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Cataloging and Classification: An Introduction
The third edition of 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, including both the materials owned by the library (mostly physical items such as books, journals, and nonprint materials) and external resources such as those in electronic form that are accessible through the library's portal. Chan emphasizes the standards for bibliographic control that were developed over the years and have been widely adopted in the library field; reports on recent developments in the retrieval arena; and discusses a number of widely used metadata schemas in order to provide a brief overview of this important movement closely related to resource description.
Divided into six parts—a general overview; resource description; access and authority control; subject representation access; the classification and categorization of library resources; and the encoding and processing of cataloging records—each part of the book begins with a list of the standards and tools used in the preparation and processing of that part of the cataloging record covered, followed by suggested background readings selected to help the reader gain an overview of the subject to be presented. Fully updated to incorporate changes that have occurred during the interval between the second and third editions, this book is the standard text for the teaching and understanding of cataloging and classification.
Divided into six parts—a general overview; resource description; access and authority control; subject representation access; the classification and categorization of library resources; and the encoding and processing of cataloging records—each part of the book begins with a list of the standards and tools used in the preparation and processing of that part of the cataloging record covered, followed by suggested background readings selected to help the reader gain an overview of the subject to be presented. Fully updated to incorporate changes that have occurred during the interval between the second and third editions, this book is the standard text for the teaching and understanding of cataloging and classification.
600 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1981
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288 people want to read
About the author
Lois Mai Chan
22 books9 followersLois Mai Chan is Professor of Library and Information Science at the University of Kentucky.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
September 30, 2021
screw this book. i'm so glad to see the end of this class. i will never catalog. ever. after my final on monday (which i will ace, bitches...), i will never ever think about this material again. i emailed my professor today with a question (and he's a sweetheart, it's not his fault this subject matter is a trainwreck) and he responded with "oh, there's a really good chapter on this - chapter 17. you should read it." no shit. i already read it three times. it is, by no stretch of the imagination, "really good." maybe it is really good to nerds, but to me it is gibberishy. i am skipping work to study for this (and to make sweet potatoes) and it had better be worth it. i miss work already.
come to my blog!
come to my blog! 
December 15, 2008
As an artist, and one who sometimes has a “different” way of interpreting things, I found cataloging class to be one of the most horrific experiences of my life. The dweebtators at Library of Congress have developed an astronomical amount of rules to learn and follow, all while bearing in mind that AACR2 will soon change to AACR3. This book literally saved my life… or at least brought me back to earth after the vomit-ridden panic attacks that ensued from watching my professors’ disorienting online lectures.
Being an online student is especially difficult because there’s a lack in the forms of human contact that I find to be an integral aide in the learning process. No warm fuzzy smiles from your teacher when you do something right, nobody to get trashed with at the bar after tests and no hand to hold while vomiting over irregular paginations. All I really had during those grueling months was Chan, who in a sense, did hold my hand and walk me through cataloging in baby steps. After vomiting, I’d pull myself together and place Chan on my lap, only to be reassured that I wasn’t retarded, just a little slow.
This is an extremely comprehendible and concise book on both descriptive and subject cataloging that I expect to continue using for reference during the rest of my time in the MLIS program and possibly my career. It is helpful to have some familiarity with classification, the theory of hierarchies, MARC and how IR systems work before reading this book (I took a class called Introduction to Information Retrieval before I took cataloging). A valuable trick that I didn’t learn in class or from the book is that if you’re one of those rare MLIS students who works on a Mac, pressing shift/option/7 will make a delimiter symbol.
Being an online student is especially difficult because there’s a lack in the forms of human contact that I find to be an integral aide in the learning process. No warm fuzzy smiles from your teacher when you do something right, nobody to get trashed with at the bar after tests and no hand to hold while vomiting over irregular paginations. All I really had during those grueling months was Chan, who in a sense, did hold my hand and walk me through cataloging in baby steps. After vomiting, I’d pull myself together and place Chan on my lap, only to be reassured that I wasn’t retarded, just a little slow.
This is an extremely comprehendible and concise book on both descriptive and subject cataloging that I expect to continue using for reference during the rest of my time in the MLIS program and possibly my career. It is helpful to have some familiarity with classification, the theory of hierarchies, MARC and how IR systems work before reading this book (I took a class called Introduction to Information Retrieval before I took cataloging). A valuable trick that I didn’t learn in class or from the book is that if you’re one of those rare MLIS students who works on a Mac, pressing shift/option/7 will make a delimiter symbol.
