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Data Elements
[Please excuse the cross posting. People on one list will not necessarily be
on the other. Would it be too bold of me to ask that we limit any
discussion on this topic to the LARS-L list, which is, despite the name,
dedicated to general binding automation topics? If any resultant discussion
takes place on two different lists, I am afraid that one list will miss some
good points made on the other and vice versa. Please subscribe to LARS-L by
sending mail to listserv@xxxxxxxxx <mailto:listserv@xxxxxxxxx> with the
phrase "subscribe lars-l first name last name" in the body of the message]
Hello,
As most of you know, there have been many attempts over the last decade or
so to find a way to interface the information found in Library Management
Systems (LMS) and import it into and out of binding automation software
packages. These attempts did not succeed for a number of reasons. Recently
however, with improvements in computer technology, new standards,
particularly ANSI/NISO Z39.50 and ANSI/NISO Z39.76, and building interest on
the part of LMS vendors, there has been some movement towards integrating
these systems.
In October of 1997, SISAC (Serials Industry Systems Advisory Council)
convened a task force, chaired by Sandy Westall of Innovative Interfaces,
with the purpose of looking at automating the process of communicating
information between LMS 's and binderies using Z39.76, the 1996 standard
pertaining to Data Elements for Binding Library Materials. The SISAC group
members were unaware of the robustness of the two major binding automation
software packages (LARS and ABLE) and were thinking of creating an EDIFACT
transaction. (EDIFACT is, as far as I can understand, a method of allowing
businesses with incompatible software to communicate electronically without
breaching each others internal computer security) Upon meeting with
representatives of various binderies and libraries at the recent ALA
Midwinter meeting in Philadelphia, they realized that creating an EDIFACT
transaction would be overkill. What was needed was a simple flat file,
perhaps something in Excel, to ease exchange of the necessary binding
information between the LMS and the binding software.
However, what kinds of information/fields did this simple flat file need?
ANSI/NISO Z39.76 has five pages of fields. The SISAC group asked if perhaps
there was a subset of these data elements. Paul Parisi, of Acme
Bookbinding, and J.C. Noyes, of Bridgeport National Bindery, who attended
the meeting as Bindery representatives, had such a list that they had
created back in 1992. (This list might have been the kernel of the
ANSI/NISO Z39.76 . I'm not sure of the early history of the standard.)
This list was handed over to the Task Force and Bob Boissy, from Faxon,
graciously agreed to look at creating a flat file from the data elements.
He is in the process of this work currently.
Below, please find the 1992 list of data elements. Also, I have looked
through ANSI/NISO Z39.76 and attempted to find the tag that corresponds to
the 1992 element.
(For those of you that have not yet purchased your copy of Z39.76, the ANSI
Web site for purchasing Standards can be found at:
http://web.ansi.org/public/catalog/cat_top.html
<http://web.ansi.org/public/catalog/cat_top.html> )
SERIALS MONOGRAPHS
1992 Data Element 1996 Z39.76 Tag 1992 Data Element 1996 Z39.76
Tag
Title I.D. (Library's) 06.03.03 Title I.D. (Library's) 06.03.03
Title I.D. (Binder's) 06.03.04 Title I.D. (Binder's) 06.03.04
ISSN 06.01.05 ISBN 06.01.04
Title 06.03 Title 06.03
Sub-Title Sub-Title
Author 06.02 Author 06.02
Variable Information
* Series
* Volume
* Number
* Months
* Year
* Page Numbers
* Abstract Numbers 06.06's Variable Information
* Series
* Volume
* Number
* Months
* Year
* Page Numbers
* Abstract Numbers 06.06's
Call Number 06.05.04 Call Number 06.05.04
Shipment (Lot) Number Shipment (Lot) Number
Date Sent to Binder Date Sent to Binder
Expected Return Date 05.05.02 Expected Return Date 05.05.02
Date Returned to Library Date Returned to Library
Department (Library Location) Department (Library Location)
Collection 06.04.02 Collection 06.04.02
Looking this over myself, there are few things that I can see might need to
be added to the 1992 list. I wonder about Cover color, leaf attachment
method and spine foil color. (Perhaps this type of information is covered by
Title I.D.?) I would also want to have pricing information exchanged, if at
all possible. Please look through the list and email your comments back to
LARS-L. The 1992 list is a great place to start. Can we come to some
consensus by the time of the ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans about what
else, if anything, might need to be included in the flat file?
The Binding Automation Discussion Group (BADG) will be meeting Sunday, June
27th from 2pm to 4pm during Annual to discuss this very topic. I will let
you know the place ASAP. While BADG technically reports to the Management
Committee, I will be forwarding all action items to the Intellectual Access
Committee due to the fact that the Intellectual Access Committee is very
closely tied to the Standards process.
Now that we have everyone's attention, I really want to build on this
momentum, so we can get this interface codified, tested, and implemented!!
And lastly, I would like to welcome the latest influx of LARS-L list members
who join us from the Innovative Interfaces List. It was your presence (in
astoundingly large numbers!) that finally got me moving on this. Thanks!!
Cathy
Cathleen L. Mook
Head, Binding Unit
Preservation Department
P.O.Box 117007
University of Florida
Gainesville, Fl 32611
Voice 352-392-6962
Fax 352-392-6597
Cathy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:Cathy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>