SCM Survey: Responses
Q1. How often do you use Slavic Cataloging Manual?
“Other” responses (2):
- Used it a lot a few years ago when I was learning about cataloging and confused about russia/soviet
union/russia (federation) use. Have not looked at it in several years now.
- did not know it existed!
Q 2. How important is Slavic Cataloging Manual to you?
“Other” response (1)
- I would hate to think that it was gone, because there will always be new catalogers who need to learn.
(At least I hope there will.)
Q3. Do you have any other comments, questions, or concerns?
- I have a (relatively) significant number of titles in Slaveno-Serbian, Slaveno-Bulgarian, and even
Slaveno-Russian -- for which, to the best of my knowledge, there are no standardized transliterations or
language codes. This also makes it difficult to search, whether in our own online catalog, OCLC, or
elsewhere. We also have items in Romanian language but with Cyrillic orthography. I know these are
highly peripheral issues and only apply to a very small number of potential items, but thought I would
pass these comment on to you.
- The Slavic Cataloging Manual is not available in Cataloger's Desktop. A more modern interface would
be nice
-I do not have full cataloging as a central part of my job duties but I do frequently have to create
bibliographic records for various purposes and I find the Slavic Cataloging Manual invaluable. I will freely
confess that I find myself baffled by some aspects of RDA, so to the extent that it can be updated to
reflect the associated considerations that would be be helpful.
- Although the Slavic Cataloging Manual is not something I consult regularly at this point, it is an
invaluable source for specific Slavic related cataloging instructions. I consult it for more obscure things
and I refer new catalogers to it. There they can find information they need pertaining to Slavic
cataloging in one place. It also can serve as an historical record, informing us why older records are
cataloged in a particular way. And it certainly serves as a way to ensure that Slavic catalogers
nationwide/worldwide can follow a consistent set of practices. It would be terrific if the manual could be
updated to reflect RDA.
- Thank you for all your work, and maybe add in some RDA stuff?
- What is the Slavic Cataloging Manual?
- I don't have yet enough experience to know how or if the Slavic Cataloging Manual will be needed to
supplement RDA. I don't look as often at it as I used to, because the Manual is pretty AACR2 centric (well,
except for subject analysis issues).
- I do not think it is as valuable as it used to be when it was established. It seems to me that the
Cataloging Desktop, AACR2 rules, RDA and MARC manuals cover pretty much everything. Also OCLC
provides transliteration macros for its users.
- Where can I find it?
- It contains very important information that can't be found elsewhere (easily). Even though I may not
use it regularly, I *did* use it as such at one time when I was beginning to catalog Slavic materials, and
still find it useful as a reference tool. Please keep it around!
- Although I use the SCM only occasionally, there is no other source like it. RDA and AACR2 do, of course,
cover certain matters to do with Cyrillic etc, but they do not on their own provide the expert knowledge
the SCM does. It would be fantastic if the SCM could be kept up to date, though, to cover RDA and
related matters. I must confess that I hadn't realised that the taskforce had been formed (apologies!
doubtless my own fault!), but in the small Slavonic cataloguers e-mail list I've been running here in the
UK (as a subset of COSEELIS) for the past two years or so, I've often referred to the SCM and have even
asked if any of my UK colleagues knew if there was appetite in the US for an update. Should help from
outside the US be welcomed, I'd be very happy to try to give the SCM group some time (although I am
disorganised!). Cataloguing is just a part of my job (I cover selection etc too), but I was one of the RDA
trainers in Cambridge and am a NACO cataloguer too.
- I termed it "my bible" when I was very specifically a Slavic Cataloguer. I use it only occasionally now
solely for the reason that I have changed institutions and don't specialize in Slavic materials anymore.
Slavic cataloguing is a very specific area in the field (how many of us have gone up to bosses, who didn't
read the languages, to hear "really?!" when told that "this" or "that" was a specific
issue/problem/necessity in Slavic cataloguing?!) and the SCM online is a wonderful "one stop shopping"
tool that provides us with most of the nformation we need to do our work. And I still predict that with
Uncle Volodechka running amok out there, Slavic Studies may yet resurrect itself from the forgotten
graveyard of Academia.
- The Slavic Cataloging Manual gives information on cataloging issues specific to Slavic cataloging that
are not easily covered elsewhere. Thus, although I do not use it every day, I deem it to be a very
important reference source for my cataloging work.
- The part on Geographical headings (doubling and tripling, name changes, etc) is especially
important as a guide to some unique cataloging challenges for Slavic materials. I consult it
regularly, and have referred colleagues who are not Slavic specialists to it, who have also found
it helpful.
-This is a very important resource for Slavic and East European Catalogers. While I unfortunately
did not have a chance to contribute to a development of this absolutely irreplaceable reference
tool, I want to express my deep gratitude and appreciation for all the hard work of my
colleagues who have been able to create, contribute and maintain this source. I also hope to be
able to contribute to it in the future.
-I don't need it often, but when I do need it, I'm so very glad that it is available.
I have been training several Slavic catalogers in the past two years and Slavic Cataloging Manual
was of great help. I refer to it myself quite often when I catalog materials outside of my daily
work (Eastern European language books, for example). It's a great reference source, and it's a
cataloging standard for Slavic and Eastern European resources. In this respect it's a wonderful
addition to other general cataloging resources that are available