Downloaded 25 times
Uploaded byDr. Starr Hoffman
LIS 653, Session 3: Principles and Standards
The document discusses the various components involved in cataloging and describing knowledge, including bibliographic records, authority control, format standards, coding rules, subject headings, and classification systems. It explains how these pieces fit together to create catalog records that serve as surrogates for information objects and can be displayed in tools like online public access catalogs (OPACs) or databases. The purpose of catalog records is to support user tasks like finding, identifying, selecting, obtaining, and listing information objects. Original cataloging is done for important materials, while copy cataloging uses existing records from sources like OCLC.
More Related Content
Similar to LIS 653, Session 3: Principles and Standards
LIS 653, Session 3: Principles and Standards
- 1. Principles & Standards of Describing Knowledge: Catalogs & Cataloging LIS 653 Spring 2014 Starr Hoffman
- 2. How it AllFits Together Record (bibliographic information) Authority control (standardized author name: J. R. R. Tolkien) Format (MARC, Dublin Core) Code (rules: AACR2, RDA) Structure (ISBD, XML) Subject headings (LCSH, Sears, AAT) Classification (shelving: LC, Dewey) Model (FRBR, trad. model) Record is displayed in an OPAC, online database, etc.
- 3. Catalogs & InfoRetrieval (IR) Tools Library catalog / OPAC (access to items in a specific library) Bibliography (works, not specific items) Pathfinder, aka subject guide (bibliography in a defined setting) Archive finding aids / inventories (items organized in smaller collections), some portals, some collection-level records in OPACS Museum register (records at either individual level or collection level Digital libraries / collections (born digital vs. digitized materials) Internet search engines and portals Abstracts, indexes, & databases (access to analyzed contents of info objects)
- 4. Considerations for InformationRetrieval Tools Recall vs. Precision Recall: # relevant records retrieved / total #relevant records in catalog Precision: % of retrieved records that are relevant Which are relevant user tasks & bibliographic system objectives to be accomplished with this system?
- 5. Library Catalog Records: Purpose Surrogates for information objects Back to user tasks & bibliographic system objectives… Find (a specific work, works by a certain author, or on a certain topic) Identify (find a specific edition of a work) Select (evaluate work to determine if it meets the user need) Obtain/Access (find the object on the shelf) List (inventory all objects in the library)
- 6. Library Records &ISBD International Standard Bibliographic Description Determines element order Punctuation in record International standard, enhances readability
- 7.
- 8.
- 9.
- 10.
- 11. Cataloging Codes (rules) AACR2 RDA (based on FRBR model) Rules for describing bibliographic characteristics Information from/about the item Does not include subject Chief source of information How to format & standardize that information
- 12. Levels of Description Short: minor items, minimum description Medium: standard items Full: full description; important or rare items; research libraries Level options: Single level of description for entire library Guidelines for item types & levels
- 13. Cataloging Inputs, Activities Chief Source of Information (bibliographic information) Record (surrogate for Authority file index (standardized names; NACO from LOC) Format (MARC, Dublin Core) information object) Code (rules: AACR2, RDA) Chief Source of Info (content, subject) Structure (ISBD, XML) Subject description (LCSH, Sears, AAT) Classification (shelving: LC, Dewey) Record is displayed in an OPAC, online database, etc.
