VI. Future Prospects for TGM I

TGM I has been developed using available technologies to support P&P's cataloging and reference activities. As such, it forms one component of P&P's long-term vision of promoting access to still images. That vision includes linking P&P's bibliographic records to its thesauri (and, wherever possible, electronic images). Such linkage would promote both indexing and retrieval. Ideally it would include a searching capability that takes advantage of the links provided in TGM I among broader, narrower and related terms. This would enable a researcher to request, for instance, all images of musical instruments, including those indexed with the term Musical instruments as well as those indexed with terms that are cited as narrower terms to Musical instruments (Lutes, Pianos, etc.). Similarly, the researcher who finds nothing relevant under the term Navigation could request the system to search under the RTs cited in TGM I in order to see if more useful material turns up.

Some institutions that may be closer to realizing such a goal have requested TGM I in machine-readable form. In the near future, automated editions of TGM I are expected to become available through one or more of the following avenues: Internet, as a text file; Internet, with Lexico software; Cataloger's Desktop, a CD-ROM; ASCII text file on a diskette. No work has begun, however, to convert the terms to the MARC Authority Format. Expressions of interest in a particular automated format would be appreciated.

Go to:

• Top of page
• Next Section in the Text
• TGM I Home Page
• Library of Congress Home Page