December 19, 2007
This book is helping me navigate the world of bibliographic description, access, Library of Congress subject headings, AACR2, MARC fields and metadata schema. Catalogers unite!
Currently reading
October 3, 2008What I learned from this book: I do not want to be a cataloger...
May 17, 2013
I just finished taking the final for this class, and ...
...AM I GLAD THIS CLASS IS OVER. It was intense. Like, hide 'ya kids, hide 'ya wife, because cataloging and classification will crawl in your window, choke you out and then proceed to rape your mind, free time, and desire to read recreationally. INTENSE, I tell you, INTENSE. I'm writing this and I'm still not sure I survived unscathed.
This book is very thorough and mind-numbingly tedious - and, as such, fairly boring. I'm not criticizing Lois Mai Chan; from what I understand, she's a highly respected authority figure in the field of classification. I am, however, critiquing the book's exclusive focus on AACR2 - which has recently fallen out of focus in favor of RDA. The course had assigned this text yet focused exclusively on RDA - which was, of course, a frustration. I enjoyed learning MARC coding, and classification in general; however, it was a radically different way of thinking about things which took a lot of time studying, trying to wrap my mind around all the indicators, subfields and punctuation - let alone the super particular RDA rules. It was a lot to take in over the course of a semester. The text was a bit repetitive, but I'm not entirely sure how I would take steps to solve this given the subject matter. Thankfully, the class didn't have time to cover all of the book, so I've been honest and shelved this as "skimmed." I'll be keeping it on my reference shelf for future cataloging and classification needs. Who knows - I may just sign myself up for future abuse and take Advanced Cataloging and Classification next spring (when I've conveniently had a chance to forget about the horrors of this semester). I may just be up for it though - after next semester's "break" to deliver my October baby :)
...AM I GLAD THIS CLASS IS OVER. It was intense. Like, hide 'ya kids, hide 'ya wife, because cataloging and classification will crawl in your window, choke you out and then proceed to rape your mind, free time, and desire to read recreationally. INTENSE, I tell you, INTENSE. I'm writing this and I'm still not sure I survived unscathed.
This book is very thorough and mind-numbingly tedious - and, as such, fairly boring. I'm not criticizing Lois Mai Chan; from what I understand, she's a highly respected authority figure in the field of classification. I am, however, critiquing the book's exclusive focus on AACR2 - which has recently fallen out of focus in favor of RDA. The course had assigned this text yet focused exclusively on RDA - which was, of course, a frustration. I enjoyed learning MARC coding, and classification in general; however, it was a radically different way of thinking about things which took a lot of time studying, trying to wrap my mind around all the indicators, subfields and punctuation - let alone the super particular RDA rules. It was a lot to take in over the course of a semester. The text was a bit repetitive, but I'm not entirely sure how I would take steps to solve this given the subject matter. Thankfully, the class didn't have time to cover all of the book, so I've been honest and shelved this as "skimmed." I'll be keeping it on my reference shelf for future cataloging and classification needs. Who knows - I may just sign myself up for future abuse and take Advanced Cataloging and Classification next spring (when I've conveniently had a chance to forget about the horrors of this semester). I may just be up for it though - after next semester's "break" to deliver my October baby :)
April 16, 2010
While this textbook wasn't entirely dysfunctional and it covers an immense amount of ground in a relatively small space, I wouldn't really recommend it in any way. Frustratingly, Chan tends to assume at least some background knowledge of cataloging procedures as she goes about describing how things work, which makes it difficult for complete the uninitiated like myself to jump in and understand what's going on. For instance, in discussing how to construct a Dewey call number she repeatedly refers to the tables and schedules without first explaining what those are. Further, there's a lack of electronic cataloging resources; one would never know OCLC or Classification Web existed if this book were your sole resource. And my final complaint is that, for practical concerns, no one cares about the history behind cataloging; the ten or so pages spent discussing history and going through 21 editions of DDC is a waste of space better spent carefully explaining core concepts or walking someone step-by-step through a procedure.
