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Elements of Cataloging and Classification

To "catalog" a book or other form of library material involves several interrelated processes which all contribute to the achievement of Charles Ammi Cutter's "objects" for a catalog:

To enable a person to find a book of which the author, title, or subject is known
To show what the library has by a given author, on a given subject, or in a given kind of literature, and
To assist in the choice of a book.

(Adapted Rules for a Printed Dictionary Catalogue, by Charles Ammi Cutter, 4th ed., 1904, p. 12.)

Thus, catalogers prepare a description of an item, assign subject headings, determine a shelf location using a classification system, provide a link to the electronic item, if appropriate, and code that information with both MARC tags or metadata so that it may be displayed in local online catalogs and, if the library catalogs with OCLC, in WorldCat. Each element of the cataloging process is addressed in other tabs of this Guide, along with sources for the cataloging tools needed.

Key Resources

RDA: Resource Description and Access
RDA: Resource Description and Access was developed by the RDA Steering Committee to replace the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, 2nd Edition Revised, which were first published in 1978.

RDA is a package of data elements, guidelines, and instructions for creating library and cultural heritage resource metadata that are well-formed according to international models for user-focussed linked data applications.
Dewey Decimal Classification
Source for both print and Web formats of the most widely used classification system.
Library of Congress Classification System
The Library of Congress Classification (LCC) is a classification system that was first developed in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries to organize and arrange the book collections of the Library of Congress.
Library of Congress Subject Headings
The Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) is perhaps the most widely adopted subject indexing language in the world, has been actively maintained since 1898 to catalog materials held at the Library of Congress.
Cataloger's Desktop
Cataloger's Desktop is an integrated, online documentation system with almost 300 of the most important cataloging and metadata resources, including RDA Toolkit, LC policy statements, subject cataloging manuals, MARC formats, and LC Rule Interpretations.
RDA Resources
List of books on cataloging, with particular reference to RDA.

Cataloging and Classification by Lois Mai Chan; Athena Salaba
ISBN: 9781442232488
Publication Date: 2015-12-14
The fourth edition of the late Lois Mai Chan's classic Cataloging and Classification covers the analysis and representation of methods used in describing, organizing, and providing access to resources made available in or through libraries. Since the last edition published in 2007, there have been dramatic changes in cataloging systems from the Library of Congress. The most notable being the shift from AACR2 to Resource Description and Access (RDA) as the new standard developed by the Library of Congress.
Introduction to Cataloging and Classification by Arlene G. Taylor; Daniel N. Joudrey; David P. Miller
ISBN: 9781598848571
Publication Date: 2015-09-29
A new edition of this best-selling textbook reintroduces the topic of library cataloging from a fresh, modern perspective. * Delineates the new cataloging landscape * Shares a principles-based perspective * Provides introductory text for beginners and intermediate students * Emphasizes descriptive and subject cataloging, as well as format-neutral cataloging * Covers new cataloging rules and RDA
Standard Cataloging for School and Public Libraries by Sheila S. Intner; Jean Weihs
ISBN: 9781610691147
Publication Date: 2014-11-01
A proven resource for librarians and students, this updated classic opens the door to understanding current library cataloging processes, shows you how to use them to create standard catalog records, and provides guidance in managing the cataloging workflow. * Describes today's new cataloging tools and shows how they are applied to real resources in various media, sharing numerous examples that illustrate the points raised * Explains the way library catalog records are produced for online catalogs * Describes MARC formats and explains how they relate to new metadata schemas such as MARC XML, the Dublin Core, and BIBFRAME * Discusses how to set goals and objectives, supervise others, evaluate outputs, and report to and interact with internal and external players in the world of libraries * Includes examples and illustrations of all tools and offers practice exercises to reinforce understanding

Critical Cataloging

Cataloging ethics is described as the "principles and values that provide an intentional decision-making framework for those who work in cataloging or metadata positions."

Cataloging Code of Ethics
This site and document was produced in order to "create a dynamic document on cataloguing ethics...that embodies the collective experiences and wisdom of the cataloguing community of practice."
Culturally Responsive Cataloging Working Group
The Cataloging work group from the Community College League of California-CCLC is responsible for proposing policies related to cataloging, assisting in the development of cataloging workflows, and assisting in the development of training for those cataloging in the new shared environment. These actions are guided by our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, anti-racism, and accessibility as outlined in the LSP DEIAA statement.
Diversity Standards: Cultural Competency for Academic Libraries (2012)
Standard 4. Development of collections, programs, and services.
Radical Cataloging
Radical Cataloging: Using alternative subject headings locally to promote inclusiveness and diversity, part of an online learning series from the Colorado State Library.
Strategies for alternate subject headings and maintaining subject headings
From Hanging Together, an OCLC Research Blog

Attribution

This guide is an amalgamation of libguides created by Sharon Smith at Eastern Connecticut State University and the ALA's Cataloging Tools and Resources Guide. Both are reused with permission. Changes have been made to update links and reflect local practices.