Re: What _should_ we be doing with bibliographic data (Was: Slightly OT: MARC)

On 29/07/10 11:38, stuart yeates wrote:
> Patrick Durusau wrote:
>>
>> On 7/20/2010 5:47 PM, Murray Altheim wrote:
>>
>>> Just put *one* URL into the metadata, one that points to an online
>>> record. If you treat that URL as persistent, that record won't grow
>>> stale (as would any URLs included in the published eBook), and you
>>> can update it as necessary. You can also improve and update the
>>> service behind that URL at any time. It's also easier for the user
>>> in that their only option is to resolve one URL, which can point
>>> to a page with further actions and suitable documentation.
>>
>> Not to mention that users who can consume more information can resolve
>> the URL to obtain additional information, including additional
>> identifiers.
>
> There are problems the 'use a pointer to a full record on the web'
> approach:
>
> 1) ePubs can't assume that consuming devices have internet access

Hi Stuart,

In your original message the question was what kind of additional
metadata you might include with an eBook. If the eBook reader
doesn't have some kind of facility for reading MARCXML or XTM that
metadata is rather useless without at least some kind of external
service. One would need internet access for such a service. My
suggestion would simply farm out the entirety of the functionality
to a web service since internet access would be assumed.

> 2) The ALA's Freedom To Read Statement implies that accessing a third
> party service when reading a work is a bad idea (since it reduces the
> ability to read anonymously). Since our ePubs are redistributable under
> a CC license, a service we ran would be a third party service in many
> scenarios.
>
> 3) It is our intention and hope that ePubs will be durable in the long
> term (i.e. have an independent lifetime beyond the issuing institution)
> which implies a lookup service is unlikely to still be working.

I'm thinking more along the lines of where the third party would be
a national library such as LoC or NLNZ, where the bibliographic
records are part of a recognised public service that would (in theory
at least) outlive the issuing institution. In a scenario where a
national library disappears, online access to bibliographic information
for eBooks is probably the least of peoples' problems. But even in such
an extreme case, it might be possible for a persistent identifier
service to even outlive a government or a nation.

E.g., given that in New Zealand all publishers are obliged (through
Legal Deposit) to provide both copies of published works and their
respective bibliographic information, that information is already
available, so the question then becomes how a national library might
provide that information as a web service. My suggested solution
would be to provide an open source package that any national library
could implement, providing a pipe to that existing metadata store.

I agree that this does not solve the issue of anonymous access, and
the idea that a government agency would be notified each time a user
reads an eBook is obviously something to be noted. On the other hand,
so far as I'm aware, in most Western countries libraries do protect
their patrons' privacy. Notification to users as to a privacy policy
on this kind of access would likely be necessary.

I think the one thing to note is that if a government-level persistent
identifier service was the provider of the URL and a national library
was the provider of the metadata, rather than a private corporation,
there would at least be public accountability of what happened to the
usage data. With Google we have absolutely no idea but can assume it
is being distributed widely to partners, advertisers, etc.  Government
has to at least be (relatively) transparent as to how personal
information is used, and this usually is protected by law. (I'm
hedging my bets here knowing of the existence of the NSA back door
into all servers in the US.)

In any case, this is the kind of service I believe should be provided
by a national library, in cooperation with publishers.

Murray

...........................................................................
Murray Altheim <murray10 at altheim dot com>                       ===  = =
http://www.altheim.com/murray/                                     = =  ===
SGML Grease Monkey, Banjo Player, Wantanabe Zen Monk               = =  = =

       Boundless wind and moon - the eye within eyes,
       Inexhaustible heaven and earth - the light beyond light,
       The willow dark, the flower bright - ten thousand houses,
       Knock at any door - there's one who will respond.
                                       -- The Blue Cliff Record

-- 

...........................................................................
Murray Altheim <murray10 at altheim dot com>                       ===  = =
http://www.altheim.com/murray/                                     = =  ===
SGML Grease Monkey, Banjo Player, Wantanabe Zen Monk               = =  = =

       Boundless wind and moon - the eye within eyes,
       Inexhaustible heaven and earth - the light beyond light,
       The willow dark, the flower bright - ten thousand houses,
       Knock at any door - there's one who will respond.
                                       -- The Blue Cliff Record