My final project for IST 616 - Information Resources: Organization & Access. A look into the dark, hidden world of catalog record creation.

1. Sturdy Knight
Dr. Jian Qin
IST 616 – Information Resources: Organization & Access
April 28, 2014
Comics About Journalists Cataloging Project
I chose to create this catalog for a couple of reasons. One is pure expediency: I happen to own
all of these comic books already and have read each several times, which makes for easy reference and
subject analysis. The other is that comics and graphic novels are interesting to catalog. They get their
own content tag in MARC field 008 (6), and they are most often created by teams of co-creators rather
than a single author. They can be either entirely self-contained works, or parts of a series. And of
course they can cover just as wide a range of subject headings as any other form of literature.
The journalist angle I chose because I have always wanted to create a collection like this. There
are a surprising number of comics and graphic novels that deal with journalists or media figures as
primary characters, though not as many of them are superheroes as people seem to think. I personally
think that, just as all superheroes are, to an extent, reflections of Superman, so too all fictional comics
journalists are reflections of Clark Kent. One of these days I will actually get around to building this
collection.
Below are sample MARC records for four different comics. These records were retrieved from
library catalogs found through WorldCat search; the original source is listed at the top of each record.
Changes are highlighted, and explained in detail below each record.

2. Item: Transmetropolitan: Back on the Street by Warren Ellis
Original MARC Source: SUNY ECC
001 ERI01-000140288
003 OCoLC
005 20100106084112.0
008 980613s1998 nyua 6 000 0 eng d
010 |a 98188280
020 |a 9781401220846
035 |a (OCoLC)39282645
049 |a YJLN
050 00 |a PN6728.T68 |b E453 1998
100 1 |a Ellis, Warren.
245 10
|a Transmetropolitan : |b back on the street / |c Warren Ellis, writer ; Darick Robertson,
penciller ; Keith Aiken, Jerome K. Moore, Ray Kryssing, Dick Giordano, inkers ; Nathan
Eyring, color and separations ; Clem Robins, letterer
246 30 |a Back on the street
260 |a New York, NY : |b DC Comics, |c c1998.
500 Originally published in magazine form as Transmetropolitan #1-3
650 0 |a Science fiction |v Comic books, strips, etc.
655 07 |a Science fiction |v Comic books, strips, etc.. |2 lcsh
650 0 |a Aliens |v Comic books, strips, etc.
650 0 |a Journalism |v Comic books, strips, etc.
655 0 |a Graphic novels. |2 lcsh
700 1 |a Robertson, Darick.
994 |a C0 |b YJL
Starting off with something familiar. I worked with a different volume of this series for one of
the earlier skill workshops, so I already knew what to look for in the record.
Changes made:
– Added field 003 – LOC MARC Authority guidelines indicate that if field 001 (Control Number)
exists, field 003 (Control Number Identifier) should also exist
– Added Content tag 6 (Comics/graphic novels) to field 008
– Filled in additional credits in field 245; original record simply stated 'et al...' which is really just
lazy.
– Added field 500 (general description) to clarify relation of this manifestation to original work.
– Added field 655 (index term – genre/form) to describe medium/content more fully.
This was not a great record to begin with. Though there was no inaccurate information included,
there were several omissions, including the names of contributors credited on the title page of the work
and, more glaringly, the fact that this is, in fact, a comic book, which was mentioned secondarily in
field 650 but not made sufficiently clear. On the other hand, this was the only record which included a
Journalism tag in field 650.

