In Need of a Total Plan: From Wade-Giles to Pinyin

Journal of East Asian Libraries Volume 2000 Number 121 Article 5 6-1-2000 In Need of a Total Plan: From Wade-Giles to Pinyin Ju-yen Teng Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jeal BYU ScholarsArchive Citation Teng, Ju-yen (2000) "In Need of a Total Plan: From Wade-Giles to Pinyin," Journal of East Asian Libraries: Vol. 2000 : No. 121, Article 5. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jeal/vol2000/iss121/5 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the All Journals at BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of East Asian Libraries by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact scholarsarchive@byu.edu, ellen_amatangelo@byu.edu.

NEED TOTAL PLAN WADEGILES PINYIN ju yen teng university washington essay focuses two questions how conversion romanization system chinese script wadegiles WadeGiles pinyin pincin being carried north america two what place CEAL libraries how should fit whole process conversion introduction long overdue conversion romanization system chinese scripts wade giles pinyin pincin north america finally got kickoff november 1997 1 two unsuccessful attempts 1980 1990 LC always leader initiator conversion movement now chance collaborate OCLC RLIN carry project although slow get started LC managed come conversion Timeline june 1999 2 lately updated may 4 2000 become coordinated 3 Timeline spelling conversion activities conjunction those OCLC RLIN simplified extremely succinct way Timeline however product three agencies produced point view offered insufficient explanations explicit rationale question how much what way CEAL library partner endeavor conversion may understand meline Ti yet addressed purpose essay try timeline timaline understand point view CEAL library through eyes east asian librarian outsider giant three LC OCLC RLIN through effort essay hopes clarify partially least how conversion being carried goes without saying important players game CEAL libraries should receive much attention major j players giant three success completion conversion project obviously need full participation CEAL libraries yet do seem find place Timeline CEAL libraries need engaged included actions project even early stages CEAL pinyin pincin liaison group issued final report pinyin pincin conversion march 2000 4 offering CEAL members options advice how should conduct local conversions gap between work giant three CEAL libraries still needs bridged essay attempts view conversion project perspective librarian east asian library community argue need total plan integrate conversion activities oflc ofle LC OCLC RLIN CEAL libraries strictly speaking concrete formal plan conversion project whole existed public concrete formal plan I1 mean written systematic scheme objectives strategies activities etc arranged logical sequence show inter 17

relations purpose achieving certain goal essay intends neither create plan nor lament lack tries understand doing what what key elements process conversion what relationships giant three each CEAL libraries what opportunities choices CEAL libraries need order participate effectively process conversion attempts articulate these matters way suitable non east asian librarians public large stimulate healthy discussion CEAL community hoped someday ideal total plan may validated become reality 1I conversion project LCs announcement press release november 19 1997 convert pinyin pincin romanization chinese may taken goal conversion project 5 LC here speaks itself implication actually speaks entire CEAL community north america conversion project makes sense entire overwhelming majority CEAL libraries join did receive strong support east asian librarians time LC promised soon draw plans how carry conversion 6 during next two three years LC means speak itself well OCLC RLIN CEAL libraries plans came forms general outline7 outlined 7 conversion Timeline latter revised later become coordinated timaline Ti timeline88t0 incorporate conversion activities OCLC RLIN meline LC may intend include CEAL libraries conversion project reality yet able take CEAL libraries consideration planning LC leader plan go first then collaborate RLIN OCLC CEAL libraries wait figure themselves doing what what conversion project what means them first question may come mind conversion project what does mean say LC convert pinyin pincin romanization chinese99 Chinese where wade giles romanization chinese script converted pinyin pincin LC general outline LC pinyin pincin conversion project provides answer question LC convert pinyin pincin wade giles romanization chinese subject headings classification schedules chinese conventional place names bibliographic records authority file understandably LC do alone OCLC RLIN general great share work under coordination LC sort division labor amono among them LC must provide OCLC RLIN conversion specifications implemented followed unclear however what these conversion specifications whether going made public future next question where start project do what turned LC started chinese conventional place names august 1998 10 then come subject headings subject authority file classification schedules october 2000 OCLC start name authority records NARs 12 august 2000 then 18

