Cataloging and Classification

INF 389F: Organization of Records Information

Irene Travis

November 5, 2003

Topics for This Class Session Library classification and cataloging:

“Why?”, “What?”, “How?”, “When?”, “Where?” “Who?”

An Overview of Original Cataloging Description

Access Points

Classification

More detail as possible: classification & authority

files

The “Why?”, “What?”, “How?”,

“When?”, “Where?” and

“Who?” of Library Cataloging

Determiners of Information

System Practice System focus/orientation--Why?

Objectives--Why?

Content--What?

Economics and Technology --How? Who? and

Where?

The Built infrastructure--Why? (The Scream)

Cataloging Practice: System

Focus: Why? Content (cataloging) design vs. interface

design

Cataloging is generally content-focused

More user-focused approach is possible when

the target audience is narrowly defined and

money allows

Cataloging Practice: Objectives:

Why? Many different formulations Svenonius’ formulation as example

Based on goals developed by the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) for their Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (FRBR). (Pronounced “Furbur”.) http://www.ifla.org/VII/s13/frbr/frbr.htm

Objectives: Why? Locate

To find a singular entity To find sets of entities: same work, same edition,

given author, given subject, other Identify (or distinguish) Select Acquire or obtain Navigate

Cataloging Practice: Content: What? Primarily manifestations of published materials

of all sorts A manifestation is an abstraction that corresponds

roughly to an edition of a book, a particular format of a film, etc.

For a unique item, it would be the item itself. Cataloging is based on the item-in-hand that is taken

as a representative copy of the manifestation Types of materials constantly expanding and

changing

The Catalog Is More Than the Sum of Its Parts Catalogs are systems that recognize and include

information about and means to move between Many kinds of relations among the cataloged items. Relations between and among subjects.

Examples Between and among the members of a superwork, a

work, and a manifestation or edition of a work. Between or among the different names an author

might have used. Between broader, narrower, and related subjects.

Can You Read This? Svenonius discusses many relations, but often

uses set-theoretic, formal definitions of relations. For Example:

Wi = def {x:x is a copy of awi or x is a revision, update, abridgment, enlargement, or translations of awi}

Translation: The set of entities that is a particular Work (Wi) equals by definition the set of all entities such that the entity is a copy of the work or the entity is a revision….of the a copy of the work.

Economics and Technology: How? Nature of library materials lends itself to shared

and/or centralized cataloging. Shared cataloging leads to standards. Sharing, centralization, and standards date back

more than 100 years but have been accelerated by ICT.

Shared cataloging/standardization have made possible enormous databases of interoperable catalog records and related authority files (TBD), which support finding and navigation.

Economics and Technology: Who, When and Where? Cataloging comes in two flavors:

Original cataloging (“from scratch”) - later Copy cataloging: basing local product on records

available through shared or centralized services Proportion varies, but copy cataloging is often

80 or 90% of production. Copy cataloging done by library assistants. Original cataloging should be done by someone

who has been thoroughly trained as a cataloger.

Copy: Where Do Little Catalog Records Come From? Books

Library of Congress (LoC) receives galley proofs, creates Cataloging-in-Publication (CIP) record complete except for pagination and publication data.

Printed on the back of the title page of the book Entered into the LoC MARC database and distributed.

After publication LoC completes the record; updated version replaces the CIP.

Bibliographic utilities mount LoC records (and other records from members and international cataloging agencies.)

Libraries download and modify copy through the utilities.

Another Case: Commercial Films LoC is the depository for films, and catalogs

theater version when released. No CIP. Does not catalog home video/DVD editions--ever.

A member of a bibliographic utility modifies the LoC record to reflect changes in format and publication data for the home edition(s).

These records, which may vary considerably in quality, become available to other users through the utility.

Often multiple records for the same item.

Why? Again: Built Infrastructure: (The Scream) Current practice and tools were established

between 1840 and 1910. Even the MARC format is 35 years old.

Rules were established for book or card catalog technology

Lots of improvements, but more evolution than revolution

Huge databases (10’s of millions of records) in current formats place very high barriers to radical change.

