Learn Descriptive Cataloging

Citation

Duckett, B. (2000), "Learn Descriptive Cataloging", Library Review, Vol. 49 No. 7, pp. 351-360. https://doi.org/10.1108/lr.2000.49.7.351.5

Library Basics series, No. 3, UK Agent: Shelwing Ltd

It grieves me when I recall the time and energy we (me, the profession, thinkers) invested in “cat ‘n’ class”, and then compare this with how little time and energy is spent now, and how much it shows!Maybe we overindulged in debating the concepts of authorship and intellectual responsibility; maybe the distinctions between societies and institutions was overelaborate; and maybe there was a touch of pedantry in collating “ports., figs., illus. [some col.]”; but it did make us efficient catalogue users and respecters of detail and accuracy. Doubtless the ignorant will consider that, in the age of CIP, downloading and keyword entry, such esoterica is outmoded and that the need for training in cataloguing has passed, but those of us who have to instruct so‐called “qualified” librarians in the significance of square brackets, the art of main entry, and the science of tracings, will welcome this “blast from the past”: a workbook on descriptive cataloguing. After all, what is more unforgiving than a computer that recognises a space or a spelling mistake where none was intended?

This book is one in the publisher’s Library Basics series and provides instruction in descriptive cataloguing and the MARC bibliographic format. “The bibliographic record”, says author Mary Mortimer, teacher, librarian, author, and publisher, “is the foundation of all the tools used in a library, from catalog to bibliography to online database. It is important for all library staff to be familiar with at least the basics.” This is very much a hands‐on guide with background explanation and practical exercises to enable professionals and paraprofessionals alike to practise new skills and test understanding. It is definitely a student text – it has spaces for answers – and is possibly one for the library workroom, or for motivated users, volunteers perhaps, such as those finding themselves in charge of a small library for the first time. Or staff ashamed to admit their ignorance!The book is also designed to be used with the interactive multimedia training package Catskill, whose co‐author is also the author of this work. Wisely she admits that not everyone will agree with all the answers and she advises access to a teacher.

Starting with the role of the catalogue, we go on to the bibliographic record, ISBD, AACR 1998 and MARC. The author then covers the elements of description with separate chapters for monographs, serials, and non‐book materials. “Access Points” covers authorship issues such as authority control, references and headings. Headings for persons, geographic names, and corporate bodies are considered separately, and then we come to series, uniform titles and cataloguing procedures. Appendices cover MARC Codes, the answers to exercises (almost 40 pages, which gives an indication of the detail covered), a pleasingly full glossary, a brief bibliography, and a rather poor index. Constant reference is made to the Anglo‐American Cataloguing Code.

Experienced cataloguers will find it hard to assess a training guide for novices, but I could find little to criticise. Indeed, I got so many of the questions wrong that my self‐esteem has, rightly, taken a knock!Such problem areas as form of name (De Beauvoir or Beauvoir de), more than one name (Carolyn Heilbrum aka Amanda Cross) and change of name (Bill Clinton was born William Jefferson Blyth) are all covered, and also the vexing compound names and corporate titles. Added entries and, yes, tracings for card catalogues, are also covered. This is no substitute for AACR itself or, say, Eric Hunter’s Cataloguing published by the Library Association, but it is a welcome addition to the librarian’s armoury nevertheless.