Web Links
Library and Archives Canada (LAC) and the Depository Services Program (DSP) are pleased to announce the launch of a pilot project allowing users of LAC's AMICUS and the Government of Canada Publications Database to move back and forth between the standardized bibliographic records found in AMICUS and the equivalent DSP bibliographic record, using Web links created by matching on common record data elements. AMICUS is the Library and Archives Canada database hosting Canadiana, the national bibliography. The Government of Canada Publications Database stores bibliographic records for publications distributed by the Depository Services Program and is available for online searching.
This joint project to create record-to-record links between the databases of Library and Archives Canada and the Depository Services Program was completed in March 2006. It was a joint project undertaken in 2005/06 by LAC and the DSP to build two-way record-to-record hyperlinks between the Government of Canada Publications Database and AMICUS Websites, in order to streamline library access to MARC records for federal publications via the DSP Website on the one hand, and to enable AMICUS users to obtain copies of federal publications on the other. The project also includes a download file allowing DSP users to download all available LAC MARC records for publications appearing in a given Weekly Checklist of Canadian Government Publications.
Cataloguing
Library and Archives Canada's Resource Description Division has undertaken for several years to catalogue printed federal government publications listed in the DSP's Weekly Checklist of Canadian Government Publications in an expedited work stream. A standard bibliographic record is created in AMICUS normally before publications distributed by the DSP are received by client libraries. LAC will continue this program of expedited cataloguing, and will now, as well, create a download file of bibliographic records for items in a given Weekly Checklist. This download file will be sent to the DSP where it will be available for downloading from the Weekly Checklist index page. Consequently, users will have immediate one-stop access to all available LAC bibliographic records for publications listed in the Weekly Checklist. LAC will endeavour to be as comprehensive as possible in its cataloguing coverage of each Checklist, while maintaining timelines.
Electronic DSP Items
LAC is also expanding the expedited cataloguing program to include wherever possible the archiving and cataloguing of electronic publications listed in the Weekly Checklist. These digital federal publications will be added to the LAC's growing Electronic Collection (http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/collection/index-e.html).
Project Parameters
Please note that initially links will be available for recent and current monographs and some serials. A link will be made available whenever a successful match occurs between records, based on the presence of ISBN, ISSN or in some cases Government of Canada Catalogue Numbers in both records. For an example of a link, see AMICUS record number 28033323. Should you require additional information, please contact Liz McKeen, Director, Resource Description Division at resource-description-ressources@lac-bac.gc.ca , or Christine Alexander, Leader, Federal Monographs Team at resource-description-ressources@lac-bac.gc.ca.
For historical information visit: Archived What's New