The Process for Original Cataloging: An Overview

Steps in the Process Cataloging

Descriptive Cataloging Description Access points

Choice of main and added access points Choice of name Form of name

Subject cataloging Classification and item (“Cutter”) numbers

Catalog Card: Unit Card

Z693 Taylor, Arlene G., 1941- .W94 Introduction to cataloging and classifica- 1991 tion / Bohdan S. Wynar. -- 8th ed. / Arlene G. Taylor. -- Englewood, Colo. : Libraries

Unlimited, 1992. xvii, 633 p. ; 24 cm. -- (Library Science Text

Series) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-87287-967-4 (paper)

1. Cataloging. 2. Classification -- Books. 3. Anglo-American cataloguing rules. I. Wynar, Bohdan S. Introduction to cataloging and classification. II. Title. III. Series

The Tools for Descriptive Cataloging Cataloging

The Anglo American Cataloging Rules, 2nd Ed., 2003 revision (or latest) (AACR)

MARC 21 Bibliographic Format Library of Congress and other manuals and reference

materials on rule interpretations, practice The bibliographic utilities such as the Online

Computer Library Center (OCLC) and the Association of Research Libraries Information Network (ARLIN) and their manuals

The Tools: Cataloging: Continued Databases of catalog records in MARC

format available through the utilities or downloadable from libraries

The Library of Congress (LoC) Name and Title Authority Files/ Getty authority files for artists

Much is available in electronic form but mostly on a subscription basis.

Preliminaries--Descriptive Cataloging Determining the unit to be cataloged Examining the material: The cataloger’s eye

Determining the sources of information about the entity available on/in/with the entity

Assessing the basics Looking for problems, inconsistencies, unusual “stuff”

Searching for existing cataloging copy

Descriptive Cataloging: Description Key tool: AACR, Chapters 1-13. Objectives supported: identification, selection. Svenonius: Mostly document language Process: Largely a transcription of the chief

source of information plus physical description. Product: Title, statement of responsibility as

appear in chief source of information, edition statement, publication data, physical description, series, notes.

Enter data into MARC fields (2xx-5xx).

Access Points: Main and Added Access Points (Entry) Tools: AACR, Chapter 21. Objectives supported: Work ID, finding,

navigation Svenonius: Work language Process: Determine main access point (MAP)

according to AACR rules and added entries by rules and judgment.

Content: Access points by role--”first author”, “director”, “title”, “performer”, “editor”, etc

Access Points: Choice and Form of Name Tools: AACR Chapters 22-26; LoC Name and

Title Authority Files; other reference information Process: Check all names against LoC authority

files to see if LoC has “established” them. If found, use LoC choice and form of name.

If not found, use AACR rules to choose name (if applicable) and determine form.

Product: Access points in controlled form. Enter main entry into MARC 1xx and added

entries into MARC 7xx or 8xx.

Name and Title Authority Files Separate databases in a different (authority file)

MARC format. For each name or title record

The preferred name (or names) The references that should be made to or among

them Source(s) of information used by the cataloger to

establish the name or title. Publicly available online at

http://authorities.loc/gov

Cataloging: Subject In large libraries may be done by a different

department from the descriptive work. Tools: Library of Congress Subject Headings or

Sears List of Subject Headings or specialized lists; LoC Subject Cataloging Manual or other instructions

Objectives: Finding documents on the same subject (headings) and navigation (headings and references). Occasionally finding specific work.

Cataloging: Subject Svenonius: Subject languages Process:

Determine whether item gets subject cataloging. Examine the work and note overall subject and other

subjects (at least 20% of the text). Translate each subject into one or more subject

headings from the list being used. Product: Up to 10 subject headings including

subdivisions. Enter headings into the MARC 6xx fields.

Classification Tools: In US almost exclusively Library of

Congress Classification, Dewey Decimal Classification, or Abridged Dewey. All available in hardcopy and electronic versions (by

subscription). For LoC public access to the outline only. No public access for Dewey in electronic form.

