Page 139 - Cataloging and Classification for Library Technicians, 2nd Edition

Chapter 9

The Cataloging Department

TERMINOLOGY

author ity file: Files of autho rized names, series titles, or sub ject
headings used in a cat alog. The file is checked when doing cataloging
to ensure con sistency in the form of names, series titles, and sub ject
headings. The card catalog or the OPAC data base is usu ally the
author ity file.
pro cess ing: The task of phys ically pre paring the materials for the
shelves. Pro cedures involved dif fer from library to library, depend -
ing on deci sions made locally. Tasks include attaching the spine
labels to materials, typing cards, attaching bar codes to mate rials,
attaching date-due slips to mate rials, and stamp ing mate rials with the
prop erty stamp.
shelflist: A file, either in card or book for mat or in the com puter data -
base, arranged in order by call num bers, show ing the library’s hold ings
in shelf order. The shelflist is used usu ally by library staff only for staff
functions such as col lection devel opment or inven tory con trol.

ORGANIZATION

From li brary to li brary, the or ga ni za tion of the cat a log ing de part -
ment var ies. Al ways in cluded, how ever, are the cataloging and clas -
sification plus the pro cessing of all materials. In other words, the
preparation of ma terials for shelves can be broadly di vided into two
groups: cat aloging first, pro cessing sec ond. So far we have dis cussed

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