3. Item: Daytripper, by Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba
Original MARC Source: Colgate University
001 644663457
003 OCoLC
005 20120118153848.0
008 101119s2011 nyua 6 000 1 eng
010 2010941519
020 9781401229696 (pbk.)
020 1401229697 (pbk.)
035 (OCoLC)644663457
040 DLC|cDLC|dBTCTA|dYDXCP|dSDE|dNTD|dORX|dCDX|dWAU|dLKRBL
042 pcc
043 s-bl---
049 VVCM
050 00 PN6790.B63|bM66 2011
100 1 Moon, Fábio
245 10 Daytripper /|c Fábio Moon & Gabriel Bá ; with coloring by
Dave Stewart ; lettering by Sean Konot ; [introduction by
Craig Thompson]
260 New York :|b DC Comics,|cc2011
300 247 p. :|b chiefly col. ill. ;|c26 cm
500 "Originally published in single magazine form as
Daytripper 1-10"--T.p. verso
520 Presents key moments in the life of Brás de Oliva Domingos,
a Brazilian writer and sometime journalist, and the son
of a prominent author, as if each episode would turn out
to be the day in which he was about to die
650 0 |a Authors |v Comic books, strips, etc
650 0 |a Journalism |v Comic books, strips, etc
650 0 |a Mortality |v Comic books, strips, etc
650 0 |a Fathers and sons |v Comic books, strips, etc
651 0 |a Brazil |v Comic books, strips, etc
655 0 Graphic novels|zUnited States
655 0 Graphic novels |z Brazil |2 lcsh
700 1 Bá, Gabriel
700 1 Stewart, Dave
700 1 Konot, Sean
I had some formatting problems with this one; couldn't get it to display as a table like the others.
Sorry. This record reveals one of the major drawbacks of the MARC requirements: the need to pick a
single primary author/responsible party. The book was a collaboration between brothers Fabio Moon
and Gabriel Ba, who take equal credit, but Moon is listed in field 100 alone, and Ba is relegated to field
700 along with the colorist and letterer.
Changes made:
– Added subfield marker |a to all instances of field 650-651.
– Added field 650 |a Journalism. The main character is an obituary writer for a major newspaper,
and a key theme in the middle of the book is the power of accurate reporting to heal from
tragedy.
– Removed field: 651 0 |a Graphic novels |z United States; neither the creators nor the content of
the work have any strong relationship with the United States.
All in all this was a good record. The only problems were subfield |a missing from a few subject
fields, and the inaccurate but not especially misleading tag indicating a relation to the United States.

4. Item: DMZ: On the Ground, by Brian Wood
Original MARC Source: Amherst College
005 20110223092336.0
008 070928s2006 nyua 6 000 0 eng d
020 |a 9781417784554
020 |a 1401210627 (v. 1. : pbk.)
024 |a 9781401210625 (v. 1. : pbk.)
035 |a (OCoLC)ocn176889467
040 |a BTCTA |c BTCTA |d BAKER |d SOM |d VUE |d AMH
050 14 |a PN6728.D563 |b W66 2006
090 |a PN6727.W594 |b D58 2006 v.1
100 1 |a Wood, Brian.
245 10
|a DMZ. |n 1, |p On the ground / |c Brian Wood, writer ; Riccardo Burchielli, Brian Wood,
artists ; Jeromy Cox, colorist ; Jared K. Fletcher, letterer ; Brian Wood, original series covers.
246 30 |a On the ground
260 |a New York : |b Vertigo, |c c2006.
300 |a 126 p. : |b ill. (chiefly col.), map ; |c 26 cm.
490 1 |a DMZ ; |v 1
500 |a Volume number from book spine.
500 |a "Originally published in single magazine form as DMZ 1-5."--T.p. verso.
500 |a DMZ created by Brian Wood and Riccardo Burchielli.
521 |a Suggested for mature readers.
520 0
|a A second civil war is being fought across America and photojournalist Matty Roth finds
himself in Manhattan, in the middle of a standoff between the government and anti-
establishment militias.
650 0 |a Journalism |z Manhattan (New York, N.Y.) |v Comic books, strips, etc.
650 0 |a Journalism—Political aspects—United States |v Comic books, strips, etc.
650 0 |a Imaginary wars and battles |v Comic books, strips, etc.
650 0 |a Militia movements |z United States |v Comic books, strips, etc.
650 0 |a Dystopias |v Comic books, strips, etc.
655 0 |a Graphic novels. |2 lcsh
700 1 |a Burchielli, Riccardo.
700 1 |a Cox, Jeromy.
700 1 |a Fletcher, Jared K.
830 0 |a DMZ (Series : Trade publication) |v 1.
994 |a C0 |b AMH
This is another one that is part of a series. Originally had 4 separate entries for field 020, which
I found somewhat confusing.
Changes made:
– Deleted field 020; field contained the ISBN of the complete anthology, whereas this
manifestation is vol. 1 of the serialized version.
– Altered field 020 containing EAN number to field 024. OCLC guidelines indicate that either is
acceptable; I find this option more clear as it eliminates possible confusion regarding the ISBN.
– Added field 650 |a Journalism |z Manhattan. The work is about a journalist very specifically
working in and around Manhattan island; it felt appropriate to include the geographic tag.

