This document provides an overview of library catalogs, beginning with a brief history. It describes the earliest catalog from the Alexandrian Library in Egypt around the 3rd century BC, which was divided into subject areas and had an author index. Modern library catalogs transitioned to using cards in the 19th century and automated systems in the 1970s. Catalogs organize bibliographic metadata using controlled vocabularies, subject headings, and classification systems to facilitate browsing and locating materials. Call numbers assigned to items determine their physical location based on their classified subject. The Library of Congress and Dewey Decimal systems are the primary classification schemes used in academic and public/school libraries respectively.

1. Library Catalogs
Spring, 2016

2. What is a catalog?
 A set of records that provide information
about the items that the catalog
represents.
 Metadata: Information about
information.
 Catalogs are organized in indexes.

3. Alexandrian Library – Egypt
 About 3rd
Cent B.C. – Had a library
catalog which was divided into ten main
subject areas:
Poetry The Drama Laws
Philosophy History Oratory
Medicine
Mathematical
Science
Natural
Science
Miscellanea

4. Alexandrian Library – Egypt
 Also had an alphabetical author index
which covered:
– Name
– Place of Birth
– Name of Father
– Name of Teachers
– Nicknames
– Bibliography
 Had over 520,000 Papyrus Rolls

5. Library Catalogs
 Early catalogs were book catalogs
 3 x 5 Card began being used in U.S. in
latter part of 19th
Century
 Automated systems began use in
1970’s
 Automated systems with full access
through the WWW are now standard

7. Describe an Object
 Work in Pairs
 Describe Important Details About Your
Object
– Size, Shape, Color, Material, etc.
– What else would you add?

8. Main Parts of a Library Catalog
 Bibliographic Description
– Identification (Title, Author, Format)
– Publication (Date, Publisher)
– Subject Information
– Multiple-Access Files / Points
 Location Information
– Call Number or Location Code

9. Control
 Cataloging information is a natural
human activity.
– We categorize humanity.
 A catalog is ultimately a tool of control.

10. Catalog Controls
 Authority Control
– The use of uniform terms for names and
topics as access points to bibliographic
records.
 Bibliographic Control
– The organization and arrangement of
recorded information by established
standards.

11. Authority Control
 Language is the most basic form of
Authority Control that everyone uses
everyday.

12. Authority Control
 If Language = Authority Control
Then Authority Control = Language
 Primary Tool of Authority Control:
– Library of Congress Subject Headings

13. Subject Headings (Authority
Control)
 Descriptive terms assigned to each item
in a catalog
 Uses Controlled Vocabulary
 Library of Congress Subject Headings
(LCSH) primarily used
 Designed to facilitate browsing in the
catalog

14. Classification Systems
(Bibliographic Control)
 Attempts to bring together comparable
materials in a logical arrangement.
– Facilitates Browsing
 The most commonly used systems:
– Dewey Decimal (Dewey)
– Library of Congress (LC)

15. Call Numbers
 Determines the location of an item
based on its subject grouping.
 Call numbers may include:
– Classification Number
– Book number developed from author or
title
– Edition number
– Year of publication

16. Call Numbers
 KF4758.A7 G66 1988
– KF4758.A7 = Classification
– G66 = Author (Goldstein, Leslie)
– 1988 = Year of Publication
 The constitutional rights of women :
cases in law and social change

17. Library of Congress (LC)
 Developed by the Library of Congress
in the early 1900’s to deal with the ever
growing amount of printed information
they had to deal with.
 Replaced a system developed by
Thomas Jefferson.

18. Library of Congress (LC)
 Has 21 Main Classes
 All LC call numbers begin with letters
 Primarily used in Academic libraries
 Allows for greater expansion and
flexibility that Dewey

19. Dewey Decimal
 Developed by Melvil Dewey in late
1800’s
 All Dewey call numbers begin with
numbers
 Has ten major classes
 Primarily used in public and school
libraries

20. Dewey Decimal
 900 Geography & History
 970 General history of North America
 973 United States History
 973.7 Civil War 1861 – 1865
 973.73 Military Operations
 973.7349 Battle of Gettysburg

21. Library of Congress
HF
5686
.D7
 HF = business
 5686 = accounting
 .D7 = drug stores

22. Library of Congress
HF
5686
.P3
 HF = business
 5686 = accounting
 .P3 = petroleum industry

23. Library of Congress
HF
5686
.S75
 HF = business
 5686 = accounting
 .S75 = steel industry

24. Searching a Catalog

25. Searching a Catalog

27. Computer Catalogs

28. AVC Library Catalog
www.avc.edu