Downloaded 204 times
Uploaded byLiah Shonhe
Introduction to subject cataloguing
The document provides an overview of subject cataloguing, emphasizing its importance for effective information retrieval in libraries. It discusses various indexing languages, cataloguing processes, and examples such as the Sears List and the Library of Congress Subject Headings. Additionally, it contrasts thesauri with subject heading lists, highlighting their unique characteristics and relationships within indexing communities.
In this document
Powered by AI
Overview of subject cataloguing, emphasizing its importance for effective information retrieval.
Explanation of intellectual tasks involved in subject cataloguing and processes of conceptual analysis.
Details on the Sears List of Subject Headings, its principles, and types of headings used in cataloguing.
Description of the LCSH system, its purpose, evaluation, and principles for standardized subject analysis.
Insights on thesauri construction, characteristics, and their role in controlled indexing languages.
Comparison of thesauri and subject heading lists regarding their scope, usage, and relationships.
List of references cited in the presentation and conclusion with a thank you to the audience.
More Related Content
Similar to Introduction to subject cataloguing
Introduction to subject cataloguing
- 1. INTRODUCTION TO SUBJECT CATALOGUING
- 2. INTRODUCTION WHY SUBJECTCATALOGUING? The process of seeking and retrieving information can be frustrating Information retrieval systems/tools are more concerned with the subject approach The library is of little value if it is unable to retrieve the right documents as and when they are required (Brown, 1982).
- 3. SUBJECT CATALOGUING An intellectual task which deals with; the conceptual analysis of an item: what is it about? What is its form/genre/format? And translating that analysis into a particular subject heading system (Taylor, 1999). In subject cataloguing there are different indexing languages: Natural Language Free Language Controlled Language: there are two types of this standard list: Alphabetical controlled Classification scheme (Aina, 2004).
- 4. THE PROCESS OFSUBJECT CATALOGUING a)Conceptual analysis o Examine the information package: Title and subtitle Abstract or summary Table of contents Reference sources Introduction or preface(Broughton, 2012)
- 5. CONT…… o Typesof concepts to identify: Time periods Title of works Topics Names of persons, corporate bodies Geographic areas o Consider the level/degree of exhaustibility: depth indexing and summarization(Brown, 1982) a) Translation of concepts into index terms
- 6.
- 7. Sears List ofSubject Headings Satija (2007) describes Sears list as a tool for assigning standardized subject headings to all types of documents in a general small library having up to 20,000 titles in all subjects. Has been in existence for more than 8 decades i.e. since 1923, published by Minnie Earl Sears. Now it is in its 21st edition.
- 8. PRINCIPLES OF THESEARS LIST (Satija, 2007) Specific entry: e.g. Rose should be entered under “Roses” not “Flowers” Direct entry: e.g. Rose is entered as Roses and not Flowers-Rose. Common Usage: e.g. “Birds” instead of “Ornithology” Uniformity: e.g. scope, meaning and spellings
- 9. TYPES OF SEARSSUBJECT HEADINGS a. Preferred headings: printed in bold Under the preferred heading is the DDC class number, scope/definitional note, instruction for further subdivision and the relationships if any e.g. Dairying (May subdiv. geog.) 636.2; 637 b. Non preferred headings: Written in light font Preceded by the word “USE” e.g. Dairy farming Use Dairying c. Subdivisions: Types of subdivisions Topical: Birds—Eggs Bibliographical: Sindhi language – Dictionaries Geographical: Trees – India Chronological: Botswana -- History—1857-1960 (Satija, 2007)
- 10. Library of CongressSubject Headings (LCSH) Accumulation of subject headings that were established by the Library of Congress as their subject catalogue. Since 1988, in its 11th edition- other libraries have been contributing subject headings to LCSH (Taylor, 1999) What is it: A classifying and search tool- access point to bibliographic record. Tool for subject indexing A standard for subject analysis
- 11. Evaluation of LCSH QUESTION? Do librarians understand LCSH? Syntax Bias e.g. American spellings, culture-ethnic groups Applicability in Africa How many libraries are using it? – DDC!
- 12. Principles of LCSH(Chan, 2005) Literary warrant: the number and specificity of subject headings are determined by the nature and subject scope of the LC collection. Specific entry Unique entry e.g. Homographs Dynamism Uniform heading e.g. synonyms, spellings, English & foreign terms, Scientific &popular terms, obsolete & current terms. Pre-coordination and Post-coordination Consistency
- 13. THESAURI Aitchison& Gilchrist (1987) describes a thesaurus as a vocabulary of controlled indexing language, organized so that relationships can be clearly depicted and concepts are standardized to aid with consistency in information retrieval systems. The thesaurus have : Descriptors- generally single terms but they could also be multi-terms, compound phrases, names of persons, bodies and places. Each descriptor should not be ambiguous. Non descriptors- terms that cannot be used as search terms but facilitates with broader searches. Hierarchical relationships e.g. “BT” and “NT” Preferential relationships e.g. “USE” and “UF” Affinitive relationships e.g. “RT” (Aina, 2004)
- 14. THESAURUS CONSTRUCTION Definition of the subject field: establish the depth of the subject and type of literature. Selection of the thesaurus characteristics and layout: Presentation i.e. graphical or alphabetical Type of language to be used i.e. natural, controlled or a hybrid Features e.g. specificity, compound terms Notification of intent Selection of terms Compilers’ experience and knowledge Author’s literature and terminological sources in standardized form Terminology in users profiles
- 15. CONT……. Recordingof terms: Use the term record form. Information about the term include : Source of the term Synonyms Definitions Hierarchies and/ relationships Checking with experts and editing Testing and production for publication: At least 500-1000 documents should be used for testing The testing may reveal gaps in the coverage of the subject. Deposit with the relevant institution
- 16. CONCLUSION Differencesbetween the thesaurus and a list of subject headings. Thesauri = indexing communities while subject heading lists = library communities. Thesauri = narrow in scope (terms from one specific subject area) while subject heading lists = broader (covers entire scope of knowledge). Thesauri = multilingual while SHLs are not Thesauri use single terms and bound terms representing single concepts unlike subject heading lists which use phrases and pre-coordinated terms in addition to single terms (Taylor, 1999) Relationships in a thesaurus are more extensive than the subject heading list.
- 17. REFERENCES Aina, L.O. (2004). Library and Information Science Text for Africa. Gaborone: University of Botswana. Aitchison, J., & Gilchrist, A. (1987). Thesaurus construction: A practical manual (2 ed.). London: Aslib. Broughton, V. (2012). Essential Library of Congress Subject Headings. London: Facet Publishing. Brown, A. G. (1982). An Introduction to subject indexing (2 ed.). London: Clive Bingley. Chan, L. M. (2005). Library of Congress Subject Headings: Principles and Application (4 ed.). London: Libraries Unlimited. Satija, M. P. (2007). Sears List of Subject Headings: An introduction to the Nineteenth Edition. Amritsar: Guru Nanak Dev University. Sears, M. E. (1977). Sears List of Subject Headings (11 ed.). (B. M. Westby, Ed.) New York: The H. W. Wilson Company. Taylor, A. G. (1999). The organization of information. Colorado: Libraries Unlimited, INC.
- 18. THANK YOU QUESTIONSAND COMMENTS!!!!!! Created and Presented By: Liah Machara LIS621-University Of Botswana 15/09/2014