This document provides an overview of cataloging concepts and standards. It discusses what cataloging is, the different types of cataloging (original vs. copy cataloging), and the key elements included in catalog records like bibliographic description, subject analysis, and classification. The document also explains historical standards like ISBD and AACR2 and emerging models like FRBR, FRAD, and RDA which aim to improve resource discovery in the digital age. While original catalogers need detailed rules knowledge, most school librarians can get by with a general understanding of standards and knowing where to find detailed rules when needed.

1. LIB 630 Classification and CatalogingSpring 2011 What is Cataloging The Big Question Are we FRBRizing? Or getting “FRADdled”?Or is it RDA?

2. 2 What is Cataloging? cataloging The process of creating entries for a catalog. In libraries, this usually includes bibliographic description, subject analysis, assignment of classificationnotation, and activities involved in physically preparing the item for the shelf, tasks usually performed under the supervision of a librarian trained as a cataloger. British spelling is cataloguing. See also: cataloging agency, Cataloging and Classification Section, cataloging-in-publication, centralized cataloging, cooperative cataloging, copy cataloging, descriptive cataloging, encoding level, and recataloging. Online Dictionary of Library and Information Science, ODLIS

3. 3 2 kinds of cataloging Original cataloging Copy cataloging

4. 4 What is original cataloging? original cataloging Preparation of a bibliographic record from scratch, without the aid of a pre-existing catalog record for the same edition, more time-consuming for the cataloger than copy cataloging. i.e.: Do-it-yourself cataloging!

5. 5 Copy cataloging? copy cataloging Adaptation of a pre-existing bibliographic record (usually found in OCLC, RLIN, NUC, or some other bibliographic database) to fit the characteristics of the item in hand, with modifications to correct obvious errors and minor adjustments to reflect locally accepted cataloging practice, as distinct from original cataloging (creating a completely new record from scratch). Synonymous with derived cataloging. i.e. Copy from others cataloging!

6. 6 But what are we actually doing when we catalog a book or whatever? We’re entering information about the book into the library’s catalog, so that when patrons are searching, they can find what they’re looking for, or, at least, something that will help them find an answer to their question.

7. 7 What is a card catalog? card catalog A list of the holdings of a library, printed, typed, or handwritten on catalog cards, each representing a single bibliographic item in the collection. Catalog cards are normally filed in a single alphabetical sequence (dictionary catalog), or in separate sections by author, title, and subject (divided catalog), in the long narrow drawers of a specially designed filing cabinet, usually constructed of wood (see this example). Most large- and medium-sized libraries in the United States have converted their card catalogs to machine-readable format. Also spelled card catalogue. Compare with online catalog.

8. 8 Online catalog? online catalog A librarycatalog consisting of a collection of bibliographic records in machine-readableformat, maintained on a dedicated computer that provides uninterrupted interactiveaccess via terminals or workstations in direct, continuous communication with the central computer. Although the software used in online catalogs is proprietary and not standardized, most online catalogs are searchable by author, title, subject heading, and keywords, and most public and academic libraries in the United States provide free public access, usually through a Web-based graphical user interface. Click here to log on to the online catalog of the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Synonymous with OPAC. OPAC=online public access catalog

9. 9 Why make this distinction? There are those who call an online catalog the “online card catalog” or something similar. There are no cards on the computer, so that calling the online computer the “card” catalog is a misnomer “Card” refers only to the medium the catalog appears on PLEASE DON’T DO IT!

10. 10 Elements of cataloging From ODLIS definition: bibliographic description subject analysis assignment of classificationnotation (meaning the symbols used by the classification system) activities involved in physically preparing the item for the shelf

11. 11 What information do you put into the catalog, then? Basic bibliographic information (AKA bibliographic description): Author, title, publisher, date Edition Basic physical information (AKA physical description): Size, no. of pages, whether illustrated, if it has a bibliography and/or index Format (book, recording, electronic, etc.) Subject information (AKA subject analysis)

12. 12 What is bibliographic description? The official international definition: “. . . lists all the elements which are required to describe and identify all types of material which are likely to appear in library collections, . . .” ISBD(G): General International Standard Bibliographic Description 1992http://www.ifla.org/VII/s13/pubs/isbdg0.htm

13. 13 Wait, there’s more, though! International Standard Bibliographic Description “. . . assigns an order to the elements of description, and specifies a system of punctuation for the description.” ISBD(G): General International Standard Bibliographic Description 1992http://www.ifla.org/VII/s13/pubs/isbdg0.htm