- 14. Cataloging Considerations What cataloging level (short, medium, full) is appropriate for 1) your institution/collection, 2) this specific info. object? Chief information source? (non-book) Who is your primary user group? Secondary user group(s)? What are their information needs? How do they search for information? What is their language/jargon/terminology? Keep in mind: each record is a surrogate Tasks: Find, Identify, Select, Obtain/Access, List “Aboutness” (subject)
- 15. Cataloging Principles User Convenience Common usage Representation & Accuracy Comprehensiveness Proximity Persistence Sufficiency & Necessity Significance Standardization (common, existing rules) Integration (same rules across media/types)
- 16. Original vs. CopyCataloging Original: For important, rare, unique items Time-consuming Can produce quality results for specific audiences Can share records for future copy-cataloging (upload to OCLC, OAI-PMH, etc.) Copy: Obtain records from general source (OCLC, LOC, OAI-PMH, etc.) Edit records for local use Import to local OPAC
Editor's Notes
- #3 Bibliographic record = record with descriptive information about a work (information object) that it represents Catalog = a group of records, a list of objects in a collection Model = determines how records are organized and created in a catalog (FRBR) Cataloging codes = rules for creating catalog records (AACR2, RDA) Structure = rules that help determine the order of elements & punctuation/spacing in a record (ISBD, XML) Format = format in which a record is created and/or encoded (MARC, Dublin Core) Subject heading = terms from a topical controlled vocabulary that describe the content of a work (LCSH, Sears, AAT) Authority control = term from a controlled vocabulary chosen to uniquely identify an author, corporation, book title, or series (so that all records for one author can be accessed easily) Classification scheme = assigns a unique descriptor to a work (usually based on subject), often used to indicate a work’s physical location (LC, Dewey)
- #4 Provide EXAMPLES of each of these…. Library catalog (book catalog, card catalog, OPAC; access to individual items in a specific library) Bibliography (works, not specific items; particular limited focus rather than entire collection—not limited to a specific library, thus does not indicate access like a call number, because this may vary at each location, and could vary by edition/printing) Pathfinder, aka subject guide (bibliography in a defined setting—specific library and/or audience, subject-focused, more than books) Archive finding aids / inventories (items organized in smaller collections, one accession record per collection, provenance important), some portals, or collection-level records in OPACS Museum register (records at either individual level or collection level, provenance important, exhibition history, technique, appraised value, installation considerations, etc.; subject analysis at different levels: iconography, etc.) Digital libraries / collections (born digital vs. digitized materials) Internet search engines and portals Abstracts, indexes, & databases (access to analyzed contents of info objects, usually journal articles, conference papers, etc.; databases may also contain the full-text of the info object)
- #5 Recall vs. Precision Recall: # relevant records retrieved / total #relevant records in catalog Precision: % of retrieved records that are relevant We’ll be choosing types of IR tools that are appropriate for each of your group collections (in-class). Consider…. User tasks (we’ll talk about these later tonight), and objectives…
- #6 Why do we have catalog records? They represent an object, act as surrogate. Tell user information before they go to the shelf or archival box. Again, records help our bibligraphic systems (aka IR tools, aka library catalogs)… accomplish certain objectives….
- #7 So– now we’ll look at the formatting of traditional library catalog records. ISBD punctuation International
- #8 HANDOUTs here… to show examples
- #12 AACR2 & RDA are both cataloging codes… RDA is newer, in process of implementation in many libraries Based on FRBR model Cat. codes explain HOW to describe the BIBLIOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS of info objects Edition, title, author, physical description, # pages, etc. (NOT SUBJECT) They list the Chief Source of Info for each material type… Explain where in that CSI to find each info element… Levy: catalogers “normalize” bibliog. info. for records…
- #14 This is how a cataloger takes data from the Chief Source of Information and uses these various tools (codes, formats, structure) to create a catalog record…. The cataloger uses the Chief Info Source for both parts of the catalog creation: 1) Bibliographic description 2) Subject description In each case, the cataloger takes information from a specific source, then formats it (as Levy says, normalizes it) into a record. The standardization of these records makes it easier to compare information objects (bibliographic objective: selection).
- #15 Things to consider when cataloging—this will be directly relevant to your in-class collections tonight. What level is appropriate for 1) your institution, 2) this specific info object? What is your chief info source? (non-book) – talk more in principles on next slide… Who is your primary user group? Secondary user group(s)? What are their information needs? How do they search for information? If they BROWSE, collocation of some kind is important – fiction may collocate by genre and by author, nonfiction by subject. If they SEARCH, collocation may be less important than full description (bibliographic and/or subject) in their record. What is their language/jargon/terminology? Keep in mind: each record is a surrogate Tasks: Find, Identify, Select, Obtain/Access, List Recall vs. Precision Recall: # relevant records retrieved / total #relevant records in catalog Precision: % of retrieved records that are relevant “Aboutness” (subject)
- #16 User convenience: cats vs. felines Problem? Unscientific, no standard way to determine Varies widely by user group Representation & Accuracy Given a choice of several Chief Sources of Information for your item record…. Comprehensiveness – gives fullest, clearest, most authoritative information Proximity – the source nearest the item’s content (an internal source, an attached source) -- this may not always be possible or practical, information may be incomplete on the item Persistence – choose the most enduring source (item itself, not packaging, containers, labels, accompanying documentation) Again, not easy for non-books Sufficiency & Necessity Full enough records to meet the objectives of your organizational collection and user’s info needs Not containing any extraneous information Only significant information for users and/or administration of collection Standardization Use existing, common rules/standards as much as possible Enables sharing of information Makes comparing information objects within a collection easier (user selection/evaluation) Downsides: can be time-consuming levels of detail, difficult to create comprehensive rules., and inhibits change Integration Use common rules for all items in your collection, even the odd ones.
- #17 Finally, a note—much of this is relevant to original cataloging in particular. Copy cataloging -- most common in general libraries Original cataloging – more common for archives, museums, some digital collections