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| A Cataloging Glossary
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| AACR2 |
 | Anglo-American Cataloging Rules, 2nd ed.
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| A detailed set of standardized rules for cataloging various types of library materials which had its origin in Catalog Rules: Author and Title Entries published in 1908 under the auspices of the American Library Association and the Library Association (UK), and the A.L.A. Cataloging Rules for Author and Title Entries (1949), with its companion volume Rules for Descriptive Cataloging in the Library of Congress. Cooperation between the ALA, the Library Association, and the Canadian Library Association resumed with the joint publication in 1967 of Anglo-American Cataloging Rules, which is divided into two parts: rules for creating the bibliographic description of an item of any type, and rules governing the choice and form of entry of headings (access points) in the catalog.
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| A second edition (AACR2) was published in 1978 and revised in 1988 (AACR2R) to reflect changes in information formats. The 1998 revision includes changes and corrections authorized by the Joint Steering Committee (JSC) for revision of AACR since 1988, including amendments authorized through 1997. Additional amendments were issued in 1999 and 2001. (E)
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| Most recent amendments in 2003.
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| Abridged Dewey Decimal Classification |
| A shortened version of Dewey Decimal Classification developed for use in small libraries. (E)
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| Accession number |
| A unique number assigned to a bibliographic item in the order in which it is added to a library collection, recorded in an accession record maintained by the technical services department. Most libraries assign accession numbers in continuous numerical sequence, but some use a code system to indicate type of material and/or year of accession, in addition to order of accession. (E)
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| ANSCR |
| Alpha-Numeric System for Classification of Recordings
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| A scheme for classifying sound recordings of all types, based on a set of 23 major subject categories represented by letters of the Latin alphabet (example: M for popular music), with some categories subdivided and represented by double letters (MJ for jazz). To the alphabetic category is added a three- or four-letter code representing type of subarrangement (by title of work; name of composer, performer, or author; name of skill, language, or sound; etc.). The third part of the classification number is composed of the first letter of each of the first three keywords in the title of the work or album, or a number if the work is known by form and numbered. The fourth part is composed of a letter representing the name of an individual closely associated with the performance on the recording, followed by the last two digits of the commercial recording number...
ANSCR is used mainly by libraries holding large numbers of sound recordings. Libraries with smaller collections generally use accession number or some other "home-grown" classification system to organize sound recordings. Pronounced "answer." (E)
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| Authority control |
| The procedures by which consistency of form is maintained in the headings (names, uniform titles, series titles, and subjects) used in a library catalog or file of bibliographic records, through the application of an authoritative list called an authority file to new items as they are added to the collection. Authority control is available from commercial service providers. (E)
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| Authority file |
| A list of the authoritative forms of the headings used in a library catalog or file of bibliographic records, maintained to ensure that the headings are applied consistently as new items are added to the collection. Separate authority files are usually maintained for names, uniform titles, series titles, and subjects. All the references made to and from a given heading are also included in the authority file. (E)
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| Authority record |
| A printed or machine-readable record of the decision made concerning the authoritative form of a name (personal or corporate), uniform title, series title, or subject used as a heading in a library catalog or file of bibliographic records, listed in an authority file governing the application of headings to new items as they are added to the library collection. An authority record may also contain See from and See also from records, as well as notes concerning the application of the authorized form. (E)
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| Barcode label |
| A small label of closely spaced bars that can be read by a computer. (C)
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| A small label comprised of vertical lines which contain machine-readable data. (D)
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| A printed label containing machine-readable data encoded in vertical lines of equal length but variable thickness, which can be read into an attached computer by an optical scanner. In libraries barcodes are used to identify books and other materials for circulation and inventory, and to link the borrower's library card to the appropriate patron record in automated circulation systems. (E)
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| Bibliographic record |
