EDITORIAL By Ruth C. Carter
What is a Work?: Part 4, Cataloging Theorists and a
Definition Abstract. By Martha M. Yee
ABSTRACT. Definitions of work are extrapolated from the
writings of cataloging theorists. A number of criteria used to
define the concept of work are identified including criteria of
creativity and/or single personal authorship, context, text or
symbol strings, medium, identity and representation, and
interchangeability, as well as the concept of work as product.
The functions to be carried out by the ideal definition of work
are listed. A definition is proposed.
Anglo-American Cataloging Rules in the Online Environment:
a Literature Review. By Rahmatollah Fattahi
ABSTRACT. As a standard set of rules, AACR2 has received much
attention in the literature of descriptive cataloging. Despite
this extensive literature, an important aspect of the code-- its
relevance to the online environment-- has not received much
attention, particularly in terms of empirical research. There is,
however, a general criticism that AACR2, being based on manual
systems, does not correspond effectively to the online
environment. While advent of online catalogues has changed both
the internal structure and the external appearance of library
catalogues, a majority of writers consider that radical changes
in the code are impossible and undesirable in the near future,
owing to various factors, such as the incompatibilities of the
MARC format to radical change, and the large size of existing
catalogues created according to the current rules.
Improvisations in Cataloging of Theses and Dissertations. By
Zahiruddin Khurshid
ABSTRACT. The existing subject heading lists and classification
schemes are inadequate in dealing with narrow and current
subjects of theses and dissertations. As a result, libraries find
it both costly and time consuming to perform original and full
cataloging of theses and dissertations. Many libraries have been
forced to improvise on descriptive and subject cataloging to
reduce processing cost. This article describes the improvisations
of the KFUPM Library in cataloging local and foreign theses and
dissertations.
Subject Access to Individual Works of Fiction:
Participating in the OCLC/LC Fiction Project. By Nancy
Down
ABSTRACT. This paper describes the OCLC/LC Fiction Project
from the point of view of a cataloger participating in it. The
four types of access to individual works of fiction are
discussed-- form/genre, character(s), geographical setting, and
topical. Issues involved in applying these headings to works
(such as genre definitions, the nature of fiction,
intertextuality, and the cataloger's subjectivity) are also
considered in regard to the Project.
Dates in Added Entries: An Analysis of an Autocat
Discussion By David N. Nelson and Jonathan C. Marner
ABSTRACT. One of the purposes of the AUTOCAT listserv is to
foster and promote discussions of cataloging problems and issues.
In this article the authors summarize and comment on a discussion
of twenty-four messages that dealt with the practice of adding
dates to analytical added entries per RI 21.30M. The purpose of
this article is to show that AUTOCAT discussions serve a very
valuable role in presenting and articulating cataloging problems
and solutions, and that having demonstrated the worthiness of
AUTOCAT as a means of problem solving, a mechanism is proposed to
formulate issues that arise and send them to appropriate bodies
for resolution.
The Catalogers Workstation and the Continuing
Transformation of Cataloging: Part II. By Jeffrey Beall
ABSTRACT. While part I of this essay focused on the history,
development, and conceptual foundations of the cataloger's
workstation, part II will look at the technical details in its
configuration. Minimum hardware specifications are given, and the
ensemble of software running under Microsoft Windows is
described. This includes the LAN, the Internet and the use of
Trumpet 'Winsock' compliant software, electronic documentation
(including a description of the Library of Congress's Cataloger's
Desktop), and the use of e-mail clients. The essay hopes to
demonstrate that the highly-integrated nature of this software
running under Windows will lead to a significant enhancement of
computing resources in cataloging departments.
How Green is Your Catalog?: Access to Environmental
Information. By Maria Anna Jankowska and Greta de Groat
ABSTRACT. Finding needed environmental information by the
library users creates some difficulties. This paper evaluates
Library of Congress subject headings related to a broad range of
environmental topics. The evaluation is limited to entries found
in the subject file of the WLN database. The article also
presents recommendations and solutions to improve access to
"green information."
BOOK REVIEWS
Classification Workbook for Small Libraries: Using the Abridged Dewey Decimal Classification (Edition 12). By Sydney W. Davis. Reviewed by Alan R. Thomas
Technical Processing & Documentation Forum Series. Edited and published by Technical Processing Research Group (Japan). Reviewed by Sachii Noguchi
