Week Seven: The Library Catalogue

What is a library catalogue? It's a record of what's available in the collection.
It provides access to information in the collection. And in the Information Age - it's a tool that enables teacher-librarians to help students develop Information Literacy Skills.

What is the goal of the library catalogue? It's a tool to help students and teachers to "survive and thrive" in the Information Age.

Teacher-librarians are required to "identify the BEST resources available in their collections and adapt them to teachers' unit plans and student research".

My thoughts...

From the position of a TL working in a very small library with limited resources, I would add to the "resources available in their collections" - expanding it to include other collections and resources as well: -public libraries. inter-library loans, public library databases. Furthermore, I would add other professionals as resources. For example, the Teen Librarian at our local public library has just offered the following services to our school: coming to our school to sign students up for public library cards, coming to do book talks and coming to teach students how to use the databases available through the public library. How exciting is that!? I think it's fantastic that I will be able to collaborate with our local public librarian to enhance our students' library experience!

Some Characteristics of an Effective Catalogue:
Flexible
Easy to Use
Production & Maintenance are cost-effective
Compact and Portable

Some thoughts on this: Our new Destiny program--being Internet based--has opened so many doors to our patrons! Now students and staff can access our OPAC from both home and school. Also, I can access the OPACs of all schools within our Destiny group (like a district)! I can even work from home updating and processing books if I want to! (Hmmm...maybe that's not such a good thing.)

Functions of the Catalogue:
Identifying -- provides a distinct record for individual items and inventory of the collection.
Locating - provides a specific guide to where the items are located.
Collocating - groups together items on the same subject or items by the same author

Just the facts: all school libraries in BC have been automated since at least 2001 - Interesting. I didn't know that. In fact, 2001 seems to be such a recent past!

What is cataloguing? -"creating a record describing an item in the school library according to bibliographic standards and accepted formats. And, then assigning both classification numbers and file or index headings to it."

Cataloguing can be broken down into three components:

1. Precataloguing: inspecting the item and searching for a source of copied or commercial cataloguing. Editing copied cataloging.

2. Cataloguing: creating a description, assigning subject and access points, creating a catalogue record.

3. Postcataloging: processing the item for shelf placement, entering it into the online catalogue, shelving it and finally, maintaining the catalogue (reclassifying items, updating records, shelf reading and weeding)

Three ways to obtain cataloguing and classification information:

1. Buy it - PROs: requires less time, takes less work, cheaper (time saved can be spent with students and teachers), provides uniformity, CONS: poorly catalogued resources can result in expensive, time-consuming remediation, varied sources may be inconsistent in quality and may not fit your needs as well as cataloguing done yourself.

2. Copy it - PROS: requires less time, takes less work, cheaper, CONS: you may need to make alterations to records and that is also costly and time-consuming.

3. Do it Yourself - PROS: (none listed) CONS: time-consuming (takes time away from other student and teacher-related tasks, costly (use of time),

What options do I have?

1. District-based central processing - (district library services) (Oh, if only!)
2. Purchased Cataloguing - from a jobber or vendor (can supply a CD-Rom for your library system. (Consider quality and fees)
3. Commercial cataloguing agencies and freelance cataloguers: (can be a delay) Purchase a few samples before deciding (check quality and format)
4. Bibliographic utilities and CD-Rom products: (costly and unlikely sources for individual schools - more for district technical services.
5. Copied cataloguing: obtained from Internet sites like LC or Amicus, LAC and other libraries. Most obvious source is the CIP record found on verso (back of the) title page.

DECISIONS...DECISIONS...DECISIONS: (Notes from text, Ch 2) (Making policy decisions)

1. Conform to standard practices.

2. Accept Change. (products, tools and procedures change - and you need to as well to keep up with the times!)

3. Maintain a Policy Manual. to ensure uniform practice and to leave a record of what's been done.

Notes on the CIP: "an important resource for all types of libraries; its use helps to ensure that standard cataloguing practice is followed. But, beware that CIP records are created before publication and because of this incorrect CIPS crop up once in a while. In spite of this, we are assured that CIP is "usually reliable, trustworthy work, performed by some of the best cataloguers in each nation." I now have the utmost respect for these "best cataloguers", believe me! It's interesting to mention here that our course notes for week 5 describe CIP as something public libraries use - but that it's not necessarily used in school libraries.

Descriptive Cataloguing: The Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules (AACR2) is the only code of rules accepted as standard for descriptive cataloging. It offers 3 levels of description: Level 1 (simplest and least detailed) for small libraries with uncomplicated searches, Level 2 is the standard level of cataloguing, and Level 3 is the most detailed.

A Little "Librarian Levity": I was pleased to read that "No arm will reach out of the sky to pluck the catalog records bearing nonstandard data out of local catalogs." And, that I won't get a visit from the "Catalog Police" any time soon! (pg. 11 text). Here the text advises against "going it alone" with "non standard' decisions.

The authors stress the importance of establishing policy that covers incorporating changes to cataloguing rules into one's library routines and cataloguing. Options reviewed were to make changes as you go or to wait until a specified time of the year. However, it was advised to adopt and make changes on an ongoing basis (less disruptive and costly).

Subject Cataloguing: subject headings are selected from standardized lists of authorized headings. Authors advise that the best way to handle subject heading changes is to make them incrementally, as they occur. Two main published lists of subject headings are LCSH and Sears.

LCSH: Library of Congress Subject Headings -popular with large libraries, uses more technical and scientific terminology suitable for scholars. New lists printed annually.

CSH: Canadian Subject Headings -

Sears: Sears List of Subject Headings - for smaller libraries with fewer than 20, 000 volumes. Uses simpler vocabulary. New lists published every 5 or 6 years.

Sears CC: Sears List of Subject Headings: Canadian Companion

Classification and Call Number Assignment: DDC versus LCC

DDC is the "favourite choice of schools and public libraries (with some exceptions)". Many North American post secondary institutions use LCC.

A note on shelving books: "Studies show that all materials get more use when they are shelved together in one sequence, probably because patrons browsing the shelves are able to see and select from everything pertaining to a subject or genre of literature. Therefore "intershelving" is recommended. (What exactly is intershelving?)

"Decisions about how to shelve books, videos, sound recordings, maps and other materials do not follow any mandated standard." It is up to the library to decide what's best for their staff, their space and their patrons.

I found this chapter contained some very useful, practical information and advice about library organization...the kind of info I can implement into my own library quite easily.