This book basically cemented my belief that cataloging can't be self-taught; you need to watch someone go through the process, asking questions as they go along, to understand how to do it yourself.
textbook for LIS507A Cataloging and Classification I
This book basically cemented my belief that cataloging can't be self-taught; you need to watch someone go through the process, asking questions as they go along, to understand how to do it yourself.
textbook for LIS507A Cataloging and Classification I
August 18, 2011
I like cataloging and classification theory and this work helped fill in a lot of the gaps I had in my knowledge. However, the coverage, to me, seemed a little imbalanced: ranging from very in depth information in some areas with history, explanation of theory and examples to mere summaries in other areas. Overall a valuable but not irreplaceable contribution to the subject.
December 4, 2017
I was lucky to have Dr. Salaba, the co-author, as my Cataloguing professor this semester. Yes, the rules and standards are myriad, but it is so rewarding to look at a complete quality record, especially when you wrote yourself - from scratch. Cataloging seriously is an art, and no machine will ever replace the nuanced judgement of a skilled cataloger.
July 18, 2021
Seeking, Finding, and Viewing Knowledge - Wanting to better to understand how books are cataloged and classified, I “checked out” this title as it seemed to be a prominent reference for those involved with libraries and library science. While it provides extensive detail in line with its intended use, the book did provide me with what I was seeking----a more thorough comprehension of such things as what goes into Library of Congress (LC) and Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) assignment as well as their history and current status---the “ins and outs” of seeking, finding, and viewing knowledge.
As a whole, this massive book (784 pages) consists of 4 major parts: Part 1. Introduction. Information resource management, Part 2. Record production and structure, Part 3. Resource description and access, Part 4. Subject access and controlled vocabularies, and Part 5. Organization of library resources. Classification and categorization.
At the start of the text (pg. 4), Chan and Salaba indicate that “The primary focus of this book is the mechanisms the library sector of the information community has worked out for identifying—and thereby enabling others to find—the materials for which its sector is responsible.” At various points they offer context and definitions, e.g. (on pg. 23) “Early on, for library collections, elaborate . . . schemes were devised for shelf arrangement, with the aim of enabling easy browsing and retrieval. . .” and “. . . [a] library catalog is a kind of bibliographic file. . . [it] consists of a set of records that . . . provide data about the items in the collection or collections the catalog represents.” Then, there are clarifications along the way such as (on pg. 29) “Classification requires fitting the primary topic of a work to the provisions of whatever classification scheme is being used . . .” They also deal with such particulars as International Standard Serial Numbers (ISSN) International Standard Book Numbers (ISBN), and the LC Cataloging-in-Publication (CIP) program, begun in 1971 where publishers cooperate to assign and include classifications in newly issued titles. This edition also provides a detailed description of the way practices have changed as computers and information technology has increasingly come into play (see my reviews of Weinberger’s “Everything Is Miscellaneous: The Power of the New Digital Disorder” and Barabasi’s “Linked: How Everything Is Connected to Everything Else and What It Means for Business, Science, and Everyday Life”).
Among my favorite parts are those that deal with the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) and how it has evolved. As described by the authors (on pg. 595) “Today, . . . the DDC is the most widely used library classification system in the world. . . [and] was conceived as a classification of knowledge for the purpose of organizing a library. Melvil Dewey (1851–1931), the founder of the system named after him, was an assistant librarian at Amherst College when he developed the scheme.” They go on to explain the rather interesting background that “The division of the main classes was based on an earlier classification system (1870) devised by W. T. Harris, who, in turn, had based his scheme on an inverted order of Francis Bacon’s classification of knowledge. Bacon divides knowledge into three basic categories (history, poesy, and philosophy), corresponding to the three basic faculties of the human mind (memory, imagination, and reason).” The classifications of Bacon, Harris, and Dewey are compared in a helpful table (some such as de Sales and Pires, 2017 have also examined Harris influence by Hegel). The description further explicates (on pg. 604) that “In DDC, knowledge was initially divided into ten main classes that mirrored the recognized academic divisions of Dewey’s time: General works, Philosophy, Theology, Sociology (later Social sciences), Philology, Natural science, Useful arts, Fine arts, Literature, and History . . . over the last hundred years, the advancement of knowledge in different fields has varied considerably in both quantity and velocity, so that some classes, such as 100 Philosophy and 400 Language, have remained fairly remained fairly stable throughout successive editions while others, such as 500 Science and 600 Technology, have undergone tremendous development and expansion.”
