Review of Bodleian EAD records (MS. Barlow sample), 11/1/2007

The review is based on a rough conversion of Bodleian sample records.

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COMMENTS:

1. Record structure issues.   The Bodleian EAD structure does not deal with multiple texts or parts in a granular way. Manuscripts with multiple texts apparently have title information for all texts recorded in single field, sometimes but not always separated by two vertical bars.  In a couple of cases, a single part-level Date element carries dates for the multiple texts in the same fashion.  For example:
   
   
   MS. Barlow 29: Title = "Robert Grosseteste, De cessatione legalium. Peter of Limoges, De oculo morali. English 15th century" [Two separate texts?]
   
   MS. Barlow 35: Title = "Calendarial rules. Prognostics. || Alcuin, Quaestiones in Genesim. || Glossaries. || Ps.-Cicero, Synonyma ad Lucium Veturium, with added Latin-Old English glossaries extracted from the Grammar and Glossary of Ælfric. Continental European with English additions 10th century || 10th century || 10th century || 10th century, with additions 11th century, early" [Four separate texts?]
   
   Also note: MsPt / Date field = "10th century || 10th century || 10th century || 10th century, with additions 11th century, early"
   
   MS. Barlow 43: Title = "Augustine, De bono coniugali; De bono uirginali; De nuptiis et concupiscentia. English 14th century, late" [Three separate texts?]
   
   MS. Barlow 45: Title = "Sermons for saints' days and feasts. || 'Liber sermonum'. || Sermons. || Sermons. || Sallust, Catilina. || Sermons. English 13th century, early" [Six separate texts?]
   
   MS. Barlow 49: Title = "Robert Grosseteste, Constituciones; Epistolae. || Register of documents relating to the manor of Faringdon in Berkshire. || Cartulary of the college of Holy Trinity, Pontefract. English 15th century || c. 1300 || c. 1500" [Three separate texts?]
   
   Also note: MsPt / Date field = "15th century || c. 1300 || c. 1500"
   
   
2. Merged Author / Title Information.   The examples above also indicate that no separation is made between authors and titles in the text-level title field
   
   
3. Missing Data Elements.  Physical description elements not present; image captions not present.  Some fields might be able to be generated automatically, e.g., Country of origin
   
   
4. Normalized Dates.  No normalized dates are recorded.  APIS-like algorithms would need to be developed to generate them.
   
       15th century, beginning
   to
       Date 1: 1401
       Date 2: 1425