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This article is from The Source, EPL's now defunct library information and program guide.
Volume 6, Issue 1, Winter/Spring 2001
ISSN 1203-1666
Audio Visual Cataloguing Secrets Revealed!
by Stuart Bayens, Audio Visual, Stanley A. Milner
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On the other hand, watching a descriptive video might remind you of your worst theatre-going experience (with that know-it-all sitting behind you who won’t shut up) |
The Edmonton Public Library catalogue is a wonderful and mysterious place. It holds the key to the Library’s vast holdings and where to find them. However, there are times when the catalogue seems to speak its own secret language, and in this article we provide a few translations for terms you may encounter with Audio Visual entries. Closed Captioned (for the hearing impaired) "Closed captioning" is the electronic process that places text on television screens. It is used primarily to provide hearing-impaired viewers with a visible record of the dialogue that takes place on video recordings and television programs. Closed captioning is available to viewers who own special decoders or have purchased television sets 19 inches or larger in the last few years. The closed captioned process is "passive" and the videos play just like regular videos on all VCRs and TVs. Closed-captioned videos are identified as such when you check the full details of a catalogue entry and are easily visible on Library shelves (the videos have a neon-yellow sticker on the spine). Descriptive Video While closed captioning is of great benefit to hearing-impaired viewers, "descriptive videos" provide added enjoyment for viewers that may have visual impairments. But unlike the passive process of closed captioning, descriptive videos are quite different from standard videos and may not be suitable for all Library customers. On descriptive video titles, a narrator describes the action and settings on the screen. The narrator’s voice is part of the soundtrack of the video and he speaks in between the on-screen actor’s dialogue. Descriptive video titles are indicated as such in the catalogue in the "Call Number" field and may be borrowed by all Library customers. Descriptive videos are especially useful for watching a movie from another room because the narrator lets you know what you’re missing. On the other hand, watching a descriptive video might remind you of your worst theatre-going experience (with that know-it-all sitting behind you who won’t shut up). Cataloguing from Packaging and/or Title from ContainerAs part of an ongoing effort to streamline Library processes, video recordings are now catalogued using information contained on the videocassette’s cover. When videos were first introduced into the Library’s collection, cataloguing staff would view the video and use the credits found on the screen as the primary source for cataloguing information. This became a very time-consuming process as previews and coming attractions segments became longer and longer, and in the case of some movies, credits did not appear until the end of the movie. As a result, information in the Library’s database is now usually taken from the packaging. However, this puts the Library in the position of relying on the integrity of the video industry in accurately providing acting credits. As an actor’s fame rises, so does the prominence of their name on old and obscure video titles, and cataloguing staff have to be watchful for creative marketing. The cover of the Library’s copy of the 1974 video Smile suggests that Melanie Griffith has a very prominent role, when in fact the then-18-year-old actress is the ninth credited actress and appears in only a handful of scenes.Talking Book - medical certificate required The Library has a large collection of books on tape (audio cassette recordings of readings from popular novels). The majority of these tapes are available for all customers and are identified as "Sound Cassette SPO" in the call number field. However, entries that are marked "Talking book - medical certificate required" are recordings whose use is restricted to customers of the Library Access Division who meet certain eligibility requirements. The Canadian National Institute for the Blind and other agencies have supplied these materials to the Library on the condition that they be used by customers who have been professionally certified to be eligible for this service. If you know someone who you feel may benefit from the talking book collection, please call the Library Access Division at 496-1888 for further information. And should you encounter any other unusual or cryptic terms that don’t seem self-explanatory while exploring the catalogue, feel free to ask the Library staff - we’ll do our best to provide a translation from Cataloguese to English! |