Objectives: Finding and navigating (browsing); acquiring

Svenonius: Subject languages

Classification: Process and Product Process (“Marking and Parking”)

Examine work (if not already done) to determine primary subject

Use indexes or other tools to find potential class numbers

Go to the schedule and check the context Select the best placement given your collection and

users. Add item numbers . Enter into appropriate MARC 0xx field. Make spine label for item and shelve.

Detailed Discussion

Classification

Classification: What Is It? Two activities

Classifying: building systems of classification Classing: Sorting entities into existing schemes.

Classifying usually includes Determining categories and relationships For shelving or filing systems: organizing categories into

a linear sequence and applying a notation to implement that sequence.

Note that the notation is a secondary, enabling feature of the classification--NOT the classification itself.

Classifying Knowledge of how to classify is basic to building

all sorts of indexing languages, including alphabetical lists.

Older schemes based on organizing complete subjects (title like phrases including terms for one or more concepts). (Library of Congress Classification)

Newer approaches incorporate faceting, which allows classifiers to build or synthesize class numbers. (Dewey has some.)

Distributed Relatives and Dewey’s “Relative” Index “Principles of division” -- in most library schemes,

discipline is the first. Application scatters “Concretes” like “Gold”, across

the disciplinary approaches--“Distributed Relatives”. Dewey’s Relative Index attempts to compensate by

bringing different aspects together. Also, subject headings, collocate concretes

naturally and can serve as index to shelves. Subject headings and classification

complementary.

Classing (Dewey as Example) Typical components of a classification scheme:

The “schedules” that are the lists of subjects or facets with notation in linear order (vocabulary and semantics--Svenonius)

Notation: in Dewey expresses hierarchy & other An alphabetical index to the scheme(semantics) Tables such as geographic names, languages, Instructions on how to synthesize headings, if allowed

(grammar--Svenonius) Other instructions on use--e.g. what to do when the

entity is about several subjects (pragmatics - Sv.)

Details

Authority Files

Name and Title and Authority Files: Content Name authority files have: Names of real people,

jurisdictions, and organizations that are creators or subjects of documents cataloged by LoC or cooperating agencies. Includes expeditions, ships, exhibits, conferences, etc.

Name/Title authority files: Works whose MAP is a person or corporate body, listed under the personal or corporate name.

Title authority files: Some titles for works whose main access point is title, e.g. films, anonymous classics.

“See” and “See Also” References If choose one name for an entity, you make

“see references” from all other choices.Example: Lady Bird Johnson,

If use successive names (serials, corporations) or multiple bibliographic identifies (Victoria Holt/Jean Plaidy) make “see also” references among them.

Make “see references” from forms of a name not used (entry element, fullness of name, transliterations, etc.)

Authority File Examples http://authorities.loc.gov Also DRA catalogs including Austin PL. Subject Name Name/Title Title For full interpretation of MARC tags refer to

MARC format for authority files. Some displays use labels, for instance DRA in its catalogs.

Subject Authority Files There are subject authority files, but basically

repeat the same information as the LCSH. Publicly available online, but harder to use for

subject work, although the show all subdivisions that have been used with a heading.

Include sources for heading decisions, which do not appear in the LCSH.

Subject Authority Files: Content Same as LCSH, which includes

Topical subject headings (, e.g. Dogs) Geographic subject headings for geographic features,

not jurisdictions, e.g rivers, buildings. Form/genre subject headings (poetry, encyclopedias,) Name headings for FICTIONAL people, places, etc.

(Potter, Harry (Fictional character)). DOES NOT REPEAT INFORMATION IN THE NAME,

TITLE and NAME/TITLE AUTHORITY FILES.

Where to Find Some Tools Subscription sources (usually) available to

IS students in the IP Lab (not campus generally) The Cataloger’s Desktop and Classification

Plus (LoC) -- on IPL machines. Classification Web – available on campus, but

not from home (I think) http//:classweb.gov/Auto.

OCLC - R ead only access. In the IPL.