5. – Added field 650 |a Journalism—Political aspects—United States. The work is more concerned
with the political role of reporters and media than with the profession itself. Subject heading
from LCSH database.
– Added subfield |2lcsh to field 655. OCLC guidelines indicate that source indicator subfield is
required in field 655.
Apart from the multiple ISBN fields (one of which was not appropriate to this manifestation),
this record was perfectly usable. The two subject fields I added reflect important aspects of the
overarching themes and setting of the work, but the fields that already existed do an adequate job of
describing the surface elements.

6. Item: Superman: Birthright, by Mark Waid
Original MARC Source: SUNY Geneseo
001 000411338
003 OcoLC
005 20060825123452.0
008 051222s2004 nyua 6 000 c eng
010 |a 2005284647
015 |a GBA524479 |2 bnb
016 7 |a 013128359 |2 Uk
020 |a 1401202519 (hardcover)
020 |a 1401202527 (softcover)
020 |a 1845760131 (pbk.)
035 |a (OCoLC)58831230
040 |a DLC |c DLC |d UKM |d BAKER |d YGM
042 |a pcc
049 |a YGMY
050 00 |a PN6728.S9 |b W35 2004
082 00 |a 741.5/973 |2 22
092 |a 741.5 |b W142su
100 1 |a Waid, Mark.
245 10
|a Superman: birthright / |c Mark Waid, writer ; Leinil Francis Yu, penciller ; Gerry Alanguilan,
inker ; Dave McCaig, colorist ; Comicraft, letterer ; Leinil Francis Yu & Gerry Alanguilan,
original series covers ; Superman created by Jerry Siegel & Joe Schuster.
260 |a New York : |b DC Comics, |c c2004.
300 |a 287 p. : |b chiefly ill. (chiefly col.) ; |c 27 cm.
500 |a Originally published in single magazine form as Superman: birthright 1-12.
500 |a ALA Best Books for Young Adults, 2006.
521 2 |a Suggested grades: Adult/High school.
650 1 |a Cartoons and comics.
650 0 |a Journalism |v Comic books, strips, etc.
650 0 |a Superman (Fictitious character) |v Comic books, strips, etc.
655 7 |a Science fiction comic books, strips, etc. |2 gsafd
655 7 |a Graphic novels. |2 lcsh
700 1 |a Yu, Leinil Francis.
962 |a Juvenile/YA Col.
962 |a young adult book
994 |a C0 |b YGM
938 |a Baker & Taylor |b BKTY |c 29.95 |d 22.46 |i 1401202519 |n 0006089773 |s active
938 |a Baker & Taylor |b BKTY |c 19.99 |d 14.99 |i 1401202527 |n 0006296403 |s active

