What is What is CatalogingCataloging

LIB 630 Classification and CatalogingSpring 2009

The Big QuestionThe Big QuestionDo we need to be Do we need to be

FRBRizing, or what?FRBRizing, or what?

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What is Cataloging?What is Cataloging?

• cataloging – The process of creating entries for a catalog. In

libraries, this usually includes bibliographic description, subject analysis, assignment of classification notation, and activities involved in physically preparing the item for the shelf, tasks usually performed under the supervision of a librarian trained as a cataloger. British spelling is cataloguing. See also: cataloging agency, cataloging-in-publication, centralized cataloging, cooperative cataloging, copy cataloging, descriptive cataloging, encoding level, and recataloging.

• Online Dictionary of Library and Information Science, ODLIS

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2 kinds of cataloging2 kinds of cataloging

• Original catalogingOriginal cataloging

• Copy catalogingCopy cataloging

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What is original cataloging? What is original cataloging?

• original cataloging – Preparation of a bibliographic record

from scratch, without the aid of a pre-existing catalog record for the same edition, more time-consuming for the cataloger than copy cataloging.

– i.e.: Do-it-yourself cataloging!

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Copy cataloging?Copy cataloging?• copy cataloging

– Adaptation of a pre-existing bibliographic record (usually found in OCLC, RLIN, NUC, or some other bibliographic database) to fit the characteristics of the item in hand, with modifications to correct obvious errors and minor adjustments to reflect locally accepted cataloging practice, as distinct from original cataloging (creating a completely new record from scratch).

– i.e. Copy from others cataloging!

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But what are we actually doing when But what are we actually doing when we catalog a book or whatever?we catalog a book or whatever?

• We’re entering information about We’re entering information about the book into the library’s catalog, the book into the library’s catalog, so that when patrons are searching, so that when patrons are searching, they can find what they’re looking they can find what they’re looking for, or, at least, something that will for, or, at least, something that will help them find an answer to their help them find an answer to their question.question.

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What is a card catalog?What is a card catalog?

• card catalog – A list of the holdings of a library, printed, typed,

or handwritten on catalog cards, each representing a single bibliographic item in the collection. Catalog cards are normally filed in a single alphabetical sequence (dictionary catalog), or in separate sections by author, title, and subject (divided catalog), in the long narrow drawers of a specially designed filing cabinet, usually constructed of wood (click here to see an example). Most large- and medium-sized libraries in the United States have converted their card catalogs to machine-readable format. Also spelled card catalogue. Compare with online catalog.

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Online catalog?Online catalog?

• online catalog – A library catalog consisting of a collection of

bibliographic records in machine-readable format, maintained on a dedicated computer that provides uninterrupted interactive access via terminals or workstations in direct, continuous communication with the central computer. Although the software used in online catalogs is proprietary and not standardized, most online catalogs are searchable by author, title, subject heading, and keywords, and most public and academic libraries in the United States provide free public access, usually through a Web-based graphical user interface. Click here to log on to the online catalog of the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Synonymous with OPAC.

– OPAC=online public access catalog

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Why make this distinction?Why make this distinction?

• There are those who call an online There are those who call an online catalog the “online card catalog” or catalog the “online card catalog” or something similar.something similar.

• There are no cards on the computer, There are no cards on the computer, so that calling the online computer so that calling the online computer the “card” catalog is a misnomerthe “card” catalog is a misnomer

• ““Card” refers only to the medium the Card” refers only to the medium the catalog appears oncatalog appears on

– PLEASE DON’T DO IT!

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Elements of catalogingElements of cataloging

• From ODLIS From ODLIS definition::

1. bibliographic description

2. subject analysis

3. assignment of classification notation (which is essentially what classification is)

4. activities involved in physically preparing the item for the shelf

April 20, 2023What is cataloging?What is cataloging?

1111What information do you put into What information do you put into the catalog, then?the catalog, then?

• Basic bibliographic information (AKA Basic bibliographic information (AKA bibliographic description):):– Author, title, publisher, date– Edition

• Basic physical information (AKA Basic physical information (AKA physical description):):– Size, no. of pages, whether illustrated, if it

has a bibliography and/or index– Format (book, recording, electronic, etc.)

• Subject information (AKA Subject information (AKA subject analysis))

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What is bibliographic What is bibliographic description?description?

• The official international definition:The official international definition:– “. . . lists all the elements which are

required to describe and identify all types of material which are likely to appear in library collections, . . .”

• ISBD(G): General International Standard Bibliographic Description 1992http://www.ifla.org/VII/s13/pubs/isbdg0.htm

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Wait, there’s more, though!Wait, there’s more, though!

• International Standard Bibliographic International Standard Bibliographic Description Description – “. . . assigns an order to the elements of

description, and specifies a system of punctuation for the description.”

• ISBD(G): General International Standard Bibliographic Description 1992http://www.ifla.org/VII/s13/pubs/isbdg0.htm

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1414What is the prescribed order?What is the prescribed order?– Area 1: title and statement of responsibility (for

example: author, editor, artist). – Area 2: edition. – Area 3: material-dependent information (for

example, the scale of a map or the duration of a sound recording).