Because groups such as the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) Dewey Services and the LC’s Policy and Standards Division, are conscientious about undertaking revisions and issuing updates these classifications continue to evolve and remain useful within their initial frameworks. As suggested above they also offer a treasure trove of data to help explore how we view our “process of knowing” as it continues to change (see my reviews of Freire’s “Pedagogy of Freedom” and Ngugi Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o’s “Globalectics: Theory and the Politics of Knowing”).
Though this extensive reference work can be a bit daunting, I can see how it remains a valuable resource for librarians and can be for those of us whose interests touch on their concerns.
As a whole, this massive book (784 pages) consists of 4 major parts: Part 1. Introduction. Information resource management, Part 2. Record production and structure, Part 3. Resource description and access, Part 4. Subject access and controlled vocabularies, and Part 5. Organization of library resources. Classification and categorization.
At the start of the text (pg. 4), Chan and Salaba indicate that “The primary focus of this book is the mechanisms the library sector of the information community has worked out for identifying—and thereby enabling others to find—the materials for which its sector is responsible.” At various points they offer context and definitions, e.g. (on pg. 23) “Early on, for library collections, elaborate . . . schemes were devised for shelf arrangement, with the aim of enabling easy browsing and retrieval. . .” and “. . . [a] library catalog is a kind of bibliographic file. . . [it] consists of a set of records that . . . provide data about the items in the collection or collections the catalog represents.” Then, there are clarifications along the way such as (on pg. 29) “Classification requires fitting the primary topic of a work to the provisions of whatever classification scheme is being used . . .” They also deal with such particulars as International Standard Serial Numbers (ISSN) International Standard Book Numbers (ISBN), and the LC Cataloging-in-Publication (CIP) program, begun in 1971 where publishers cooperate to assign and include classifications in newly issued titles. This edition also provides a detailed description of the way practices have changed as computers and information technology has increasingly come into play (see my reviews of Weinberger’s “Everything Is Miscellaneous: The Power of the New Digital Disorder” and Barabasi’s “Linked: How Everything Is Connected to Everything Else and What It Means for Business, Science, and Everyday Life”).
Among my favorite parts are those that deal with the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) and how it has evolved. As described by the authors (on pg. 595) “Today, . . . the DDC is the most widely used library classification system in the world. . . [and] was conceived as a classification of knowledge for the purpose of organizing a library. Melvil Dewey (1851–1931), the founder of the system named after him, was an assistant librarian at Amherst College when he developed the scheme.” They go on to explain the rather interesting background that “The division of the main classes was based on an earlier classification system (1870) devised by W. T. Harris, who, in turn, had based his scheme on an inverted order of Francis Bacon’s classification of knowledge. Bacon divides knowledge into three basic categories (history, poesy, and philosophy), corresponding to the three basic faculties of the human mind (memory, imagination, and reason).” The classifications of Bacon, Harris, and Dewey are compared in a helpful table (some such as de Sales and Pires, 2017 have also examined Harris influence by Hegel). The description further explicates (on pg. 604) that “In DDC, knowledge was initially divided into ten main classes that mirrored the recognized academic divisions of Dewey’s time: General works, Philosophy, Theology, Sociology (later Social sciences), Philology, Natural science, Useful arts, Fine arts, Literature, and History . . . over the last hundred years, the advancement of knowledge in different fields has varied considerably in both quantity and velocity, so that some classes, such as 100 Philosophy and 400 Language, have remained fairly remained fairly stable throughout successive editions while others, such as 500 Science and 600 Technology, have undergone tremendous development and expansion.”
Because groups such as the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) Dewey Services and the LC’s Policy and Standards Division, are conscientious about undertaking revisions and issuing updates these classifications continue to evolve and remain useful within their initial frameworks. As suggested above they also offer a treasure trove of data to help explore how we view our “process of knowing” as it continues to change (see my reviews of Freire’s “Pedagogy of Freedom” and Ngugi Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o’s “Globalectics: Theory and the Politics of Knowing”).
Though this extensive reference work can be a bit daunting, I can see how it remains a valuable resource for librarians and can be for those of us whose interests touch on their concerns.
March 7, 2024
HOW IS THIS SO RIDDLED WITH ERRORS
January 3, 2017
A handy guide for cataloging.
