The database description has been updated to reflect the weekly updates.

Lol.  While I was at it, I looked at the timestamp on the database.  February.  It seems that alcme.org was moved to a new machine back in February, but I was still putting the database on the old machine.  The database has been updated, as have the procedures.  I'll verify next Tuesday that the new procedure was successful in automatically putting the new database into place.

Ralph

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Code for Libraries [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
> Karen Coyle
> Sent: Saturday, March 20, 2010 11:30 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] WorldCat Terminologies
> 
> Quoting "LeVan,Ralph" <[log in to unmask]>:
> 
> > I hate to muddy the waters, but I can't resist here.
> >
> > Research also exposes a copy of the LC NAF at
> > http://alcme.oclc.org/srw/search/lcnaf
> >
> > It gets updated every Tuesday night.
> 
> Unfortunately, that page states right up front:
> 
> "A static copy of LC's Name Authority File from February of 2006"
> 
> That might confuse visitors. Maybe a quick revision is in order? :-)
> 
> Also, API access?
> 
> kc
> 
> >
> > This is something I've been maintaining for years and is what
> > Identities points at when you ask to see the NAF record associated
> > with an Identities record.
> >
> > This particular service has none of the linked-data-type bells and
> > whistles I'm putting into VIAF and Identities, but easily could, if
> > there was interest.  I believe I've made the indexing on it
> > consistent with what I do in Identities.
> >
> > Looking at the configuration file for the load of this database, I
> > am omitting records with 100$k, 100$t, 100$v, 100$x or any 130
> > fields.  I'm sure Ya'aqov (or other similarly expert Authority
> > Librarian) could tell you why I am omitting them, because I can't
> > off the top of my head.
> >
> > This service is actually running as a long established model of how
> > similar services should run in Research.  While it is not running on
> >  a machine operated by our production staff, it is automatically
> > monitored by them, they have restart procedures in places when the
> > service becomes unresponsive and problems are escalated by email
> > when the restart fails to fix the problem. (Those emails come to me
> > and where they get treated appropriately.)
> >
> > Let me know if there are questions about any of this.
> >
> > Ralph
> >
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: Code for Libraries [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf
> Of
> >> Ya'aqov Ziso
> >> Sent: Friday, March 19, 2010 3:29 PM
> >> To: [log in to unmask]
> >> Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] WorldCat Terminologies
> >>
> >> Jonathan, thank you, in full accord.  Yes, the crux of the matter is Names
> >> (NAF being the more expensive library subscription
> >> and the one not available for free like http://id.loc.gov
> >>
> >> At http://orlabs.oclc.org/Identities/ I searched Œclapton, eric¹ and wonder:
> >>
> >> * are all WorldCat+NAF 49 retrieved headings there helpful? do we need in
> >> the list  Œclayton, cecile¹ (etc.)
> >> * Names that haven¹t made it into an authority record are definitely
> >> helpful, but can we suggest a way to sort and rank them more usefully (for
> >> the user) on the page?
> >>
> >> Your thoughts?
> >> Ya¹aqov
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> On 3/19/10 2:35 PM, "Jonathan Rochkind" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> >>
> >> > I don't think the inclusion of non-NAF headings in Identities is
> >> a flaw, it's
> >> > a benefit to the purpose of Identities not to be held back by the somewhat
> >> > glacial pace of change in NAF.  But you're right, the right tool
> >> for the job,
> >> > I don't know that any of the existing OCLC "free" (or included
> >> with other OCLC
> >> > membership/services) services are the right tool to replace any existing
> >> > purchased authorities tools or sources. It depends on what you're
> >>  using them
> >> > for, of course.  I agree that the brochure statement was potentially
> >> > misleading, but these (Identities, Terminologies, Research
> >> Terminologies) are
> >> > still very interesting and useful services.
> >> > ________________________________________
> >> > From: Code for Libraries [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
> >> Ya'aqov Ziso
> >> > [[log in to unmask]]
> >> > Sent: Friday, March 19, 2010 2:14 PM
> >> > To: [log in to unmask]
> >> > Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] WorldCat Terminologies
> >> >
> >> > Karen,
> >> > Seems like pulling-teeth was worth it. Thank you for these updates and for
> >> > making them available for all interested.
> >> > Essentially, given your 6 months latency compared to
> >> http://id.loc.gov) and
> >> > the inclusion of NAF and non-NAF headings in Identities,
> >> > both Terminologies and Identities are not yet at a level of databases that
> >> > libraries can go for, forgoing what they currently need to buy, load, and
> >> > maintain locally.
> >> > Your withdrawal of the brochure statement is justified and
> >> apology accepted.
> >> > Ya¹aqov
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > On 3/19/10 1:35 PM, "Karen Coombs" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> >> >
> >> >> > Ya¹aqov,
> >> >> >
> >> >> > Identities is not based on a name authority file it is based
> >> on name data
> >> >> in
> >> >> > WorldCat. These two are not the same thing. Names within
> >> Identities come
> >> >> from
> >> >> > several different fields within the WorldCat MARC records
> >> including 1xx,
> >> >> 6xx,
> >> >> > and 7xx fields. This is why Identities contains names which
> >> have not made
> >> >> > their way into a name authority file
> >> >> > (http://www.worldcat.org/identities/np-levan,%20ralph%20r).
> >> Also Identities
> >> >> > doesn¹t contain authority records, it contains Identity
> >> records. Identity
> >> >> > records contain different information from Authority records.
> >> >> >
> >> >> > There are name authority projects going on within OCLC Research. The
> >> most
> >> >> > active is VIAF http://www.viaf.org/ . This service contains
> >> name authority
> >> >> > information from several national libraries, not just Library
> >> of Congress
> >> >> and
> >> >> > right now not all of NACO has been loaded, only differentiate personal
> >> >> names.
> >> >> > More information on the VIAF project is available at
> >> >> > http://www.oclc.org/research/activities/viaf/
> >> >> >
> >> >> > Regarding up to dateness of Terminologies as I said in my previous
> >> message
> >> a
> >> >> > schedule for updates was posted to the Developer Network
> >> listserv and the
> >> >> > Developer Network wiki
> >> >> > (http://worldcat.org/devnet/wiki/Terminologies_Updates).
> >> Andrew Houghton
> >> >>
> >> has
> >> >> > also informed you that information about how recently a given
> >> terminology
> >> >> is
> >> >> > located on the Experimental Terminologies page (
> >> >> > http://tspilot.oclc.org/resources/index.html).
> >> >> >
> >> >> > Karen
> >
> 
> --
> Karen Coyle
> [log in to unmask] http://kcoyle.net
> ph: 1-510-540-7596
> m: 1-510-435-8234
> skype: kcoylenet