This covered the basics of libraries catalogs.

1. Library Catalogs
Spring, 2016

2. 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.

3. 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
Medicine
Mathematical
Science
Natural
Science
Miscellanea

4. 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

5. 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

7. Describe an Object
 Work in Pairs
 Describe Important Details About Your
Object
– Size, Shape, Color, Material, etc.
– What else would you add?

8. 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

9. Control
 Cataloging information is a natural
human activity.
– We categorize humanity.
 A catalog is ultimately a tool of control.

10. 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.

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

12. Authority Control
 If Language = Authority Control
Then Authority Control = Language
 Primary Tool of Authority Control:
– Library of Congress Subject Headings

13. 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

14. 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)

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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.

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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

21. Library of Congress
HF
5686
.D7
 HF = business
 5686 = accounting
 .D7 = drug stores

22. Library of Congress
HF
5686
.P3
 HF = business
 5686 = accounting
 .P3 = petroleum industry

23. Library of Congress
HF
5686
.S75
 HF = business
 5686 = accounting
 .S75 = steel industry

24. Searching a Catalog

25. Searching a Catalog

27. Computer Catalogs

28. AVC Library Catalog
www.avc.edu