From Managerial Theory and Worksheets to Practical MARC AMC; Or, Dancing with the Dinosaur at the Amistad

This article discusses how theory and historical analysis can help inform managerial practices toward the integration of MARC AMC as part of a descriptive chain. The staff of the Amistad Research Center used their own experiences and research and Zipf's Law of Least Effort to produce techniques to simplify and rationalize the complex, library-based MARC format for their environment and ongoing technological change. The process is ongoing and far from revolutionary, but the techniques to date include the production of a standard cataloging worksheet and an authority list of subject headings.