---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 18 Aug 1999 13:34:16 -0500
From: Gerry Mckiernan <GMCKIERN@GWGATE.LIB.IASTATE.EDU>
Subject: Cataloging of Multimedia E-Journals

         _Cataloging of Multimedia E-Journals_

   I recently searched the OCLC database for bibliographic records for
each of the titles in my registry of multimedia electronic journals,
M-Bed(sm). M-Bed(sm) is available at:

     http://www.public.iastate.edu/~CYBERSTACKS/M-Bed.htm

Of the 41 titles currently listed, 34 had records. Of these, only five (5)
- less than 15% of those with records - had a mention of the availability
of a multimedia component in the record!! To say the least I was surprised
and quite perplexed that a major component of such journals has been
completely ignored in a vast majority of cases.

   I am further perplexed that while a number of records make note of the
need for the Acrobat plug-in there is no mention of the other plug-ins
required for using the associated multimedia.

   From this brief survey, I've concluded that catalogers in general are
not aware of the multimedia dimensions of such journals and that journals
such as these would be difficult to identify due to the lack of standard
and uniform description of the multimedia.

   This raises several issues, namely the current status of standard
terminology within the cataloging community for such multimedia, the
appropriate location with the catalog record (the five records which
mentioned multimedia did so in the 516, 520, 538 MARC fields) and the
appropriate General Material Designation (GMD)  for such 'publications' In
this case, all had 'Computer file' as the GMD. Would it be more
appropriate to use 'Interactive Media' as the GMD for multimedia
e-journals? [This approach would be an extension of the _Guidelines for
Bibliographic Description of Interactive Media_ published by the American
Library Association in 1994 and authored by the Interactive Multimedia
Guidelines Review Task Force chaired by Laurel Jizba, now of Portland
State University]

   I'd very much appreciate my colleagues thoughts and reactions to my
observations and conclusions regarding the cataloging of multimedia
electronic e-journals (or any other issues that this posting may inspire
regarding multimedia e-journals).

    As Always, Any and All comments, contributions, questions, queries,
critiques, etc. etc. are Most Welcome!

/Gerry McKiernan
Theoretical Librarian
Iowa State University
Ames IA 50011

gerrymck@iastate.edu