Essay

        We organized our collection by material types rather than description areas. Organizing by material allows us to keep our collection together and not make potentially misleading decisions about whether a material falls under a specific description area. This is especially important since many materials within space law deal with different areas from space law to space exploration. Several issues of cataloging are very important for proper identification of materials, including subject representation, identifier for the manifestation, media/carrier/content type, and not being able to find all the information relevant for your user group. Subject representation is the most important issue in cataloging because it allows catalogers to accurately and authoritatively describe the contents of materials. For our catalog’s subject headings, we used the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) since we believe that the research community will find those subject headings to be most useful instead of using subject headings from other authoritative subject heading databases, such as ERIC. Identifiers for the manifestation, which includes International Standard Book Numbers (ISBNs), International Standard Serial Numbers (ISSNs), and Universal Product Codes (UPCs), allow users to easily locate materials both within and outside of the library since libraries and stores use ISBNs, ISSNs, and UPCs; only libraries use call numbers library classification systems (some libraries use LCC while others use DDC), so identification by call number is not as useful to a patron as standardized identifiers. Even so, call numbers still play an important organizational role in the library, but inexperienced library users find call numbers more confusing than ISBNs, ISSNs, and UPCs since only libraries use call numbers and the LCC and DCC classification systems. Furthermore, standardized identifiers help users find correct editions of items since each edition receives its own standardized identifier. 

        Additionally, media type, carrier type, and content type are important issues to consider in cataloging to ensure that those fields are cataloged correctly since users should easily know the format of the item. Media type can be defined as “the general type of intermediation device required to view, play, run, etc., the content of a resource.”1 Media type includes whether it is a sound recording, a video, or an unmediated document.2 Carrier type is defined as “the format of the storage medium and housing of a carrier in combination with the media type.”3 In other words, it is the physical form of material. Lastly, content type is “[t]he form of communication through which a work is expressed.”4 This is how one receives the work. Without these three things in the catalog record, catalogers would not be able to indicate the format of the material, which would then render the library catalog mostly useless since users might be able to find materials through their call numbers, but would not know the format of the materials. Format is very important to users since users would like to know whether they need specific equipment to be able to access the manifestation (e.g., an e-book, a DVD, a VHS tape, or microform). 

        Furthermore, incomplete catalog records can occur if catalogers are not able to find all information that is useful for their user groups. Certain characteristics of the manifestation might not be readily available to library staff. Even if library staff copy catalog, some crucial details for their library’s specialized users of the collection might not exist in the copy catalog. Some of this information might exist, but the library must weigh whether it is a good use of time and resources to track down the information. Sometimes for information that is essential for that user group, it is worth tracking down the information; other times, time and resources are best-used cataloging other manifestations. 

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References:

1. Library of Congress, “MARC 21 Format for Bibliographic Data: 337: Media Type,” MARC 21 Format for Bibliographic Data, Library of Congress, Accessed November 17, 2019, https://www.loc.gov/marc/bibliographic/bd337.html.

2. Library of Congress, “Term and Code List for RDA Media Types,” Value Lists for Codes and Controlled Vocabularies, Library of Congress, Accessed November 17, 2019, https://www.loc.gov/standards/valuelist/rdamedia.html. 

3. Library of Congress, “MARC 21 Format for Bibliographic Data: 338: Carrier Type,” MARC 21 Format for Bibliographic Data, Library of Congress, Accessed November 17, 2019, https://www.loc.gov/marc/bibliographic/bd338.html. 

4. Library of Congress, “MARC 21 Format for Bibliographic Data: 336: Content Type,” MARC 21 Format for Bibliographic Data, Library of Congress, Accessed November 17, 2019, https://www.loc.gov/marc/bibliographic/bd336.html.

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