Descriptive Cataloging

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The process of creating bibliographic records that provide detailed information about a resource's physical characteristics, contents, and publication information.

Cataloging rules: The various rules, standards, and guidelines put in place to aid in organizing bibliographic information.
Cataloging tools: The various tools and resources used in cataloging, such as the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH), the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC), the MARC format, and the Anglo-American Cataloging Rules (AACR2).
Cataloging procedures: The steps involved in the cataloging process, from selecting the appropriate headings to creating the bibliographic record.
Authority control: The process of ensuring consistency and accuracy in the use of names and subject headings in bibliographic records.
Cataloging record structure: The structure of the MARC format, including the various fields and subfields used to organize bibliographic information.
Bibliographic description: A detailed description of a specific item, including the title, author, edition, publication information, and physical description.
Subject analysis: The process of identifying and selecting appropriate subject headings for a given item.
Classification: The process of assigning a code or number to an item in order to organize it within a library or other collection.
Bibliographic control: The overall management of bibliographic information, including acquisition, cataloging, and retrieval.
Cataloging policies: The policies and procedures put in place by libraries and other institutions to ensure consistency in cataloging practices.
AACR2 (Anglo-American Cataloging Rules, Second Edition): It is a set of cataloging rules developed by American and British librarians for the descriptive cataloging of library materials. It provides guidelines for the creation of bibliographic records in a standardized and consistent way.
RDA (Resource Description and Access): It is the successor to AACR2 and provides guidelines for the descriptive cataloging of digital, electronic, and other new media resources. It is a web-based platform that can be accessed by catalogers all over the world, and it facilitates more consistent and granular cataloging of library materials.
MARC (MAchine Readable Cataloging): It is a standard format for exchanging bibliographic records between libraries. It was developed by the Library of Congress and is widely used for both printed and electronic resources.
ISBD (International Standard Bibliographic Description): It is a set of rules for the bibliographic description of library materials, including books, journals, and audio-visual materials. It provides a framework for consistent and accurate descriptions of information resources.
Dublin Core: It is a standardized set of metadata elements for describing digital objects and resources. It provides a simple and flexible syntax for describing electronic resources and is widely used by libraries and other cultural heritage organizations.
BIBFRAME (Bibliographic Framework Initiative): It is a new data model and a replacement for MARC that better accommodates the needs of digital libraries and other electronic resources. It is designed to enable a seamless transition from a MARC-based environment to a more web-friendly environment.
FRBR (Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records): It is a conceptual model for organizing bibliographic resources. It provides a way to separate the intellectual content of a resource from its physical manifestation, which allows for more efficient and flexible searching.
FRAD (Functional Requirements for Authority Data): It is a model for describing authority data, such as names, titles, and subjects. It provides guidelines for creating authority records, which are used to control access to resources and ensure consistency in cataloging.
LCSH (Library of Congress Subject Headings): It is a standardized vocabulary for describing the subjects of library materials. It provides a structured and hierarchical system for organizing subject headings and is used by libraries worldwide.
NACO (Name Authority Cooperative Program): It is a program that encourages member libraries to collaborate in the creation and maintenance of name authority records. It provides a way for institutions to share name authority data and ensure that names are represented consistently across different catalogs and databases.
"In library and information science, cataloging (US) or cataloguing (UK) is the process of creating metadata representing information resources, such as books, sound recordings, moving images, etc."
"Cataloging provides information such as author's names, titles, and subject terms that describe resources."
"The records serve as surrogates for the stored information resources, typically through the creation of bibliographic records."
"Since the 1970s these metadata are in machine-readable form and are indexed by information retrieval tools, such as bibliographic databases or search engines."
"While typically the cataloging process results in the production of library catalogs, it also produces other types of discovery tools for documents and collections."
"Bibliographic control provides the philosophical basis of cataloging, defining the rules that sufficiently describe information resources, to enable users to find and select the most appropriate resource."
"A cataloger is an individual responsible for the processes of description, subject analysis, classification, and authority control of library materials."
"Catalogers serve as the 'foundation of all library service, as they are the ones who organize information in such a way as to make it easily accessible'."
"Information resources, such as books, sound recordings, moving images, etc."
"Since the 1970s these metadata are in machine-readable form..."
"Information such as author's names, titles, and subject terms that describe resources."
"The records serve as surrogates for the stored information resources..."
"...indexed by information retrieval tools, such as bibliographic databases or search engines."
"...defining the rules that sufficiently describe information resources, to enable users to find and select the most appropriate resource."
"A cataloger is an individual responsible for the processes of description, subject analysis, classification, and authority control of library materials."
"...they are the ones who organize information in such a way as to make it easily accessible."
"Yes, cataloging can be applied to resources like sound recordings and moving images."
"Since the 1970s these metadata are in machine-readable form..."
"Yes, cataloging can be used for digital resources in addition to physical resources."
"To create metadata representing information resources and provide the necessary information for users to find and select the most appropriate resource."