Page 164 - DLIS002_KNOWLEDGE ORGANIZATION CLASSIFICATION AND CATALOGUING THEORY

Unit 8: Library Cataloguing

Use the catalogue to quickly locate miscellaneous information such as authors’ names and Notes
dates. Or use call numbers from sources that you found in your search to determine a good
place to start browsing the shelves.
Accessing records for library resources is easier online, but you’re still tied to the machine.
Locating terminals throughout the library is one solution. A more recent concept is roving
access, using laptops or PDAs and wireless networks. Another catalogue challenge is connecting
the library collection to Web resources. One method to bring all resources together is to use
Dewey (or whatever classification system your library uses) to organize links to recommended
Web resources, at the reference workstation and on the Web. Dewey can be used to organize
Web links for users, reinforcing the connection between catalogue subject headings and categories
of related Web resources. Increasingly, your catalogue may connect to the web and be part of an
integrated library system.

Task Locate a handbook of chemistry and/or physics in the catalogue.

Self Assessment

State whether the following statements are true or false:
9. The catalogue can be your most effective reference tool.
10. Sometimes it takes very creative use of the catalogue to find a book which will help on
more obscure topics.

8.6 Library Cataloguing versus Bibliographical Cataloguing

We have so far discussed the definition, purpose and functions of a library catalogue. We have
learnt that a library catalogue serves as a finding tool and it also enables users to find out
important information about all the works of a given author or on a given subject, or edition,
and so on.
There are other records and tools in a library, which also serve as finding lists of reading and
reference materials. But they differ in many ways when compared to a library catalogue. Let us
discuss such records and tools in three groups as given below.
Library records, like accession register and shelf list, etc.

Bibliographies such as national bibliographies and subject bibliographies, etc.
All these records and tools carry bibliographical data of documents such as author, title, edition;
year of publication just as a library catalogue but they perform different functions.

8.6.1 Library Cataloguing Records

A number of records are created in a library for its collections to serve different purposes. Some
of these records are accession register, shelf list, periodical holdings register, etc.
An accession register of a library is a date wise record of reading and reference materials
acquired by a library either by purchase, exchange or through gift. Details of information
pertaining to the date of acquisition, the serial number of the item, i.e., the accession number,
author, title, edition, publisher, date of publication, price, mode of acquisition, supplier, etc. are
recorded in the accession register. It serves as an authentic inventory of items acquired by the

LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY 159