14. 14 What is the prescribed order? 1: title and statement of responsibility area, with the contents of [4] 1.1 Title proper 1.2 General material designation 1.3 Parallel title 1.4 Other title information 1.5 Statements of responsibility 2: edition area 3: material or type of resource specific area (for example, the scale of a map or the numbering of a periodical) 4: publication, production, distribution, etc., area 5: physical description area (for example: number of pages in a book or number of CDs issued as a unit) 6: series area 7: notes area 8: resource identifier (e.g. ISBN, ISSN) and terms of availability area Structure of an ISBD record International Standard Bibliographic Description From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Standard_Bibliographic_Description

15. January 24, 2011 What is cataloging? 15 What is the punctuation? Spaces before and after the special punctuation (shown in red)! GMD=General material designation. New rules: [ ] not ( ) Slide from presentation Introduction to Description: History of Cataloging Codes

16. 16 An Example Author EditionAuthor Title Notice the spaces! Slide from presentation Introduction to Description: History of Cataloging Codes

17. 17 What do the punctuation symbols mean? [. . .] usually means that what’s included within the [ ] is General Material Designation, i.e. physical or electronic or other format : usually means that what comes first is the main title and what comes after is the subtitle (if there are spaces before and after) OR what comes first is the place of publication and what comes after is the publisher / means that what follows is the “statement of responsibility”, i.e. author, editor, etc

18. 18 What’s the advantage of having everything so standardized? You can recognize and read a bibliographic record, no matter what language or script it’s written in You can tell what’s being described, no matter what kind of material it is

19. 19 An example in English Statement of responsibility Main title Subtitle GMD—formatrealia=real-life object Publication info Edition Physical description Series info Cost of item Standard number Slide 18 from CATALOGING: Ticket to the Past, the Present, and the Future© Arlene G. Taylor

20. 20 An example in German Title Subtitle GMD=General Material Designation(in this case: electronic resource) Statement of responsibility Publication area Series information Standard Number Physical Description

21. 21 An example in Bulgarian Author Title Subtitle (or possibly GMD?) Statement of responsibility Edition area Publication area Physical description Standard number Classification numberDewey Decimal

22. 22 ISBD in an online catalog / shows statement of responsibility, i.e. author, follows GeneralMaterial Designation Spaces before and after punctuation to separate sections

23. 23 What does AACR2 have to do with this? Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules (AACR) A detailed set of standardized rules for cataloging various types of library materials . . . which is divided into two parts: rules for creating the bibliographic description of an item of any type and rules governing the choice and form of entry of headings (access points) in the catalog. Click here to read a brief history of AACR2up to the 2002 revision, courtesy of the JSC.

24. 24 Do we need to learn all these rules? If you plan on specializing as a cataloger, especially in a large research library, where you will be doing a lot of original cataloging, then you will need to learn the rules. As an LMS, most of your cataloging will be copy cataloging, so that a general awareness of the rules will be all you need—plus knowing where to look them up! In any case—the times, they are a-changin’!

25. Will there be an AACR3? Yes and no (actually, no)—FRBR is coming! 25

26. 26 What is FRBR? Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records Either F-R-B-R or “Ferber” A report in 7 languages (soon to add simplified and traditional Chinese) A “conceptual model” entities attributes Relationships This comes from the Powerpoint presentation below:

27. 27 Goal of cataloging Cutter (19th century cataloging pioneer) To enable a person to find a book of which either the author the title the subject ...is known To show what the library has by a given author on a given subject in a given kind of literature To assist in the choice of a book as to its edition (bibliographically) as to its character (literary or topical) FRBR To enable a person to: Find Identify Select Obtain Adapted from FRBR; or, How I learned to stop worrying and love the model

28. Do we need FRBR? January 24, 2011 What is cataloging? 28

29. There’s also FRAD FRAD? Functional Requirements for Authority Data Authority data? This is part of what librarians call “authority control” Authority control enables librarians to create standardized catalog entries to avoid confusion e.g. to differentiate between authors or artists who have the same or similar names John Willams the composer and conductor vs. John Williams the classical guitarist 29

30. If you’re not “frbred” or “fraddled” enough: RDA is coming! RDA: Resource Description & Access Designed for the digital world and an expanding universe of metadata users, RDA: Resource Description and Access is the new, unified cataloging standard—an evolution of the cataloging principles from AACR2, with rules carried over or adapted to the RDA model. Introduction, RDA Toolkit 30

31. RDA builds on FRBR & FRAD FRBR and FRAD are conceptual models RDA puts them into practice 31

32. Does a humble school librarian have to worry about all this gobbledygook? 32