This document provides an overview of cataloguing for library and information professionals. It defines cataloguing and its purpose of facilitating access and discovery. Key terms are introduced, and the differences between cataloguing in public, academic, and special libraries are explored. The general process of cataloguing a resource is outlined, including using standards like AACR2, subject headings, and classification systems. MARC format and creating bibliographic records is also summarized. Additional resources for learning more about cataloguing are provided.

1. Cataloguing in the “Real World”
By Emily Porta
iSchool Peer-Led Workshop Series 2013
26 February 2013

2. Talk Outline
What is cataloguing, and why do I need to know it?
How does cataloguing in real life differ from cataloguing in
school?
What do I need to know to say “yes, I can catalogue” at an
interview?
How do I catalogue something? The general process.
Additional resources, going forward
Questions, comments, etc.

3. What is cataloguing?
For the people in this room, cataloguing will manifest as a
way of controlling the information in your library
You can catalogue anything, books, audio-visual
materials, kits, toys, you name it
You use a bunch of standards to organize this information.
Most find it tedious, they are incorrect

4. Some basic terms
LCC – Library of Congress Classification
Dewey or DDC – Dewey Decimal Classification
LCSH – Library of Congress Subject Headings
MARC – Machine Readable Cataloguing
LoC – Library of Congress
AACR – Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules
More: scribd.com/doc/127310834/Key-Terms-in-Cataloguing

5. What is the point of
cataloguing?
We catalogue in order to facilitate ACCESS: discovery and
sharing. It’s how your patrons find anything.
If done even slightly incorrectly, an item may not ever be
found – a poorly catalogued item is a lost item.
You will find a wide range of adherence to the rules
depending on the library in question.
FISO – Find, Identify, Select, Obtain

6. But why do I need to know it?
As a librarian/KM professional/information specialist, if you
don’t know the basics of bibliographic control you:
Will find it harder to provide quality reference service (eg.
Not know how to find an authorized name for Bill
Shakespeare or Zeus)
Find it harder to know where to look for books in the
stacks
Understand subject headings
Also, at some point, it is likely you will have to originally
catalogue something – the buck stops with you

7. “Real Life” Cataloguing
Public libraries: usually Dewey classification, depending
on size could use LCSH, Sears, etc. in response to use by
general public, classification is used more liberally,
especially for fiction
Academic: generally strict adherence to the rules,
facilitates sharing among academic institutions. Mostly
LCSH and LCC, some Dewey (eg. OISE and Inforum at
UofT)
Special: it depends. Often no ILS, so no importing, no
interest in sharing so no MARC, rules adapted for very
specific users

8. Ok, so what do I need to
know?
You should have a general knowledge of key terms and
concepts, see the sheet
Know the general history of digital cataloguing, why we do
things the way we do them now
Special libraries: you might need to know how to create or
radically alter the catalogue, collection, or both
For this you need good understanding of pros and cons of
different classification systems, figure out what parts of a
record your patrons need, how to create a cataloguing
manual (IMPORTANT)

9. What you need to know (cont.)
For public library, probably not much, unless you’re the
cataloguer or have cataloguing as a part of your job. Basic
familiarity is still necessary
For academic library, important to know basics (eg. For
reference services), know how to originally catalogue
something, ideally including other languages (know when
to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em), depends on size of
library (eg. Robarts vs. UTM – big difference)

10. How to Catalogue a Resource
You will need:
1. AACR2 (AACR 2nd revised edition) [eventually RDA, but
not yet]
2. Whatever thesaurus you’re using for subject headings
(eg. LCSH)
3. Whatever classification system you’re using (eg. LCC),
including your Cutter table
4. A bunch of online tools (we love them)
5. The cataloguing manual for special circumstances

11. Cataloguing a Book
Get out AACR2 (you need Chapter One (general rules)
and Chapter Two (monographs). You will flip between
these chapters the entire time. RDA Toolkit has an e-
version of AACR2, up to your preference.
Get the book. Ignore the cover, look at the title page,
copyright, etc.
Follow the rules. Seriously, read Chapter One several
times, carefully. Read Chapter Two at least once,
carefully. Then start applying the rules, in order. FOLLOW.
THE. RULES.

12. Cataloguing a Book (cont.)
Once you have the information for the resource, in perfect
AACR2 format, you need subject headings and a
classification number
If no one’s ever catalogued this book before, you have to
create them. Subject headings: determine aboutness
carefully, use LCSH (or whatever SH vocabulary) to pick
the headings (usually about three) – follow rule of
COEXTENSIVITY
Create the classification number using the system you’ve
chosen (LCC, DDC, etc.), and comparing the number with
your existing collection. If it doesn’t make sense, you can
put it somewhere else!! The power!