| A description of an individual item in a collection. Lists the author, title, publishing information, and other data that identifies the item. (A)
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| Also referred to as Catalog Record or Record, the information about a book or other item that is listed in a library catalog or database (author, title, publisher, location, etc.). (B)
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| An entry representing a specific item in a library catalog or bibliographic database, containing all the data elements necessary for a full description, presented in a specific bibliographic format. In modern cataloging, the standard format is machine-readable (example: the MARC record), but prior to the use of computers, the traditional format was the catalog card. (E)
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| Call number |
| The unique numbers and letters given to each item in a library used to identify and locate the item. (A)
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| A specific combination of letters and numbers assigned to a book that indicates the book's location on the shelf. Each book has its own unique call number. (B)
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| A group of letters and numbers that is assigned to a particular book or periodical in the library. The call number is on the spine of the book or periodical. Books and periodicals are arranged on the shelves in call number order. (C)
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| An alphanumeric code which identifies an item in the library collection and indicates its location on the shelves. Call numbers are listed in the catalog and marked on the book's spine label. (D)
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| A unique code printed on a label affixed to the outside of an item in a library collection, usually the lower spine of a book or videocassette, also handwritten or printed on a label inside the item. Assigned by the cataloger, the call number is also displayed in the bibliographic record representing the item in the library catalog, to identify the work, indicate its subject classification, and give its location on the shelf relative to other items of similar classification. |
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A call number is composed of the notation identifying the class assigned to the item, followed by an author mark to distinguish the work from others of the same class, followed by a work mark distinguishing the title from other works of the same class by the same author, and sometimes other information such as publication date, volume number, copy number, and location symbol. (E)
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| Card catalog |
| A descriptive record of library holdings printed on cards and arranged in cabinets in a definite order. (D)
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| Catalog |
| A list of books, journals, maps, or other items in a collection, a library, or a group of libraries. It is cross-referenced for easy searching. (A)
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| A comprehensive list of the books, periodicals, maps, and other materials in a given collection, arranged in systematic order to facilitate retrieval (usually alphabetically by author, title, and/or subject). In most modern libraries, the card catalog has been converted to machine-readable bibliographic records and is available online. The purpose of a library catalog, as stated by Charles C. Cutter in Rules for a Dictionary Catalog (1904) later modified by Bohdan S. Wynar in Introduction to Cataloging and Classification (Seventh ed., 1985), is to offer the user a variety of approaches or access points to the information contained in the collection:
Objects:
1) To enable a person to find any work, whether issued in print or in nonprint format, when one of the following is known:
a) The author
b) The title
c) The subject
2) To show what the library has
d) By a given author
e) On a given and related subjects
f) In a given kind of literature
3) To assist in the choice of a work
g) As to the bibliographic edition
h) As to its character (literary or topical).
The preparation of entries for a library catalog (called cataloging) is performed by a librarian known as a cataloger. (E)
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| Cataloging |
| The process of making entries for a catalog and the processes involved in preparing a book for the shelf. (A)
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| The process of making entries for a library's catalog. This includes recording of descriptive information about the work (author, title, physical characteristics, any notes deemed necessary, etc.) as well as assignment of approved subject headings and assignment of call numbers to place the item in the desired order on the shelves. (D)
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| The process of creating entries for a catalog. In libraries, this usually includes bibliographic description, subject analysis, assignment of classification notation, and all the activities involved in physically preparing the item for the shelf, tasks usually performed under the supervision of a librarian trained as a cataloger. (E)
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| Classification |
| The arrangement of knowledge into specific groups or systems. (D)
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| The process of dividing objects or concepts into logically hierarchical classes, subclasses, and sub-subclasses based on the characteristics they have in common and those that distinguish them. Also used as a shortened form of the term classification system or classification scheme. (E)
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| Cutter number |
