It is widely known that the "Peking (China)" heading was changed to "Beijing (China)" (LCCN n79-76155). What happened to the previously established heading "Port Arthur (China)" (LCCN n82-104230)? [The established heading is now "L"ushun (China)."] The established heading for the Chinese Nationalist Party will change from "Chung-kuo kuo min tang" to "Zhongguo guo min dang" (n50-72265). How about the established heading for 16th century Chinese fiction Adventures of Monkey King? [The uniform title portion will change from "Hsi yu chi" to "Xi you ji" (LCCN n79-46328 |z nr91-32100).] What will happen to "T'ai chi ch'"uan" (LCCN sh85-131930), then? "Canton (China)" is now "Guangzhou (China)" (LCCN n68-117229 |z sh85-19814). What will be the established heading for "Cookery, Chinese |x Cantonese style" (LCCN sh85-31802)?

Most libraries have already flipped conventional Chinese geographical headings appearing in their bibliographic records and have secured funds as well as staff resources for updating Wade-Giles headings as well as romanized transcriptions. The double-conversion possibility, gap period, and transitional split file issues are clearly understood. Arrangements are also made for use of newly added MARC 21 bibliographic field 987 and re-defined MARC 21 authority field 008 position 07. The romanization conversion project evidently covers all aspects of cataloging, including romanization guidelines, subject headings, classification schedules, geographic names, conversion of bibliographic and authority records, and file maintenance. All online records, Chinese or not, with related romanized Chinese authority and subject headings are affected.

The Committee on Cataloging and Classification: Asian and African Materials (CC:AAM) within ALCTS/CCS will hold a program session on this Chinese romanization scheme conversion project with support of ALCTS/CCS/CC:DA, LITA-ALCTS/Authority Control in the Online Environment IG, ACRL/Asian, African, and Middle Eastern Section, and PLA/Cataloging Needs of Pulbic Libraries. The program, "Year of the Dragon, Mandate to Change: Challenges of the Pinyin Conversion in the Online Environment" will take place on Sunday, 9 July 2000, from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm, at McCormick Place--E270. Speakers and their presentation titles will be:

Philip Melzer, Team Leader, Korean-Chinese Cataloging Team, RCCD, Library of Congress
"Status Report on the Pinyin Conversion Project from the Library of Congress"

Peter Zhou, Head, East Asian Library, University of Pittsburgh
"Pinyin Conversion and Its Impact on the East Asian Collection"

Carol Hixson, Head, Cataloging Dept., University of Oregon Libraries
"You say Pei-ching, I say Beijing: Should we call the whole thing off?"

Glenn Patton, Manager, Cataloging Products Dept., OCLC, Inc.
"OCLC and the Pinyin Conversion Effort"

Karen Smith-Yoshimura, Manager, Bibliographic Initiatives, Research Libraries Group
"RLG's Pinyin Conversion Project"

Program presentation and discussion will be of much relevance to library generalists as well as to East Asian studies specialists, who need to know the up-to-date status of national record conversion and how it relates to local systems and records. All ALA 2000 Annual Conference participants are cordially invited to this program.

ALCTS/CCS/CC:AAM/Program Subcommittee
Sarah Su-erh Elman
Alan Grosenheider
Wen-ling Liu
Hideyuki Morimoto
Sushila Shah