Let me start at what I think is the logical beginning. In a catalog record (like the one I linked to above), a 651 field is a field that has data in it that describes how the item relates to a geographic area. So, in the example above, since the item discusses the paintings of the Hudson River school, there is a 651:
651 0 ‡a Hudson River Valley (N.Y. and N.J.) ‡v In art ‡v Catalogs.
This tells the user that the content of the item is focused on a particular geographic area - in this case, the Hudson River. Well, you can't have a 651 unless you have an 043 field, which is the Geographic Area Code field. This field is "filled" by a MARC code for the specific geographic region. In our Hudson River example, there are two distinct regions mentioned, New York and New Jersey. So, the 043 looks like this:
043 ‡a n-us-ny ‡a n-us-nj
Now, to the best of my knowledge, that data sits there and is generally unused by the catalog. As I mentioned earlier in the post, I was thinking about this and how this data might be used, and I struck upon what I think is a rather novel concept. Use the geographic codes in the 043 to make a mashup with a Google Map for the items in your catalog. This would present the catalog user with a very different (but useful, I think) method to browse the items in your collection. Of course, it would require a fair amount of work, as 043's are inconsistent in their granularity - some are nations, some regions, and some states. But, the code is consistent and seemingly easy to work with. And, then your 043 codes would have a small role to play in the catalog! Would you like to see a catalog browsable like this? Would it be useful?
Jason,
ReplyDeleteI don't know of any catalog that uses 043 data for discovery and, as you mention, granularity is a big issue. There may be more hope in using coordinates from authority records. LC/OCLC have been adding coordinates in 034, based on FAST records. I don't know if there's a critical mass. A lot of the coded data in cataloging records dates from the early days when storage space was an issue; then keywords became all the rage. It will be interesting to see how next generation interfaces and linked data can use some of the coding, especially that which is more linkable or granular.
I checked out your blog after receiving your message about sharing the Amon Carter connection. Welcome to ARLIS/NA and all of its activities, local and national and international.
Sherman
Sherman,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the response! I think you're right on with the integration of linked data and the implementation of FAST. Also, thanks for confirming to me that the 043 is kind of the orphan child of the 651 - I'd often wondered that.
Once again - thanks for the comment - hope you'll check in (and comment) often!
Jason