 4JSC/BL/1-6
      --> New.