LC chinese serial records RLIN RLD take largest job converting LC bibliographic records 11 RLIN databases 1 august 2000 LC determined chinese conventional place names must revised before conversion project really begins many forms used these geographic headings cannot converted easily machine manipulation decision initially aimed revising chinese place names currently established conventional english language form form used united states board geographic names year later however july 1999 LC began revise names these changes made name authority records CEAL libraries must pay very close attention these changes new cataloging should use changed form once revision made LC provided very useful list chinese conventional place names revision date attached each revised name 12 since OCLC responsible conversion NARs however unclear whether LC doing cause double conversion problem OCLC conversion subject headings subject authority file LC begin tobe declared day 1 subject headings henceforth new changed subject headings use new pinyin pincin romanization guidelines meanwhile changes related classification schedules initiated 13 unclear day 1 subject headings possible may coincide day I1 bib records name series authorities falls I1 october 2000 CEAL libraries need know date may bewildered receiving converted subject authority records LC cataloging distribution services CDS date onwards RLIN first convert LC chinese language bibliographic records residing RLIN database 1 august 2000 then rest chinese language records RLIN RUN union catalog september 2000 then those member libraries take care bibliographic records created LC gap periods I1 111 lri kli presumably provide similar services member libraries later time assumed RLIN convert both monographic serial chinese language records target date RLIN finish conversion chinese bibliographic records own database april 2001 OCLC begin project massive conversion chinese language name authority records LC 12 august 2000 then try find way convert related authority records quite clear what word related means here 14 converted NARs delivered LC 28 august 2000 turn distributed NACO CDS customers LC 5 september 2000 OCLC then convert chinese language records worldcat World Cat day I1 1 I october 2000 including CONSER chinese serial records leaving non chinese bibliographic records later date conversion chinese bibliographic records completed april 2001 11 specific challenges LC declared I1 october 2000 day I1 bib records name series authorities henceforth romanization chinese carried library 19

congress new bibliographic authority records created libraries 15 follow new pinyin pincin romanization guidelines 1 according wording statement day I1 designated beginning day using pinyin pincin romanization creation conversion chinese records CEAL library therefore free choose date day 1 conversion chinese records LC do same chooses do should avoid misreading day I1 solely referring LC bib records name series authorities libraries entitled use phrase day 1 purposes day 2 another phrase may cause confusion does appear coordinated timeline timaline Ti vigorously discussed pinyin pincin conversion planning meeting 7 october 1999 LC adopted CEAL pinyin pincin liaison group final report pinyin pincin conversion defined library declares henceforth cataloging done pinyin pincin where cataloging means copy cataloging 16 day 2 copy cataloging done pinyin pincin then day I1 copy cataloging done pinyin pincin my opinion both original cataloging done pinyin pincin copy cataloging done pinyin pincin should day 1 day 2 LC two gap periods conversion project gap period 1I 1301 august 2000 gap period nh 130 1 30 september 2000 although LC impose moratorium contribution new changed chinese headings LC NACO during gap period I1 LC staff continue create bibliographic records RLIN 17 unclear how reconcile these two statements since creating bibliographic records may inevitably mean way contribution new chinese headings still clearly stated during gap LC catalogers period nh catalogers neither create nor change chinese language bibliographic records even though acquisitions staff continue create IBC EBC records wade giles athe 1 8the plan training begins LC staff during gap period 111 nlil lii 141 4 september 200019 what kind training RLIN OCLC complete conversion chinese bibliographic records april 2001 use pinyin pincin marker field 987 cease october 2001 means changeover pinyin pincin RLG OCLC completed 20 means conversion wade giles chinese records individual librarys OPEC expected completed october 1 2001 21 six months RLG OCLC convert chinese records CEAL libraries how should CEAL libraries begin plan collaboration RLIN OCLC occasion should begin planning before wait until RLIN OCLC complete conversion process obviously requires careful detailed planning each participant involving each CEAL library utilities process goes beyond coordinated Ti meline total plan covers both coordinated timeline timaline Ti process urgently needed each CEAL library utility meline even though timing needs each CEAL library may different another many similar characteristics process may still used construction plan may efficient beneficial parties concerned plan drawn 20