| In the call number, a unique alphanumeric code which makes books within a given subject class fall into alphabetical order by author. (= book number) (D)
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| A system of alphanumeric author marks developed by Charles A. Cutter to enable bibliographic items of the same classification to be subarranged alphabetically by author's last name. A Cutter number consists of one to three letters from the name, followed by one or more Arabic numerals from the Cutter-Sanborn Table added to the end of the call number by a cataloger. Synonymous with Cutter author mark (E)
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| Cutter-Sanborn table |
| In 1880, Charles A. Cutter first circulated a two-figure table designed to assist catalogers in adding author marks to call numbers, as a means of differentiating items of the same classification by author. The Cutter Table was subsequently extended by Kate A. Sanborn to allow three Arabic numerals to be assigned, following the initial letters of the author's last name. (E)
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| Dewey Decimal Classification |
| A system devised by Melvil Dewey which divides information into ten main subjects, with further decimal divisions, using a notation of numbers. It is used in many libraries to arrange the books by their subject. (A)
| Library classification system which divides knowledge into ten main classes (000-999); named for its inventor, Melvil Dewey, and its use of decimals as necessary for subdivisions. DDC is used in most school and public libraries. (D)
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| A hierarchical system for classifying books and other library materials by subject, first published in 1876 by the librarian and educator Melvil Dewey who divided human knowledge into ten main classes, each of which is divided into ten divisions, and so on. In Dewey Decimal call numbers, Arabic numerals and decimal fractions are used in the class notation (example: 996.9).
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Developed and updated continuously for the past 125 years, most recently by a 10-member international Editorial Policy Committee (EPC), DDC is the most widely used classification system in the world. According to OCLC, it has been translated into 30 languages and is used by 200,000 libraries in 135 countries. The national bibliographies of 60 countries are organized according to DDC.
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In the United States, public and school libraries use DDC, but most academic and research libraries use Library of Congress Classification because it is more hospitable. (E)
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| Holding record = Item record |
| In cataloging, a record attached to the bibliographic record to track a single copy of a one-volume work, or a single copy of one volume of a work published in more than one separately bound volume, after the item has been acquired and processed by the library. The item record usually indicates item type, volume number, copy number, barcode, location, price, status, applicable loan rule, and information about borrowing transactions, such as patron ID, due date, year-to-date circulation, etc. When item records are used in serials cataloging, each record usually represents a single serial title, and a separate check-in record is created to track individual issues. (E)
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| ISBN |
| International Standard Book Number |
| A numerical code given to a book which uniquely identifies it. (C)
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| ISSN |
| International Standard Serial Number
| A numerical code given to a serial (periodical) which uniquely identifies it. (C)
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| LCRI |
| Library of Congress Rule Interpretations
| A loose-leaf service that provides current information on recent decisions of the Library of Congress concerning the interpretation of the most recent revision of Anglo-American Cataloging Rules (AACR2). (E)
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| Library of Congress Classification |
| A classification scheme devised for the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., now used by most research-level libraries in the United States. It is based on letters of the alphabet (allowing for a larger number of fundamental divisions of knowledge than the Dewey system) with subdivisions using letters, numbers, and decimal points. (C)
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| A system of classifying books and other library materials developed and maintained over the last 200 years by the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. In LCC, human knowledge is divided into 20 broad categories indicated by single letters of the Roman alphabet, with major subdivisions indicated by a second letter, and narrower subdivisions by decimal numbers and further alphabetic notation... In the United States, most research libraries and academic libraries use LCC, while most school libraries and public libraries use Dewey Decimal Classification. (E)
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| Library of Congress Subject Headings |
| The word or group of words indicating a subject under which all material dealing with the same theme is entered in a catalog or bibliography and assigned by the Library of Congress. (A)
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| Controlled vocabulary assigned to books and library materials by the Library of Congress. A subject search allows you to search for these specific subjects. Each record has a list of subject headings that apply to the specific book.