13. Term break! (Not the fun kind)
COEXTENSIVITY - aka "specific entry": you enter a work under its
subject heading, not under the heading of a class which
CONTAINS that subject eg. enter a book about "cats" under "cat",
not under "zoology" or "mammals" or "domestic animals”
DIRECT ENTRY - owls, NOT birds > birds of prey > owls
PRE-COORDINATED - systems where the rules, the grammar, etc.
are already spelled out for you, as long as you know the system
you'll be able to retrieve objects efficiently. Examples are Sears,
LCSH, Dewey, and LCC
POST-COORDINATED - user searches words and order, eg. ERIC
Thesaurus, these are imprecise if words are not there, there's no
synonym control. Eg. if you search for "lemons" you can get bad
cars and the fruit, there's no control. We generally don't use these.

14. Classification number
construction
Basic LCC outline: One or two letters, 1-4 numbers, a
decimal, a cutter number or two (never more than two
Cutters if following LoC rules), the year.
Example:

15. Classification (cont.)
The first letters are LoC main classes and subclasses (eg A is
the “main class” for “general works”, and AE is the “subclass”
for Encyclopedias) There are 21 basic classes
The numbers immediately following these letters are the LoC
assigned subject numbers, these can get VERY specific. More
detail info can be found on the LoC website.
Cutter numbers are added after the LoC letters and numbers.
There are many Cutter tables, the LoC uses this one.
Examples: AB1234.5 .G67 2003 = LoC info .CutterNumber Year

16. Reflect on your work
Now you have something like this:

17. Cataloguing (cont.)
But surprise! This is actually a card catalogue format.
Doesn’t matter, they’re the same thing, only difference is
that today we encode this information not on a card, but in
to MARC so we can upload, download them (share them).
Next step is to encode this in to MARC format (in real life
you’ll usually be doing this all at once, or not at all)
MARC is not scary, it is easy. You will love it, and be sad if
you library doesn’t use it.

18. MARC

19. MARC (cont.)
Generally you will be given boxes to fill out – you need to
know which boxes to fill and why (format is dictated by
AACR2, not MARC)
Loc.gov/marc is your best friend. Click on “bibliographic”
on the left hand column for bibliographic description work.
MARC is based on “character” positions
NR = non-repeating R = you can repeat this field
Leader fields: you need them to facilitate sharing

20. MARC (cont.)
Control fields: for books, you will usually have 001, 003,
005, 008 fields. For not monographs (be careful) you’ll
usually have a 007 instead of 008
These are all “fixed length”, “positionally defined” – their
position in the line of characters tells the computer what
the numbers mean, there are no indicators
Numbers and Code fields: important ones for books are
usually 010, 020, 040, 050, often use 09X field for your
library, there are MANY others!

21. MARC (cont.)
All the other fields. For books this usually includes:
1. 1XX – Main Entry (usually 100, personal name)
2. 2XX – Title (usually 245, title and statement of
responsibility, 250, edition, and 260, imprint)
3. 3XX – Physical description, etc. (usually 300, physical
desc.)
4. 5XX – notes! Several can be used with books (usually
500, general note, 504, bibliography etc. note, 510,
citation and references note, 520, summary, etc.)

22. MARC (cont.)
5. 6XX – Subject Access fields (for books, usually 651
geographic name, 600 personal name or 610 corporate
name, 650 topical term)
Will also use 7XX (added and linking entry fields) and 8XX
(series added entry, holdings etc.). These are the same as
the others, just follow the outline carefully, look at other
MARC records in universities for guidance.

23. Authorities
You now know the basics of constructing a bibliographic record,
but there are also “authority records” for subjects, titles, and
personal names
In the same way as bibliographic records, you can create,
modify, upload, and download these files. Example: UofT has
authority files that it stores, and Sirsi checks these files when
you enter something in. If you haven’t “validated” what’s in the
field, it will show up as UNAUTHORIZED.
These are very relevant for public or academic libraries, libraries
connected with other libraries, although in a perfect world
smaller libraries would have authority files too.
Loc.gov/authorities – you can also use this in reference to check
a name, etc.

24. Additional Resources
Key terms doc Emily put together, including brief history
Read Chan cover to cover very practical
How to use Sirsi doc from Elisa: elisa.sze@utoronto.ca
Password doc from Elisa (includes RDA Toolkit, Cataloguer’s
Desktop (both have AACR2), ClassificationWeb (LCC, Dewey,
LCSH), WebDewey (full Dewey with LCSH mapping)
OCLC Classify – SO AWESOME and free, and WorldCat
Library of Congress Authorities, Library of Congress Catalogue

25. Next Steps
If you have an interview where you know part of the job is
going to be cataloguing, OR it’s a librarian job at an
academic university PREPARE.
Go over everything here, read Chan (have you read Chan
yet??? WHY NOT.)
Visit each and everyone of these resources, take a couple
books off your shelf and try to originally catalogue them,
then compare your version with UofT’s, or the Library of
Congresses’. If you have questions, email me. I love
talking about this.

26. Questions, comments, etc.
Email: eeporta@gmail.com
Twitter: @AgentEmily
LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/EmilyPorta