[OAI-implementers] RE: [oai-alpha] Re: Fwd: MARC to DC Translator (ALPHA)

[Young,Jeff]

(I'm moving this from oai-alpha to oai-implementers where it should get
broader attention.)

Thanks for your feedback, Diane. One appealing option for me would be to
support multiple crosswalks with my server. I would note, however, that a
client/server model isn't the most efficient way of doing these things. The
main reason I used this approach is because the MARC to DC conversion that
CORC uses isn't easily de-coupled from the overall system (regrettably).
Client/servers are also nice because of their flexibility. Given a choice,
though, I would have preferred to write an XSLT stylesheet, which could be
easily distributed. Maybe someday.

Having worked on CORC during it's development phase, however, I feel
compelled to make a defense of its crosswalk. CORC has a large and diverse
user base in Dublin Core terms, and thus compromises were undoubtedly made.
Being able to convert MARC to DC and then back to MARC is indeed a
challenge. I would note, however, that our staff worked closely with the
Library of Congress MARC office on virtually the entire crosswalk. The
result should be a fuller, richer record than most crosswalks provide. The
CORC staff is aware that some tweaks are necessary, and are working on them.
As Dublin Core become more prevalent, CORC will be obliged to accommodate
changes if crosswalk standards arise. Another benefit of the client/server
model is that such changes and fixes to CORC will be immediately reflected
by this server.

I wouldn't claim that CORC's crosswalk is definitive, but I do think it
deserves consideration. Discussing the options available, as Diane as done,
should be very helpful for people faced with the task of converting their
MARC collections to DC.

Jeff

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Diane I. Hillmann [mailto:dih1@cornell.edu]
> Sent: Thursday, January 25, 2001 10:16 AM
> To: OAI alpha group
> Cc: oai-alpha@nsdl.CORNELL.EDU
> Subject: [oai-alpha] Re: Fwd: MARC to DC Translator (ALPHA)
> 
> 
> Jeff:
> 
> There is, in fact, a mapping from MARC to DC at the address 
> below, though I 
> can well imagine that you could not find it in a web search.
> 
> http://128.253.121.110/NSDLmetaWG/MARCtoDC.htm
> 
> Note that this mapping is to qualified DC, though that shouldn't be a 
> terrible problem.
> 
> I'd be a bit leery of using a mapping based on CORC, as it makes some 
> unwise compromises (IMHO) chasing the unholy grail of 
> round-trip mapping.
> 
> Diane
> 
> 
> At 08:09 PM 1/24/2001 -0500, you wrote:
> 
> >--- begin forwarded text
> >
> >
> >Status: U
> >From: "Young,Jeff" <jyoung@oclc.org>
> >To: "OAI alpha group" <oai-alpha@nsdl.CORNELL.EDU>
> >Subject: [oai-alpha] MARC to DC Translator (ALPHA)
> >Date: Wed, 24 Jan 2001 17:49:02 -0500
> >List-Unsubscribe: <mailto:leave-oai-alpha-156R@www.nsdl.cornell.edu>
> >Reply-To: "OAI alpha group" <oai-alpha@nsdl.CORNELL.EDU>
> >
> >While working on an OAI repository, I had the need to convert MARC
> >communication format records to unqualified Dublin Core. I 
> searched the web
> >for such a tool, without success, and decided to write one 
> based on OCLC's
> >CORC system. I suspect such a service would be useful for 
> others as well, so
> >I'd like to announce the availability of the server for 
> evaluation purposes.
> >Its status should be considered alpha, and I can't make any long-term
> >promises about its continued availability yet.
> >
> >I've set up a form from which records can be submitted to 
> the server at
> >http://purl.org/alcme/marc2dc/index.html. If you look 
> closely, you'll see
> >some caveats listed on the form, as well as a reference to a 
> file containing
> >a few test records I've put out on the web for you to play with.
> >
> >Until it's been scrutinized, I wouldn't recommend that you 
> trust the results
> >as definitive. I would also request that you don't 
> overburden the server by
> >converting your entire OPAC just yet. Just give it a poke 
> and let me know
> >what you think. I'd be particularly interested in 
> information and perhaps
> >even the comparison of results  with any other MARC to DC 
> converters that
> >people may know about.
> >
> >Thanks,
> >Jeff
> >
> >---
> >Jeffrey A. Young
> >Senior Consulting Systems Analyst
> >Office of Research, Mail Code 710
> >OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc.
> >6565 Frantz Road
> >Dublin, OH   43017-3395
> >www.oclc.org
> >
> >Voice:  614-764-4342
> >Fax:            614-764-2344
> >Email:  jyoung@oclc.org
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >---
> >You are currently subscribed to oai-alpha as: dih1@cornell.edu
> >To unsubscribe send a blank email to 
> leave-oai-alpha-156R@www.nsdl.cornell.edu
> >
> >--- end forwarded text
> >
> 
> *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
> Diane I. Hillmann
> Metadata Specialist
> National Science Digital Library Project at Cornell
> Department of Computer Science          Voice: 607/255-5691
> 419 Rhodes Hall                                 Fax: 607/255-4428
> Ithaca, NY 14853                                Email: 
> dih1@cornell.edu
> *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
> 
> 
> 
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