Descriptive Cataloging of Monographs 1. Introduction DRAFT

Expectations (1) You should be able to state the purpose of cataloging You can define the major objectives of descriptive cataloging You can explain how authority control relates to descriptive cataloging

Purpose of Cataloging Functional Requirements of Bibliographic Records (FRBR) model What can cataloging do for you? –Find what you’re looking for (the ultimate) … by finding a bibliographic record (via access points) –Identify: there has to be enough information in the bibliographic description to verify the “find” (title/author, edition, pagination) –Select (from description, subjects, classification) –Obtain (call number, ISBN, citation)

What is Descriptive Cataloging? Task 1. Creation of a bibliographic record: a written representation of an entity selected for cataloging Rules, decisions & difficulties: what elements to include and leave out, the ordering & “marking” of the descriptive elements

Bib Record from the LC Online Catalog

ISBD International Standard Bibliographic Description A standard for ordering information in a bibliographic record Uses punctuation to delimit the descriptive elements of the bibliographic record

ISBD Plus MARC

MARC 21 MARC tagging: an alphanumeric system for marking the elements of the bibliographic record to make it intelligible for computer processing U.S./UK catalogers use “MARC 21” Different MARC systems are used in Canada & Australia

Underlying Assumptions Description of one copy applies to all copies Standard descriptive rules are difficult to apply to –Rare materials (specific copy is more important) –Online resources (no tangible copy) –Archival materials (not a copy by definition)

What is Descriptive Cataloging? Step 2. Provide access to the bibliographic record through “headings”/“access points”/“catalog entries” Access in descriptive cataloging is limited to names & titles; subject access through headings & classification is out of scope Rules, decisions, & difficulties: which access points to use & how to justify the choice, what form the entries should take, different entities with the same or similar names, different names for the same entity

Underlying Assumptions Description represents both a discrete entity (physical or virtual) and the intellectual content of the entity [description of the e-book Great Expectations also represents the intellectual content of the “work” by Charles Dickens] Access points do double duty –Access to the bibliographic record (metadata in some cases provides direct access to content) –Relating the intellectual content to other expressions in the library’s catalog

Access Points  Relationship of Various Work Expressions

Authority Control To support intellectual relationships in the catalog –Intellectual contributions by the same person –Works issued by the same body –Uniform titles (to bring together all works) Tasks –Differentiating catalog headings (disambiguation) –Access for different forms of the same name (references) –Updating previously assigned headings for catalog consistency (maintenance)

Descriptive Cataloging Values Access to the bibliographic record is best accomplished through the values of –Consistency (supported by ISBD & MARC) –Accuracy (of transcription, of identification) –Informed selection (what to transcribe, access points) –Informed differentiation (sufficient information to allow the user to select among similar editions or similar access points)

Summary The fourfold FRBR purpose of cataloging –(FISO) Find, Identify, Select, Obtain Objectives of descriptive cataloging –Creation of bibliographic record; access to the bibliographic record In the catalog, authority control supports access to & intellectual relationships of bibliographic records through –Disambiguation, References, & Ongoing Maintenance