Examples: Legends -- North Carolina -- Cullowhee; College Students - Psychology (B)
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| A descriptive word or phrase selected by a subject specialist at the Library of Congress from the list of Library of Congress Subject Headings and assigned to a book or other item when first published to indicate its subject. Multiple subject headings are assigned when necessary or desirable. The complete list of LC subject headings is published annually in a multi-volume set known to librarians as "the big red books," usually available in the reference section of most large public and academic libraries, and in the cataloging department of smaller libraries. (E)
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| MARC |
| Machine-Readable Cataloging. An international, standardized format for computerized bibliographic data developed by the Library of Congress. MARC format simplifies exchange of bibliographic data. (D)
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| An international standard digital format for the description of bibliographic items, developed by the Library of Congress during the 1960s to facilitate the creation and dissemination of computerized cataloging from library to library within the same country, and between countries. By 1971 the MARC format had become the national standard for dissemination of bibliographic data, and by 1973 the international standard. Widespread use of the MARC standard has helped libraries acquire predictable and reliable cataloging data, make use of commercially available library automation systems, share bibliographic resources, avoid duplication of effort, and ensure that bibliographic data will be compatible when one automation system is replaced by another.
The MARC record has three components:
Record structure - an implementation of national and international standards, such as the Information Interchange Format ANSI Z39.2 and Format for Information Exchange ISO 2709
Content designation - codes and conventions that explicitly identify and characterize the data elements within a record to facilitate the manipulation of data
Data Content - defined by external standards such as AACR2, Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH), etc.
In structure, the MARC record is divided into fields, each containing one or more related elements of bibliographic description. A field is preceded by a three-digit tag designating the nature of its content. Tags are organized in hundreds as follows, with XX in the range of 00-99, indicating a group of related tags:
0XX fields - Control information, numbers, codes
1XX fields - Main entry
2XX fields - Titles, edition, imprint
3XX fields - Physical description, etc.
4XX fields - Series statements (as shown in item)
5XX fields - Notes
6XX fields - Subject added entries
7XX fields - Added entries other than subject or series
8XX fields - Series added entries (other authoritative forms) (E)
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| Name authority - Name authority file |
| An authorized list giving the preferred form of entry for names (personal, corporate, and geographic) used as headings in a library catalog, and any cross-references from variant forms. (E)
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| Online catalog |
| An electronic, searchable database which contains a listing of the library's collection. (A)
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| An online database that provides the citations and locations of all materials in the library. (B)
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| A computer database that contains records for the publications owned by a library. The online catalog provides author, title, place, date of publication, and the call number of these publications. (C)
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| A library catalog in the form of an electronic database, with the information in machine-readable format. (D)
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| A library catalog consisting of a collection of bibliographic records in machine-readable format, maintained on a dedicated computer that provides uninterrupted interactive access via terminals or workstations in direct, continuous communication with the central computer. Most online catalogs are searchable by author, title, subject heading, and keywords. The software used in online catalogs is proprietary and not standardized. Synonymous with OPAC. (E)
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| Sears List of Subject Headings |
| A subject heading list created by Minnie E. Sears, first published in 1923 for use in school libraries and small public libraries. Although it is based on Library of Congress subject headings, the Sears List of Subject Headings published by H. W. Wilson is narrower in scope and its headings are more general. Small libraries supplement it with LC headings as needed. (E)
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| Subject headings |
| Words used in library catalogs or databases to describe the contents of a book, periodical, or individual article. (C)
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| A term, name, or phrase used as an access point in a catalog or index which is arranged by topic. Generally, any particular index will use a standardized set of subject headings, which improves search precision once the user determines the "approved" headings being used for their topic. (D)
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| The most specific word or phrase that describes the subject, or one of the subjects, of a work, selected from a list of preferred terms (controlled vocabulary and assigned as an added entry in the bibliographic record to serve as an access point in the library catalog. A subject heading may be subdivided by the addition of subheadings and sub-subheadings (example: Libraries--History--20th century). The use of cross-references to indicate semantic relations between subject headings is called syndetic structure. The process of examining the content of new publications and assigning appropriate subject headings is subject analysis. In the United States, most libraries use Library of Congress subject headings (LCSH), but small libraries may use Sears subject headings. (E)
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