very beginning conversion project coordinated Timeline left much space between april 2000 october 2000 LC OCLC RLIN RUN should invite representatives CEAL libraries work together fill objectives strategies activities detailed timeliness logical sequence even better helpful useful four parties chose work together revise coordinated Ti meline same manner order make real total plan III 111 lil ili CEAL libraries turn challenge CEAL libraries decide how go doing conversion project way follow LC model LC revealed few details plan coordinated Timeline CEAL libraries must work own plans almost scratch CEAL pinyin pincin liaison groups final report pinyin pincin conversion our hands however job becomes much easier many ways approach task first draw local conversion plan goal may conversion pinyin pincin romanization chinese consists two parts online off line majority online NARs acquisitions bibliographic check item records part may entrusted utility off line part label changes shifting materials must handled locally each abovementioned categories objective achieved certain date certain strategies certain resources through certain activities components should arranged logical sequence show interrelations relations utility must then contacted order find approximate cost conversion meantime elements day 1 bib records name series authorities gap periods date copy cataloging begin using pinyin pincin romanization guidelines materials need converted manually split files cleanups staff training user education etc need incorporated plan nice course separate timeline devised doing however demands much time energy case east asia library university washington matter little complicated librarys serials shelved separately monographs shelved alphabetically according romanization titles call numbers sake facilitating workflow sorting shelving retrieving serials student assistants do read chinese each bound volume labeled romanized womanized title conversion pinyin pincin serial volume itself need relocated romanized womanized title label needs replaced takes time type title call number labels IV conclusion conversion pinyin pincin romanization chinese long overdue essential project RLE north america present under leadership LC collaboration RLIN 21

OCLC going very well three them produced coordinated Ti meline outlining conversion activities Timeline helps CEAL libraries understand conversion project conducted giant three nevertheless did include CEAL libraries consequently hinders ability thoroughly understand project essay sorts through Timeline division labor between three giants how do proceed various conversion responsibilities timeline timaline Ti substitute concrete formal plan should function blueprint conversion project essay argues formal plan formal total plan should includes plans CEAL libraries without participation CEAL libraries conversion project incomplete without integration conversion plan CEAL libraries conversion plan giant three even plan best partial purpose essay stimulate discussion conversion project CEAL community I1 am sure many worthwhile points left unexplored essay I1 am equally sure points essay controversial need explored further NOTES library congress pinyin pincin conversion project press release p 1 httphlcweb httplcweblocgovcatdirpinyinannouncehtml loc 2library 2 congress pinyin pincin conversion timelinejune 1999 httphlcweb httplcweblocgovcatdirpinyintimeline699html loc 33pinyin pincin conversion project coordinated timeline may 4 2000 httplcweblocgovcatdirpinyintimelinehtml 4ceal aceal 4 CEAL pinyin pincin liaison group final report pinyin pincin conversion march 2000 emaile bill mccloy eastlib eastlin mailing list tues bues 18 apr aar 2000 5library 5 congress pinyin pincin conversion project press release p 1 6ibid bibid 6 7 library congress pinyin pincin conversion project general outline httphlcweb httplcweblocgovcatdirpinyinoutlinehtml loc govcatdirpinyinoutlinehtrffl 8 library congress pinyin pincin conversion project press release p 1 9 ibid ia i6 10 chinese conventional place names p 1 httplcweblocgovcatdircpsochinahtml httphlcweblocgovcatdircpsochinahtml 1 library congress pinyin pincin conversion project general outline C pp ap 262 6 library congress pinyin pincin conversion project coordinated timeline may 4 2000 pp ap 343 4 12 chinese conventional place names p 1 13 pinyin pincin conversion project coordinated timeline may 42000 p 3 14 RLG forum wade gilespinyin conversion planning p 3 httpwwwrlgorgeaspinyinforumhtml httphwwwrlgorgeaspinyinforumhtml 15 pinyin pincin conversion project coordinated timeline may 42000 p 5 16 pinyin pincin conversion planning Z meeting october 7 1999 p 7 httpicweb httplcweblocorgcatdirpinyinnotesl0079html loc orgcatdilpinyinnotes 10079html CEAL pinyin pincin liaison group final report pinyin pincin conversion p 6 17 ibid pp ap 343 4 18 ibid p 4 19 ibid p 5 20 ibid p 6 21 CEAL pinyin pincin liaison group final report pinyin pincin conversion p 4 22