7. You didn't really think we'd get through a catalog of fictional comic book journalists without
including Clark Kent, did you? This record is the most thorough of all the ones that I found, though not
entirely without flaws.
Changes made:
– Added field 003 – LOC MARC Authority guidelines indicate that if field 001 (Control Number)
exists, field 003 (Control Number Identifier) should also exist
– Added Content tag 6 (Comics/graphic novels) to field 008
– Deleted field 246 |a Birthright. Although 'Birthright' appears like a subtitle, it would be difficult
to identify the work using just the supertitle 'Superman,' as there are many works with that
supertitle. 'Birthright' is an inextricable part of this work's title, and to list it as a subtitle is I
think misleading.
– Added field 650 0 |a Journalism. This work is less directly about journalists/journalism than the
others used in this project, but it does extensively explore Clark Kent's career as a reporter
before adopting the Superman identity, and his early days working at the Daily Planet.
This, I think, was the best record of the ones that I used in this project. Not only because it is
extremely thorough, but because all of the optional fields that are included (such as 500 and 962)
suggest a familiarity with the work and accurately reflect it. The one quarrel I had was with the
decision to list 'Birthright' in field 246 as a subtitle, which as I said I find slightly misleading, though I
cannot argue that it is anything other than strictly accurate.

8. Cataloging Policy for Further Works:
– Contributors
– Primary writer entered into field 100
– All contributors credited on title page of print work should be listed under field 245,
together with role credited
– In the case of collections of previously serialized works, only contributors who participate
in every installment included should be added under field 700
– Subject Content
– Items are eligible for inclusion in this collection if they meet the following criteria:
– Are comics or graphic novel items (008 Cont 6)
– A primary character is a professional journalist, photojournalist, reporter, essayist, or
other media worker, or aspires to be one.
– If multiple manifestations of a work exist, preference will be given to the manifestation with
the earliest copyright date. The exception to this is serialized magazines, which will be
cataloged in collected volumes whenever possible.
– Authority Names
– In general, if any part of a work's title is also an LOC authority name, that part of the title is
considered too vague to stand alone as an identifier of the work. Subtitles, supertitles, or
other parts of the title will be considered as integral to proper cataloging, and will not be
listed separately in field 246 or elsewhere.
– Other Standards
– If the narrative content of a work, and in particular the requisite journalist character, is
clearly tied to a particular city, country, or region, the appropriate geographic subfield
should be included under field 650.

9. I chose the items to catalog for this project because, as I said, I am intimately familiar with all
of them, and wanted to explore that familiarity in a new way. Going through the MARC records from
different libraries, however, it quickly became apparent that not every cataloger has the luxury of
knowing the items they work with so thoroughly. I would bet that the cataloger at SUNY Geneseo has
read Superman: Birthright. I would also bet that the cataloger as SUNY ECC has not read
Transmetropolitan, or at least not thoroughly.
Some of the changes I made to the records represent errors on the part of the original catalogers.
Some do not – decisions like listing the ISBN of the anthologized version of DMZ as an alternate
ISBN, or listing 'Birthright' as a subtitle are technically correct based on OCLC and LOC guidelines. I
made those changes because I felt that despite their technical correctness they were somewhat
misleading. Being familiar with the works, I know that the anthologized DMZ contains enough extra
material not found in the serialized version that cross-listing the ISBN's might be more trouble than it's
worth. But I could only make that judgement call because I have that familiarity.
Initially, I found the MARC guidelines and templates we were working with needlessly
complex, packed with more optional fields than anyone could possibly want. Having spent some more
time with them, I'm beginning to see that those fields allow a greater array of personal experience and
expertise to come into play when a cataloger is creating a record. I am a comic book geek; I can add
additional metadata to comic book catalog records until the sun grows cold. Someone else who happens
to be passionate about geography, or sound recording technologies, has entire MARC fields to carefully
distinguish the geographical or aural qualities of an information object from others around it. LCSH
vocabulary lets a cataloger apply their precise knowledge of a field of study or body of work to the
records they create.
If cataloging were easy and unambiguous, it would be automated by now, and none of us would
be here. Though no cataloger can be expected to be intimately familiar with every item they record, the
more opportunities for expertise to show through, the better the records we will create.