Cataloging the Stream?

     Recently, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings issued a document entitled "The Netflix Long Term View," in which Netflix details their plans to start produce more original programming, anticipating that users will abandon "linear TV" in favor of "Internet TV". Their recent release of House of Cards and the upcoming release of a new season of Arrested Development are the prime examples of this model, created for self-paced (often binge) watching and not dependent on TV schedules or on the classical TV commercial model.

    Amazon has recently come out with its own original programming. Hulu, DirectTV and others also have their own original programming competing with the broadcast and cable TV networks. While this is highly convenient, it also speaks to another trend, the growing ubiquity of streaming and the slow heat death of the physical item. With music streaming on sites like Pandora, Grooveshark, and Spotify and even more interactive sites like SoundCloud, physical compact disc sales have followed downward trends predicted six years ago, and all signs point to physical DVD sales doing the same.  (even though Netflix is maximizing their potential profit by issuing physical DVDs of House of Cards).

   So if there are no physical items, how are libraries to catalog access to items on a streaming service, where items can be available one day and not the next? Do we adopt the discovery layer model for searching article databases, leaving the "cataloging" up to the discovery layer's indexing? Or is there a need for catalog record at all if we will necessarily have to search the streaming service?

   Stanford's cataloging reference does provide information on how to catalog streaming video, but this is understandably geared toward streaming video housed on local servers. Access to items on streaming services such as Netflix are impermanent, but in the future may be the only access point and exist permanently outside of a library's "collection" but within their "access," so perhaps the question is not how to catalog such material, but whether it should included in the purview of the catalog.

   

More on RSS feeds

Here are some additional options for managing your RSS feeds.

Feedspot provides a simple interface, easily imports your GoogleReader feeds and can interact with your social media (Facebook, Twitter) accounts.

The Old Reader provides a nice stripped down interface.  The process to import your feeds is a bit more complex, requiring export of an OPML file from GoogleReader and a wait as your feeds are imported.  The feed presentation is simple enough that it works well on an iPad.

Both of these options have user feedback areas and are taking user suggestions for enhancements and other developments.

NACO series training materials available

http://www.loc.gov/catworkshop/courses/rda_naco_series/course%20table.html

The RDA Series Training Task Group, part of the PCC Standing Committee on Training, has developed and made available online its RDA NACO Series Bridge training materials. The bridge training is intended for NACO catalogers who are already independent in series authority work and want to make the transition to RDA series authority work. The eight-module series  includes slides, videos, scripts, quizzes and a handbook. Among the topics covered are Identifying Series, Recording the Attributes of Series, Constructing the Series Authorized Access Point, and a comparison of series treatment in AACR2 and in RDA. An email account has been established to take questions about RDA series work: series@indiana.edu. NACO catalogers who undergo the bridge training must work with a reviewer to achieve independent status before contributing RDA NACO series authority records to the national authority file.

NISO Publishes Recommended Practice on Presentation & Identification of E-Journals

On March 27, 2013, the National Information Standards Organization (NISO) announced the publication of a new Recommended Practice: PIE-J: Presentation & Identification of E-Journals (NISO RP-16-2013). 

This Recommended Practice was developed to provide guidance on the presentation of e-journals—particularly in the areas of title presentation, accurate use of ISSN, and citation practices—to publishers and platform providers, as well as to solve some long-standing concerns of serials, collections, and electronic resources librarians.

For the full-story and a link to the PIE-J, head to the NISO news release: http://www.niso.org/news/pr/view?item_key=a4cb17fa3cd324c142e9a33dc74e577663578359

Amazon to acquire Goodreads

Amazon.com announced on March 28th, 2013, that it has reached an agreement to acquire Goodreads, a leading site for readers and book recommendations that helps people find and share books they love.

Read the press release here: http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=176060&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1801563&highlight=