Library Catalogs

Library Catalogs

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.

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

MedicineMathematical Science

Natural Science

Miscellanea

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

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

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

Control

Cataloging information is a natural human activity.– We categorize humanity.

A catalog is ultimately a tool of control.

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.

Authority Control

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

Authority Control

If Language = Authority Control

Then Authority Control = Language

Primary Tool of Authority Control: – Library of Congress Subject Headings

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

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)

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

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

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.

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

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

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

Library of Congress

HF

5686

.D7 HF = business 5686 = accounting .D7 = drug stores

Library of Congress

HF

5686

.P3 HF = business 5686 = accounting .P3 = petroleum industry

Library of Congress

HF

5686

.S75 HF = business 5686 = accounting .S75 = steel industry

Searching a Catalog

Searching a Catalog

Computer Catalogs

AVC Library Catalog

www.avc.edu