CCA Library Log

Definition for cataloguing - assigning the right descriptive words (subjects) and shelf addresses (dewey numbers) to books and storing this information in computer so folks can easily find what they are looking for.

Most of the cataloguing has been done for us by the Library of Congress(LOC) - we just go in and copy their work...this is called copy cataloging. But for some items that the LOC hasn't gotten to or never will have (like some esoteric Christian materials) - we need to do the original cataloging.

There are lots of rules for this... so many that there are people who make their entire career out of cataloguing just one area of knowledge - like zoology. But in our library we simplify as much as possible - bending some rules along the way (but don't tell the Library of Congress...)

This book is an example of making the job easier for our parent volunteers. It consolidates the professional shelf of many very thick cataloguing volumes into a single inch book.

Its benefits:

1. it is in print; we can easily order multiple copies
2. it combines the subject with the dewey number (this pairing is hard to find...); makes it possible to only lookup one item instead of two
3. it has almost 3 times the subject headings as the last tool we were using
4. it contains many, many more Christian subject headings that the church library resource we had been using

The title of the book is People, Places & Things: A list of popular library of congress subject headings with Dewey Numbers. It costs $50. Click here to order it.

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