Cataloging sound recordings

1. Corazon M. Nera
Director of Libraries, Lyceum of the Philippines
of
Member, Board for Librarians

2. • A recording on which sound vibrations have
been registered by mechanical or electrical
means so that the sound may be reproduced.
Sound Recording

3. Chief Source of Information
Type Chief Source
Disc Disc and label
Tape (open reel-to reel) Reel and label
Tape cassette Cassette and label
Tape cartridge Cartridge and label
Roll Label
Sound recording on film Container and label

4. General Material Designation
• Faustus (sound recording)
• Music for flute and tape (sound recording)

5. Physical description area
•Extent of item. Record the number of physical
units of a sound recording by giving the number
of parts in arabic numerals and one of the
following terms as appropriate:
1 sound cartridge
1 sound cassette
2 sound disc
Add reel, cassette, etc., to sound track film.
1 sound track film reel

6. • Give the playing time
Example : 1 sound disc (50 min.)
1 sound tape reel (ca. 90 min.)
3 sound cassettes (40 min. each)
Extent of item (cont.)
Other Physical Details
Give the following details:
• type of recording
• playing speed
• groove characteristics (analog discs)
• track configuration (sound track films)
• number of tracks (tapes)
• number of sound channels
• recording and reproduction characteristics

7. Other physical details (Cont.)
Type of recording
Example: 1 sound disc (45 min.) : analog
1 sound cassette (56 min.) : digital
Playing speed
Example: 1 sound disc (45 min.) : analog, 33 1/3 rpm
For a sound track film, give the type of recording
1 sound track film (10 min.) : magnetic
Give the playing speed of a digital disc in meters per
second (m. per sec.) and analog tape in inches per
second (ips)
1 sound tape reel (16 min.) : analog, 7 1/2 ips

8. Other physical details (Cont.)
Grove characteristics
Example:
1 sound disc (7 min.) : analog, 78 rpm, microgroove
Track configuration - (e.g. centre track, edge track)
Example:
1 sound track film reel (10 min.) : magnetic, 25 fps,
centre track

9. Other physical details (Cont.)
Number of tracks - for tape, cartridges, cassettes,
and reels, give the number of tracks, unless the
number of tracks is standard. The standard number of
tracks for a cartridge is 8 and for an analog cassette
4.
Number of sound channels - Use one or more of the
following terms as appropriate:
mono. stereo. quad.
Example: 1 sound disc (56 min.) : digital, stereo.
1 sound tape reel (ca. 60 min.) : analog, 7 1/2 ips,
2 track, mono.

10. Dimensions - if the sound recordings in a multipart
item differ in size, give the smallest or smaller and
the largest or larger size, separated by hyphen.
Other physical details (Cont.)
Sound discs - give the diameter in inches
Example: 1 sound disc (20 min.) : analog, 33 1/2 rpm,
stereo. ; 12 in.
1 sound disc (56 min.) : digital, stereo. ; 4 3/4 in.
Sound track films - give the guage in millimeters
Example: 1 sound track film reel (10 min.) : magnetic,
25 fps, centre track ; 16 mm.

11. Other physical details (Cont.)
Sound cartridge - give the dimensions of a cartridge
in inches if other than the standard dimensions (5 1/4
x 3 7/8 in.) width of the tape in fractions of an inch if
other than the standard width (1/4 in.)
Sound cassettes
Example : 1 sound cassette (85 min.) : analog, mono. ;
7 1/4 x 3 1/2 in., 1/4 in. tape

12. Note Area
Notes
Nature or artistic form and medium of performance
Example : Play for child actors
Opera in two acts
Language
Example : Sung in French
In French, introduced in English

13. Audience
Example : Intended audience: First year undergraduates
Intended audience: G.C.E. “A” level students
Summary
Example :
Summary: Episodes from the novel, read by Ed Begley
Summary: A brief historical account up to the
introduction of wave mechanics

14. Contents -
Contents: The golden age of rock’n’roll - Born late 58
- Trudi’s song - Pearl’n’Roy - Roll away the stone -
Marionette - Alice - Crash Street kids - Through the
looking glass
Contents: The fourth millennium / Henry Brant (9
min,) - Music for brass quintet (14 min.)
Contents: Louise. Depuis le jour / G. Charpentier
(Mary Garden, soprano, with orchestra) - Tosca. Vissi
d’arte / Puccini (Maria Jeritza, soprano, with piano)
Make notes on additional or partial contents when
appropriate.
With musical extracts from the works of the
composer

15. Subject Analysis
Subject analysis policies for a multimedia collection
should be applied to art reproductions. The
classification numbers and subject headings found
in the sample records demonstrate possible
approaches to subject access that may be useful in
some collections. More specific subject headings
can be listed if patrons typically request works of
art by subject content.

16. Sample card 1
Temple, Shirley
On the good ship lollipop [ sound recording] / Shirley
Temple.--New York : Movietone Records, c1965.
1 disc (26 min.) : 33 1/3 rpm ; 12 in.
Movietone Records : MTM 1001
Songs from motion pictures, sung by Shirly Temple.
1. Music, Popular (Songs, etc.). 2. Children’s songs.
I. Title.

17. 003 $a SR
100 $a Temple, Shirley
245 $a On the good ship lollipop $h [sound
recording] / $c Shirley Temple ;
260 $a New York : $b Movietone Records,
$c 1965.
300 $a 1 disc (26 min.) : $b 33 1/3 rpm ;
$c 12 in. 500 $a Movietone
Records : MTM 1001
500 $b Songs from motion pictures, sung by
Shirley Temple.
650 $a Music, Popular (Songs, etc.).
650 $b Children’s songs.
740 $a Title.
MARC Format

18. Sample card 2
Shands, Harley C.
The doctor talks to you about understanding problems
[sound recording] : a discussion / by Harley C. Shands.--
Bayside, N.Y.: Soundwoods, c1979.
1 cassette (30 min.) : 1 7/8 ips, mono.
Interview.
Intended audience : Ages 16 through adult.
1. Fear. 2. Neuroses. I. Title. II. Title :
Understanding phobias.

19. MARC Format
003 $a SR
100 $a Shands, Harley C.
245 $a The doctor talks to you about
understanding phobias $h [sound
recording] : $b a discussion / $c by Harley
C. Shands
260 $a Bayside, N.Y. : $b Soundwoods,
$c 1979.
300 $a 1 cassette (30 min.) : $b 1 7/8 ips,
mono. 500 $a Interview.
500 $b Intended audience : Ages 16
through adult. 650
$a Fear.
650 $b Neuroses.
740 $a Title.
740 $b Title :