Novice Guide

​Welcome to the world of library science! Don’t worry if you’ve never stepped into a library science class; this guide will walk you through the basics of how librarians organize books and other materials so that people can find what they’re looking for. Think of it like creating a detailed map that guides someone directly to the treasure they seek in a vast sea of information.

​Cataloging: The Art of Creating a Library’s Roadmap

​Cataloging is how librarians describe what a book or item is about and all the important details that make it unique. It’s a bit like creating a profile for each item.

​The Main Elements of a Catalog Record

  1. Title and Who Made It: We write down the full title of the book, any subtitles, and the names of people who created it, like the author.
  2. Edition: This is like noting the version of a smartphone. We record if it’s a special edition or if there have been updates from older versions.
  3. Who Published It: Just like you’d note where a product is made, we write down the publisher's name, where it was published, and when.
  4. Physical Details: We describe what the book looks like, how many pages it has, and if it comes with anything extra, like a CD.
  5. Series Information: If the book is part of a series, we note which part it is so you can read them in order.
  6. Notes: Here we add any other interesting information that doesn’t fit elsewhere, like if the book has won any awards.
  7. Standard Numbers: Think of ISBNs as a book’s unique barcode – no two are the same, and they help us order and find books.

​Classification: Organizing Books on the Shelf

​Classification is how we decide where a book goes on the shelves so that similar topics are together – like sorting laundry into types so you can find your socks quickly.
  • Dewey Decimal System: It’s like a big tree – the trunk is divided into big branches (main classes), which then have smaller branches (divisions), all the way down to the leaves (specific topics). Public libraries love this.
  • Library of Congress System: This one uses letters and numbers and is more detailed, which is why big academic libraries, full of all kinds of knowledge, prefer it.

​The Tools and Rules of Cataloging

​Cataloging rules and standards are like the grammar rules for language. They help everyone describe items consistently.
  • RDA (Resource Description and Access): This is the newest set of rules, designed for our digital age where we have more than just books.
  • MARC 21: It’s a coding system that makes sure computers can understand and share cataloging information.
  • BIBFRAME: Think of it as MARC 21’s modern cousin, using the web to link information in a smarter way.

​Authority Control: Keeping Things Consistent

​Imagine if some books called it “The American Civil War” and others “The War Between the States.” Authority control is like agreeing on the same name for something, so everyone finds it under the same term.

​Cataloging in the Digital World

​Cataloging isn’t just for physical books. We do the same for digital items, using different tools that make sure they can be found online.

​Copy vs. Original Cataloging

  • Copy Cataloging: This is like getting a recipe from a friend and maybe changing it a bit – using an existing catalog record and tweaking it for your library.
  • Original Cataloging: Like creating a brand-new recipe – you make a new record from scratch because no one else has done it before.

​How to Keep Learning

​The world of cataloging is always changing, so librarians keep learning through courses, workshops, and talking to each other in groups.

​Making Sure Everything is Correct

​We double-check everything – like proofreading an essay – to make sure all the details are right and update records if things change, keeping the catalog clean and useful.
​That's your introductory tour of cataloging and classification in library land! It’s a lot to take in, but it boils down to making sure that whether it’s a book, a digital file, or anything else a library might have, people can find what they need because we’ve described it and put it in the right place. Like any good map or guide, a well-cataloged library leads each person to their own treasure.