– Area 4: publication and distribution. – Area 5: physical description (for example: size

and number of pages in a book or number of CDs in the same jewel case).

– Area 6: series. – Area 7: notes. – Area 8: standard number (ISBN, ISSN).

• International Standard Bibliographic Description From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Standard_Bibliographic_Description

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Slide from presentation Introduction to Description: History of Cataloging Codes

What is the punctuation?What is the punctuation?

Spaces before and after the special punctuation (shown in red)!

GMD=General material designation. New rules: [ ] not ( )

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An ExampleAn Example

Slide from presentation Introduction to Description: History of Cataloging Codes

Notice the spaces!

Title

AuthorEditionAuthor

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What do the punctuation symbols What do the punctuation symbols mean?mean?

[[. . .. . .]] usually means that what’s included within usually means that what’s included within the [ ] is General Material Designation, i.e. the [ ] is General Material Designation, i.e. physical or electronic or other formatphysical or electronic or other format

:: usually means that what comes first is the usually means that what comes first is the main title and what comes after is the main title and what comes after is the subtitle (if there are spaces before and after) subtitle (if there are spaces before and after) OR what comes first is the place of OR what comes first is the place of publication and what comes after is the publication and what comes after is the publisherpublisher

// means that what follows is the “statement of means that what follows is the “statement of responsibility”, i.e. author, editor, etcresponsibility”, i.e. author, editor, etc

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1818What’s the advantage of having What’s the advantage of having everything so standardized?everything so standardized?

• You can recognize and read a You can recognize and read a bibliographic record, no matter what bibliographic record, no matter what language or script it’s written inlanguage or script it’s written in

• You can tell what’s being described, You can tell what’s being described, no matter what kind of material it isno matter what kind of material it is

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An example in EnglishAn example in English

Main title

GMD—formatrealia=real-life object

Subtitle

Statement of responsibility

Publication info

Physical description

Series info

Slide 14 from CATALOGING: Ticket to the Past, the Present, and the Future © 2000 Arlene G. Taylor

Edition and edition responsi-bility

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An example in GermanAn example in GermanTitle GMD=General Material Designation

(in this case: electronic resource)Subtitle

Statement of responsibility

Publication area

Series information

Standard Number

Physical Description

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An example in BulgarianAn example in Bulgarian Author

Title

Subtitle (or GMD?)

Statement of responsibility

Edition area

Publication area

Physical description

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ISBD in an online catalogISBD in an online catalog/ shows statement of responsibility, i.e. author, follows

GeneralMaterial Designation

Spaces before and after punctuation to separate sections

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What does AACR2 have to do with What does AACR2 have to do with this?this?

• Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules (AACR) – A detailed set of standardized rules for

cataloging various types of library materials . . . which is divided into two parts: rules for creating the bibliographic description of an item of any type, and rules governing the choice and form of entry of headings (access points) in the catalog.

Click here to read a brief history of AACR2, courtesy of the JSC.

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Do we need to learn all these rules?Do we need to learn all these rules?

• If you plan on specializing as a If you plan on specializing as a cataloger, especially in a large cataloger, especially in a large research library, where you will be research library, where you will be doing a lot of original cataloging, doing a lot of original cataloging, then you will need to learn the rules.then you will need to learn the rules.

• As an LMS, most of your cataloging As an LMS, most of your cataloging will be copy cataloging, so that a will be copy cataloging, so that a general awareness of the rules will be general awareness of the rules will be all you need—plus knowing where to all you need—plus knowing where to look them up!look them up!

Will there be an AACR3?Will there be an AACR3?• Yes and no—FRBR is coming!Yes and no—FRBR is coming!

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What is FRBR?What is FRBR?• Functional Requirements for Functional Requirements for

Bibliographic RecordsBibliographic Records• Either F-R-B-R or “Ferber”Either F-R-B-R or “Ferber”• A report in 7 languages (soon to A report in 7 languages (soon to

add simplified and traditional add simplified and traditional Chinese)Chinese)

• A “conceptual model”A “conceptual model”– entities– attributes– Relationships

This comes from the Powerpoint presentation below:

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Goal of cataloging Goal of cataloging

• FRBRFRBR• To enable a To enable a

person to:person to:– Find– Identify– Select– Obtain

• Cutter Cutter ((1919thth century cataloging century cataloging pioneer)pioneer)

• To enable a person to find a book of which either To enable a person to find a book of which either – the author – the title – the subject

...is known...is known

• To show what the library has To show what the library has – by a given author – on a given subject – in a given kind of literature

• To assist in the choice of a book To assist in the choice of a book – as to its edition (bibliographically) – as to its character (literary or topical)

Adapted from FRBR; or, How I learned to stop worrying and love the model

Do we need FRBR?Do we need FRBR?

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And then there’s RDAAnd then there’s RDA

• . . . maybe!. . . maybe!

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Probably! What is RDA?Probably! What is RDA?

• RDA: Resource Description and RDA: Resource Description and Access Access – the new standard for resource

description and access designed for the digital world. Built on the foundations established by AACR2, RDA provides a comprehensive set of guidelines and instructions on resource description and access covering all types of content and media.

• http://www.rdaonline.org/

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