Thanks for posting OCLC Union List User Group minutes. I seem often to
miss the meeting and will once again in LA, having another commitment
at that time.  So I thought I would convey my "two cents" worth here.

I am disappointed to have confirmed the information that PRISM UL will
implement the holdings standard at the summary level only.

It seems to me that the primary value of having holdings data in
machine readable form is that one can (in theory, at least) move the
data and post it in one's local system and in various union lists.
And that one of the primary purposes of having developed a holdings
standard is that the standard promotes machine exchange by precluding
the need to reformat the data when it is moved from one system to
another.

It also seems to me that if one needs more than the summary level
statement in the local system, then the OCLC restriction will
frustrate the transfer of data.  I'm sure I don't know all of
what went into the thinking on this, but I do wish OCLC would
reconsider and offer options beyond the summary level.

My impression (I hope someone will correct it if I'm wrong) is
that OCLC doesn't believe there is sufficient interest in union
list to devote much time and resource to developing it in PRISM
or improving the SULOPs.  My own view is that there may be a
great deal of potential interest and the apparent lack of
interest can be attributed to two factors:

        1) the limitations of the SULOP products themselves

        2) the fact that one can't easily move the data (and who
           can afford the repetitive keying for different
           systems?)

With improvements in these two areas I think the interest could be
keen, and that economic factors necessitating sharing should heighten
rather than depress interest.  I've heard the argument that union
list isn't needed once we can all access each other's catalogs via
the internet, but I don't buy it.  The two capabilities are really
quite different.

I'd be very interested to hear what others think about this.

Lynne Hayman
Ctr. for Bibliographical Studies and Research
Univ. of California
Mail Code 016fornia
Riverside, CA 92521
lynne@ucrac1.ucr.edu
lynne@ucrvms