What Is Cataloging?

The presentation discusses a definition of cataloging, ISBD, AACR2 and the future of cataloging, with acronyms like FRBR and RDA and what they might mean for school libraries.

1. What is What is
CatalogingCataloging
LIB 630 Classification and Cataloging
Spring 2009
The Big QuestionThe Big Question
Do 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 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 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 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 catalogcard 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 catalogonline 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 definitiondefinition::
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

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What 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 descriptionbibliographic description):):
–Author, title, publisher, date
–Edition
•Basic physical information (AKA Basic physical information (AKA
physical descriptionphysical 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 analysissubject 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
1992
http://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
1992
http://www.ifla.org/VII/s13/pubs/isbdg0.htm

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What 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
Author
Edition
Author

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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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What’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—format
realia=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 German
TitleGMD=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 BulgarianAuthor
Title
Subtitle (or
GMD?)
Statement of
responsibility
Edition area
Publication
area
Physical
description

22. 2222
ISBD in an online catalogISBD in an online catalog
/ shows statement of responsibility, i.e. author, follows
General
Material
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) 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!

25. 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:

27. 2727
Goal of cataloging Goal of cataloging
•FRBRFRBR
•To enable a To enable a
person to:person to:
–Find
–Identify
–Select
–Obtain
•Cutter Cutter ((1919
thth
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

28. Do we need FRBR?Do we need FRBR?
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29. And then there’s RDAAnd then there’s RDA
•. . . maybe!. . . maybe!
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30. 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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