The Library Cataloging Tradition

1
The Library Cataloging Tradition

• Marty Kurth (mk168_at_cornell.edu)
• CS 431
• February 13, 2004
• slides stolen from Diane Hillmann

2
From the beginning ...

• The traditional catalog and its boundaries
• How catalogs have evolved
• Forming the mind of a cataloger library
  standards
• Library metadata (MARC)

3
The Boundaries of the Traditional Catalog

• Books
• Serials/Journals at the title level
• Article level access left to commercial services
• Archival collections at the collection level
• Sub-collections and individual items described in
  finding aids
• Funny Formats not always integrated or
  traditionally cataloged

4
Evolution of The Catalog

• Book catalogs
• Card catalogs
• Union catalogs
• Union lists
• Online catalogs
• Bibliographic utilities

5
The Card Catalog lives on ...

• LC card distribution begins in 1890s
• MARC developed (by Henriette Avram) at LC in the
  1960s
• OCLC (first bibliographic utility using MARC) in
  the early 1970s
• AACR2 (takes effect in 1981) pushes libraries
  into the online catalog era

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... and on

• MARC Format Integration prepares MARC for
  rational extension
• Second (third?) generation library management
  systems bring on web-based catalogs in 1990s
• AACR2 and MARC extended to remote resources in
  mid-1990s
• Metadata other than MARC begins to filter into
  libraries

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From Cutter and his Objects

• 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)

8
To the Functional Requirements for Bibliographic
Records

• Description (FRBR identify, select)
• Access (FRBR find)
• Subject access
• headings
• classification
• Other access points
• Holdings (FRBR obtain)

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Description

• Cutters Rules (1875)
• Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules (1967)
• Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, 2nd ed. (1978)
• Includes International Standard Bibliographic
  Description (ISBD-M)
• Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, 2nd ed., 1988
  revision (1988- )

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Description Access

• AACR2 divided into two major parts
• Description
• Organized by format, with specific rules for
  describing each type of materials
• Headings, Uniform Titles, and References
• Choice of access points
• Headings for persons, geographic names, corporate
  bodies, etc.
• References to guide readers to the correct heading

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Subject Analysis, the third estate

• Can be either term based (alphabetically
  arranged), or classification (arranged by topic)
• These two approaches can be combined
• US research libraries generally use the Library
  of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) and
  Classification (LCC)

12
Ranganathan and Colon Classification

• S. R. Ranganathan
• developed classification scheme in the 1930s
  (Colon Classification System) based on the notion
  of facets
• 42 main classes
• subdivides each main class by particular
  characteristics into facets, which are then
  combined to make subordinate classes as needed
• Art Architecture Thesaurus and PRECIS based on
  this model (so is Yahoo, in a simplified way)

13
Dewey Classification

• Dewey Decimal Classification System (DDC) first
  published in 1876 by Melvil Dewey
• Most widely used classification system in the
  world (used in 135 countries)
• In this country used primarily by public and
  school libraries
• Maintained by the Library of Congress

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Dewey, continued

• DDC is divided into ten main classes, then ten
  divisions, each division into ten sections
• The first digit in each three-digit number
  represents the main class.
• 500 natural sciences and mathematics.
• The second digit in each three-digit number
  indicates the division.
• 500 is used for general works on the sciences
• 510 for mathematics
• 520 for astronomy
• 530 for physics

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More Dewey

• The third digit in each three-digit number
  indicates the section.
• 530is used for general works on physics
• 531 for classical mechanics
• 532 for fluid mechanics
• 533 for gas mechanics
• A decimal point follows the third digit in a
  class number, after which division by ten
  continues to the specific degree of
  classification needed.

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Library of Congress Subjects

• Essentially an artificial indexing language
• Based on literary warrant
• Entry vocabulary provided in the form of
  reference structure
• Moving slowly towards a real thesaurus structure
  (not there yet)
• Not facetedsubdivisions pre-selected, based on
  individual heading or pattern heading

17
LCSH Example

• Digital libraries
• see from Electronic libraries
• see from Virtual libraries
• see broader term Libraries
• see also Information storage and retrieval
  systems

18
Library of Congress Classification

• 21 basic classes, based on single alphabetic
  character (Klaw, Nart, etc.)
• Subdivided into two or three alpha characters
  (KFAmerican Law, NDpainting, etc.)
• Further subdivision by specific numeric
  assignment
• Author numbers and dates arrange works by a
  particular author together and in chronological
  order

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LCC example (in MARC classification format)

• 153aQL638.E55hZoologyhChordates.
  VertebrateshFisheshSystematic
  divisionshOsteichthys (Bony fishes). By family,
  A-ZhFamiliesjEngraulidae (Anchovies)
• a Classification number--single number or
  beginning number of span (R)
• h Caption hierarchy
• j Caption (lowest level, relating to the
  specific number in a)

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MARC Formats (Bibliographic)

• Books
• Serials
• Maps
• Visual materials
• Sound recordings
• Computer files
• Archives and manuscripts

21
MARC Formats (Other)

• Authorities
• Holdings
• Classification
• Community Information

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Control fields (00X)
Number code fields (0XX)
Access point (1XX main entry)
Title, publisher, etc. (2XX)
Physical description (3XX)
Series (4XX)
Notes (5XX)
Subject headings (6XX)
Local fields (9XX)
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From Holdings Record
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Authorized heading
Cross-references
Source where data found
25
Authorized heading
Place/Publisher
Treatment codes
Source where data found
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LC Classification
Authorized heading (topic)
See also ref.
See also from (broader)
See also from (related)
Information in other headings
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Heading (name)
Heading (series)
Classification (subject)
Heading (subject)
Bibliographic Record (paper version)
Bibliographic Record (digital version)
Holdings (paper)
Holdings (paper)
Holdings (digital)
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Traditional library ? digital libraries?

• MARC and AACR2 categorizations by physical format
  break down for digital resources
• MARC Format Integration (early 1980s) an attempt
  to resolve some content v. carrier problems
• Efforts to integrate digital materials ongoing

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The Remaining Questions

• What will be cataloged?
• What will catalogs look like?
• Who will build and maintain them?
• How will these new catalogs relate to old
  standards?
• Another question What can be re-purposed from
  the old order?