THE CATALOGS
The bibliographic records of a collection are organized in
catalogs. The information about all the holdings of a library is
registered in a catalog to support the discovery and retrieval
of specific items matching user requests.
The catalog should be comprehensive and systematically
organized to allow finding a resource by title, author(s) or
other person(s) responsible for a work, subjects, editions etc.
What is a library catalog?
A library catalog is a record or a list of the collection of a
particular library, or of the collection of many libraries that are
connected electronically.
When it is a combined list of the holdings of many libraries,
it is called a union catalog or a shared catalog.
We can also say that a library catalog is an organized list
of information resources arranged in logical, prescribed
order.
•Why is it necessary for every library to
have a catalog?
Basically, catalogs are established so that library users
are able to retrieve the needed in formation.
A good catalog is a good information delivery tool.
To produce a good catalog, all materials must be
cataloged so that they can be found.
A library catalog is never complete be cause the library
collection is a living institution.
Materials are added on a daily basis as well as removed
at regular intervals. To accurately reflect the collection
of the library, it is necessary to update the catalog
constantly.
Materials listed in the catalog represent every thing the
library owns, plus collections from other libraries in the
case of a shared catalog.
Included in the catalogs are books (also referred to as
monographs), periodicals (also referred to as serials, which
include both professional journals and popular magazines,
newspapers, and other types of publications that are
published continuously), pamphlets, audiovisual materials,
computer files, and digital information.
FUNCTIONS OF THE CATALOGS
1. To indicate to the users what is housed in the library.
Catalogs list every single item acquired by the library. In
the case of a union, or shared catalog, besides displaying
what the library has, the catalog also shows what the
library can obtain for the users.
2. To help users make the proper selection. With all the
information in the catalog, users are able to get pertinent
facts such as author, title, publisher, publication date,
relevant subject, and the format of the material, such as
book, videorecording, or computer file.
3. To provide access to the materials, whether through the
author, title, or subject. Location is indicated by a letter and
number symbol referred to as a call number. This letter and
number combination indicates exactly where the wanted
materials are shelved or stored. In a union or shared catalog,
the location column also identifies the name of the library
that owns the materials.
4. To function as an indispensable tool for library staff in the
areas of acquisition, cataloging, inventory control, and
reference works.
TYPES OF CATALOGS
The Book Catalog
The book catalog is the earliest form of catalog. Ancient
libraries listed the titles in the collection on pa pers that
were bound in book form. In the nineteenth and
twentieth centuries, the card catalog be came widely
accepted and al most completely replaced the book
catalog. In the 1960s and early 1970s, computerized
libraries started to print book catalogs again.
TYPES OF CATALOGS
The Card Catalog
Since the Library of Congress launched the printing and
selling of catalog cards in 1901, the card catalog, up to
the late 1980s, has been the most widely used type of
catalog. The card catalog uses 3 × 5-inch cards filed in
alphabetical order in drawers that fit in a specially de
signed cabinet.
The main disadvantage is filing. It is labor intensive.
TYPES OF CATALOGS
COM (Computer Output Microform Catalog
In this format, bibliographic re cords are photographed and
produced on microfilm or microfiche, which is relatively
inexpensive. Space is saved compared to the card catalog
and the book catalog formats.
The disadvantages are some what similar to those of the book
catalog, in the sense that it is difficult and expensive to
update. It is in convenient for users to employ the many
supplements and troublesome, initially, to learn to use the
necessary equipment, the microfilm/fiche reader/printer.
TYPES OF CATALOGS
OPAC (Online Public Access Catalog
OPACs began to appear in libraries in the late 1970s and
the early 1980s. They quickly gained wide acceptance
and became the most popular catalog form. With either
the touch screen or the key board, users can access the
most up-to-date in formation on the library’s collection
and can get a print out of that information.
OPAC offers fast retrieval and an immediate display. In a
shared online catalog, users can retrieve information from
other participating libraries.
TYPES OF CATALOGS
CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read-Only Memory) Catalog
CD-ROM technology makes it possible to have a
library’s holdings engraved on computer disks. The cost
for an individual library to have its collection put on
compact disk used to be restrictive, and as a result,
libraries did it collectively with other libraries in the
same networking environment. It has become a popular
format for library consortia.
The CD-ROM player is now an integral part of computer
equipment.