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Cataloging Profile Report

Introduction

The Maritime Museum runs a small research library on the lower level of the

museum called The W.B. M.H. Chung Maritime Museum Library. Mr. Chung

has donated much of the collection accordingly, it is named after him. Ms.

Lea is the librarian and archivist at this library. There is a UBC MLA, library

assistant volunteer. There are also other library volunteers. Because it is a

non-profit library there is only one employee. Ms. Lea Edgar has the

qualifications of an MLS and an MLA from UBC. The museum uses the library

is used for research. By appointment the public, can see and consult the

collection, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 12:00-4:30. Inmagic

DBTexworks are used as the ILS employed at The Maritime Museum Library

and Archives.

The Department

In the Cataloging Department of the W.B. M.H. Chung Library Museum

Library there is one librarian and archivist, Ms. Lea Edgar, and a library

assistant. The two of them usually perform copy cataloging. Important

competencies of a cataloguer in this library is understanding basic

cataloguing knowledge and derived cataloging. Another competency, finding

records on The Library of Congress catalogue or else, on other sites where


old records are held in Europe. A good cataloguer has the traits of: attention

to detail, being careful, resourceful, as well as a good memory. Because

cataloguers are trained to not leave out fields, use proper information, and

use proper punctuation, cataloguers with cautious and careful personalities

are best suited to this field of library science. Ms. Lea Edgar and her library

assistant stay up to date on cataloging changes by learning selectively, what

affects them at The Maritime Museum. Because RDA is a new formatting for

records and it is not widely used, yet, Ms. Lea Edgar formats the general

fields in AACR2. DBTexworks is used as a catalogue database because it is

not a marc record there is no strict adherence to AACR2 or RDA. The

Maritime Museum Library may eventually format its subject fields loosely in

RDA when this formatting is more permanently accepted and when a new ILS

is employed. If there is new information Ms. Lea Edgar and the library

assistant need to learn to educate themselves through reading applicable

material. The Library receives books primarily through donation by Mr. Chung

and mainly one other donor. There are other occasional donors. There is a

backlog of 200-300 books. They are catalogued from oldest to newest. There

were 200-300 books completed this year, but there is always a backlog,

although some years it is less, than others. The Library of Congress

bibliographic information is used as a resource for research as well as other

bibliographic resources and records in Europe. The call numbers occasionally

used from Library of Congress are applied to this specialty library in an

interpretive and flexible application. The program Libib, is being employed


for creation of basic information records online, or skeleton records. This is

being done instead of extra copy cataloging, but Ms. Lea Edgar is trying to

accomplish both. This path is being followed so there is an online presence.

Trying to accomplish extra cataloging is done so there is not a larger backlog,

and The Maritime Library can become updated online and in the physical

library regularly.

The composition of the, W.B. W.H. Maritime Museum Library and Archives,

collection is 10% of audiovisual, journals approximately 200-300, when

compared to the entire collection, which being roughly a thousand or more.

The Library of Congress is employed as a subject authority and the Library of

Congress Classification is applied to the collection. The flow of the materials

in the department can go slowly. This is because there are not many books

donated. Currently the Librarian and Archivist, wanted to hire someone to

perform the cataloging but funding interferes. Ms. Lea Edgar taught herself

cataloging, it not being part of her MLS and MLA. The cataloging department

is small but effective for The W.B. M.H. Chung Maritime Museum Library.

The Desktop

The W.B. M.H. Chung Maritime Museum Library does not subscribe to any

products while cataloging except DBTexworks and Libib, both without cost.

The Library of Congress records does not require a subscription. The Library
of Congress catalogue is open on the cataloging desktop along with

DBTexworks, as well as European catalogues for rarer books.

The Procedures

The W.B. M.H. Chung Library Museum Library sources are used for cataloging

as are the Library of Congress, the book at hand, serial, or audiovisual

material, and occasionally records in Europe. There are not much editing of

these derived records but the Librarian Archivist and library assistant from

UBC perform copy and paste functions on many of the fields, adding in other

pertinent information. The Librarian performs much authority checking

through The Library of Congress or European catalogues. Inexpensive

materials mainly monographs are ordered for the collection. The materials

sometime need to be originally catalogued if a record cannot be found. The

Librarian and Archivist will perform the original cataloging. DBTexworks, and

Libib are the only vendor services used by The W.B. M.H. Chung Maritime

Museum Library.

Impressions

At The W.B. W.H. Chen entrance, the 1950s wood and glass doors were

originally held by Pier BC. When one walks into The Maritime Museum

Library, in the center of the room, there is a beautiful old wooden table,
ladder, and bookshelves. It is a large stained, oak, table and was employed

by The Vancouver city council. There are windows and doors in the back of

the library, behind the stacks in a mid-twentieth century style. The windows

have been covered so the books do not deteriorate. The library used to be an

administrative section of The Maritime Museum. This section of the Museum

was turned into a Library in 1996. Before this The Maritime Museum did not

have an official collection. The library and archives have many wonderful

antiquarian books in the librarian and archivists office. LED lights are needed

to help protect, and preserve these materials from the light. The archives

behind the library contain many files of fonds, as well as records of the

library and maritime information. Many objects and artifacts that are used for

display that the Museum is currently storing. These archives are located

behind the library. The Museum Library and Archives are compelling and well

organized. The collection is being currently re-worked since there are

duplicates of many monographs. Due to the limited space of The Maritime

Museum Library and Archives duplicates are not needed but keeping copies

donated by Mr. Chung, in good condition as a prerogative. It would be

rewarding to be employed in a library as The Maritime Museum. One could

learn much about the Maritime subject material working in this type of

library.

Conclusion
Ms. Lea Edgar is the Librarian and Archivist of W.B. MH. Chung Maritime

Museum Library. She has an MLS and a MLA and runs the library. She has the

help of a UBC MLA student assistant, and many volunteers. The Library is

open to the public two days a week by appointment only. Many of the books,

and materials of the collection are by donation. The library uses Inmagic and

DBTexworks for their ILS and their record database. Ms. Lea Edgar is

updating the records onto Libib, making it possible for The Maritime Museum

to have an online presence. All the cataloging is performed by the librarian

archivist, and the assistant. Ms. Lea Edgar completes all original cataloging.

The librarian archivist and assistant are self-taught cataloguers. The librarian

is optimistic that new funding for The Maritime Museum will be granted in

the next two years, making it able for there to be a new Maritime Museum

and a new research library. It is possible that there may be more funding for

collections. It is possible then that Ms. Lea Edgar could hire a part time

cataloguer. The W.B. MH. Maritime Museum Library is a testament to

Maritime history. The librarian and archivist, Ms. Lea Edgar, the UBC Library

assistant, and its many dedicated volunteers, make this library possible.

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