Pondering the Future of Classification While Living in the Present

We have certainly been living in exciting times lately as catalogers: LC’s announcement that it will no longer create series authority records, rumors that the Library of Congress Subject Headings would be eliminated next; RLG’s merger with OCLC; Karen Calhoun’s report for LC on the nature of the catalog; and OCLC finally implementing code i for integrating resources. It’s been hard to keep up with all the e-mail discussions. All of the above has led me to thinking about the practice of Classification and its future. I assume all of us are assigning classification numbers to most physical materials which cross our desks for cataloging. We want these items to be placed on the shelf in a logical and browseable order so that our patrons can retrieve them easily. But what about electronic/virtual materials which are not on a shelf and don’t need a classification number to be retrieved? Do we assign classification numbers to them? When the majority of materials at LC are online and all their stacks are closed (in other words not browseable by patrons) will LC cease assigning LC classification numbers and maintaining the schedules

Classification K: Where does one find information on law classification?

Where does one find information on law classification? I don’t know about you, but even though I took both Basic and Advanced Cataloging in Library school, I found myself ill-prepared for the rigors of the K classification schedules. So where should one turn for this information

Classification K

By now most of us have been using Classification Web for some time, but if you are like me you could use some reminders about its features and capabilities. First, if you have not already done so you should sign up for at least the Class Web Announcement electronic list which is a low traffic list used to keep you informed about the site, and probably also for the Users Group discussion list which allows you to communicate with fellow users. Information on these lists and how to sign up for them can be found by clicking on the link labeled User Group near the bottom of the main menu screen in Classification Web

The Problem of Refugees (classifying works on them, that is)

This past Summer I was able to attend the Advanced Cataloging Institute before the AALL Annual Meeting in Seattle. One of the sessions, presented by Jolande Goldberg of the Library of Congress and author of many of the K schedules, was on LC Classification. Ms. Goldberg addressed classification questions she had been given before the session. These questions were on various parts of the K schedule which even advanced catalogers have difficulty with. One question posed was “the Refugee question.” In a project re-classing JX4292.R4, Refugees, the question is – where do these books go

Google and Beyond: Finding Information Using Search Engines, and Evaluating Your Results

Searching the World Wide Web can be a daunting task. The Web has expanded at such a rapid pace that nobody knows exactly how large it is, but it is safe to say that there are many billions of Web pages residing on servers all over the world. Add to this scenario the task of evaluating information found on the web and choosing between the hundreds of different search tools available – including directories, search engines, meta-searchers, and specialized search engines – and the situation begins to feel overwhelming. Fortunately, learning a few essential concepts of Web searching and site evaluation, along with mastering a handful of the top-rated search tools, can make the picture much brighter. This paper will discuss the basics of a few search engines and provide examples of advanced searches that can be done to increase your searching efficiency. It will also address the task of assessing the quality of the information you find on the Internet. In addition it will list and describe places to go for more information on improving you Internet searching and evaluating skills

Navigating “Social Networking” Tools: Blogs, Wikis, RSS Feeds and Beyond

What are “social networking” tools, and why should lawyers care about them? Wikipedia, itself built on social networking software, notes that social networking refers to a category of Internet applications to help connect friends, business partners, or other individuals together using a variety of tools. These applications, known as online social networks are becoming increasingly popular. This phenomenon is also known as Web 2.0. Jack Maness, a librarian at University of Colorado at Boulder, defines it as, “not a web of textual publication, but a web of multi-sensory communication … a matrix of dialogues, not a collection of monologues. It is a user-centered Web in ways it has not been thus far.” In Web 2.0 the end user – you – is (or at least has the option to be) an integral part of the data. Some of the social networking tools you may or may not be familiar with are: Blogs, Wikis, RSS Feeds, Tagging/Bookmark sites, Podcasts and Vodcasts. I will discuss these tools, how to find them, how to use them, and their possible relevance for lawyers and for legal research

Employment/labor contracts: Contracts or Labor Law?

Recently there was a question on the Autocat electronic discussion list on classifying the title Drafting employment contracts by Gillian Howard with the main subject heading of Labor contract – Great Britain. Her item included model clauses, draft letters and contracts, part-time work, fixed-term contracts and changing terms and conditions. Similar works are classed in two different numbers: KD1634: Law of England and Wales--Contracts--Particular contracts—Contract of service. Master and servant, and KD3096: Law of England and Wales--Social legislation--Labor law—Labor standards--Employment and dismissal. The cataloger asking the question liked KD1634 more than KD3096 because it is under contracts – however she noted that she was confused about what master and servant meant

Internet Legal Research Program Materials

Internet Legal Research presentations include: Google and Beyond: Finding Information Using Search Engines, and Evaluating Your Results; Why Pay For It Twice? How to Access Federal Materials in the Public Domaind; All Politics are Local: State and Local Resources; L is for Lawyer: An Alphabet of Handy Web Pages; Internet Basics: The Who, What, When, Where, Why and How of Internet Research for Lawyers; But Can I Get it in English? Finding Foreign Law; Blawgs, Podcasts, Wikis? Deciphering the Lingo and Evaluating Current Awareness Tool