July 30, 2011
Maybe I gave this an unfairly low rating because the subject matter is boring. But while the book is jam-packed with useful information, it doesn't function well as a guide to cataloging. The information on MARC is given at the end when students will likely have been needing it all the way through, and the book is hard to browse when you're actually creating a record. And while I generally enjoy historicizing any subject, much of the historical material included here was frankly unnecessary. Some radical re-structuring would be good for the next edition, if there is one.
January 6, 2013
I have worked in libraries off and on for several years, and I am currently working on my Library Science Masters. I read this book (sort of) for a cataloging class I took this past semester. This topic is painful to read about in text. Most of the time, it felt like I was reading a foreign language. I'm sure due to the nature of the subject material, it really couldn't be written any differently, but my God, it was brutal.
April 15, 2013
Does contain lots of useful information, but it also contains quite a lot of outdated information. I remember the professor constantly correcting sections of the text and even coming across new updates elsewhere that were not mentioned. The sections on history are quite interesting. In spite of the book's failings, it may be worth purchasing if called for as it can be gotten pretty cheaply second hand. It does need an update and discussion of RDA.
February 15, 2014
This book contained far more information than I, as a non-professional part-time school librarian, wanted or needed to know. As a textbook, it was not bad, particularly the non-technical parts, history, background, etc. which were fairly interesting. However, the sheer mind-numbing detail of the subject matter convinced me that I can do a perfectly decent job of cataloging without understanding MARC formats or needing an MLIS degree. Thank God.
Want to read
November 28, 2012I have not read this book, but I am sure once I am done , I will be very happy that I don't have a job at the Library if Congress! Cataloging is very difficult and subjective. Thankfully, for most purposes, a public school librarian will never have to catalog a book in this manner - thank you to those that have already done it for us!!!!
April 2, 2015
Pretty great overview, though now that we're moving into RDA, there's a little less relevancy for part of the content here. Chan's pretty great at explaining a lot of the abstract concepts of the cataloging world--as well as can be explained at least--but I did notice a few wholes in her chapters about DDC and LC (and Cutter number) classification.
May 16, 2016
Obviously I didn't read this book cover to cover, but it is a great reference tool and I am glad this new edition is updated to reflect RDA--the new cataloging code. With such a complicated and at times dry subject matter, the examples provided are extremely helpful to illustrate rules and all of the crazy idiosyncrasies that cataloging involves.
December 15, 2008
It's official, school is back in session - I don't want anyone getting jealous that I get to spend my days reading about the Dewey Decimal system. But I will share that sometimes, when we want to get really crazy, we break out Library of Congress...
May 14, 2009
If you are looking this book up then you are probably required to read it for a class, in which case it doesn't really matter how good it is since you still have to read it. My best advice is to practice the art of skimming before your semester begins.
April 10, 2011
The only reason I gave this two stars is mainly due to the sad truth that reading about cataloging is fairly tedious. However, it did help with my overall understanding of the subject, which is more vast and complicated than I ever imagined.
January 8, 2016
It was a bit difficult to follow at times due to the extensive examples, but it's a perfectly fine introduction to the subject for now. Unfortunately it's going to become outdated very soon due to impending advancement in the field.
October 5, 2015
This was a required text for my Cataloging & Classification class, and honestly I gave up on it about a month into the semester. The book was dry and couldn't hold my attention. I assume a cataloging enthusiast would enjoy it, but that isn't me.
December 17, 2015
LIS 655
This book: 257pages (of 580)
Chapters 1-3, 7-8, 12-14, 16
Other book: 72 pages (of 117)
Chapters 1-5
Required readings: 86 pages
Class content: 498 pages
Course Total: 913 pages
This book: 257pages (of 580)
Chapters 1-3, 7-8, 12-14, 16
Other book: 72 pages (of 117)
Chapters 1-5
Required readings: 86 pages
Class content: 498 pages
Course Total: 913 pages
March 22, 2022
I have never been so disinterested in a class before. The textbook is fine. It gives you all the information necessary in a digestible manner. The problem is learning to catalog from a book is like learning to deign a website without a computer.
December 15, 2008
A pretty good overall resource of what cataloging actually entails. Goes into the bibliographic record, subject analysis, and classification schemes.
Read
May 4, 2009So far so good. Reading it for class.
Read
December 9, 2014I know...thrilling....
July 6, 2009
Hmmmm, very interesting. . .
August 2, 2009
For a textbook, not so bad and I have read (or chose not to read) some really bad ones.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews