FIND IT! USING LIBRARY CATALOGING CONCEPTS TO ORGANIZE AND MAKE RECORDS FINDABLE DIONNE L. MACK, INTERIM DIRECTOR OF QUALITY OF LIFE DEPARTMENTS

INTRODUCTIONS

THE CONNECTION “Information which is not communicated is valueless, and information that cannot be found is similarly worthless.”

LIBRARIES PROVIDE RESOURCES AND SERVICES IN A VARIETY OF MEDIA TO MEET THE NEEDS OF INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS FOR EDUCATION, INFORMATION AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT. IT IS A BASIC HUMAN RIGHT TO BE ABLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO AND AN UNDERSTANDING OF INFORMATION, AND THERE IS NOW MORE INFORMATION AVAILABLE THAN EVER BEFORE IN THE WORLD’S HISTORY.

RECORDS MANAGEMENT STATUATORY OBLIGATION THAT ENSURES GOVERNMENT CAN: PROVIDE ITS SERVICES PRESENT EVIDENCE PROVIDE HISTORICAL DOCUMENTATION PRESERVE ITS HERITAGE ALLOW ITS ACTIONS TO BE REVIEWED AND AUDITED

ORGANIZATION OF KNOWLEDGE LIBRARIES ORGANIZE KNOWLEDGE. THEORETICAL APPROACHES AND THE TOOLS DEVELOPED BY LIBRARIANS REMAIN VERY IMPORTANT FOR ANY ATTEMPT AT ORGANIZING KNOWLEDGE BY COMPUTER.

APPROACHING KNOWLEDGE THERE ARE THINGS WE WANT TO KNOW ABOUT. THESE ARE CALLED SUBJECTS. AND THERE ARE WAYS OF LOOKING AT THINGS. WE CAN CALL THESE “DISCIPLINES”. EXAMPLE: SUBJECT: SEX WAY OF LOOKING AT IT: THROUGH BIOLOGY, OR GENDER STUDIES.

CLASSIFICATION IT IS THE ACT OF ORGANIZING THE UNIVERSE OF KNOWLEDGE INTO SOME SYSTEMATIC ORDER. CLASSIFICATION PROVIDES A DESCRIPTIVE AND EXPLANATORY FRAMEWORK FOR IDEAS AND A STRUCTURE OF THE RELATIONSHIP AMONG THE IDEAS. EXAMPLE: SCIENCE > CHEMISTRY > ORGANIC CHEMISTRY

CLASSIFICATION SCHEMES GENERALLY SCHEMES TO CLASSIFY SUBJECTS ARE DISCIPLINE ORIENTED, RATHER THAN SUBJECT ORIENTED. EXAMPLE SPORTS > RACING > HORSE RACING SCIENCE > BIOLOGY > ZOOLOGY > HORSES > HORSE RACING THE SAME THING CAN BE VIEWED FROM DIFFERENT DISCIPLINES.

USE OF CLASSIFICATION SCHEMES AS A WAY TO ARRANGE ITEMS IN A LIBRARY. THINGS WITH SAME CLASSIFICATION ARE NEXT TO EACH OTHER. THIS ENCOURAGES THE USER TO DISCOVER SIMILAR ITEMS. ONCE A SYSTEM IS CHOSEN, A LIBRARY STICKS WITH IT. THERE ARE TWO COMMON ONES: DEWEY DECIMAL CLASSIFICATION LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CLASSIFICATION

WHY DO WE USE LIBRARY DATA IN LIBRARY RECORDS? Library Data Help Others Accountability Make Decisions Find Information

ORGANIZE IT! INFORMATION RESOURCES ARE USELESS WHEN ACCESS IS NOT PROVIDED. CATALOGING IS AN ESSENTIAL PROCESS THAT PROVIDES ACCESS TO ALL ACQUIRED INFORMATION RESOURCES OF THE LIBRARY. EL PASO PUBLIC LIBRARY USES THE ANGLO-AMERICAN CATALOGUING RULES (AACR) INCLUDED IN A NATIONAL CATALOGING CODE, FIRST PUBLISHED IN 1967

CATALOGING CONCEPTS CATALOGING ATTEMPTS TO ORGANIZE MATERIALS & INFORMATION IN A LOGICAL AND CONSISTENT WAY TO FACILITATE EASE OF ACCESS. CATALOGING IS SOMETIMES REFERRED TO IN TERMS OF “ABOUTNESS”.

CATALOGING CONCEPTS METADATA IS OFTEN DEFINED AS “DATA ABOUT DATA”. WHO CREATED THE RECORD, WHEN, WHY AND FOR WHAT PURPOSE? HOW IT RELATES TO OTHER RECORDS. ACCESS POINT IS A NAME (PERSON OR CORPORATE BODY), SUBJECT TERM, TITLE, CALL NUMBER, CONTROL NUMBER, ETC., UNDER WHICH A BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD MAY BE SEARCHED AND IDENTIFIED.

ACCESS POINTS The Library creates a record that has access points for users to find Library materials.

Basic information: Title Author Additional Information: Physical description Subject terms AR Book Levels Language Location information: Library Material Type Call Number Collection

LIBRARY CATALOG RECORDS LIBRARY CATALOG RECORDS CREATE ACCESS POINTS TO HELP THE PUBLIC FIND WHAT THEY’RE LOOKING FOR CONTROLLED VOCABULARIES KEEP IT CONSISTENT AND EASY TO USE

WHAT IS A CONTROLLED VOCABULARY? A CONTROLLED VOCABULARY IS CREATED USING SEARCH TERMS OR “ACCESS POINTS” BASED ON YOUR COLLECTION THIS VOCABULARY WILL BE THE ONLY ONE USED TO DESCRIBE YOUR CONTENT, CREATING A CONSISTENT, EASILY SEARCHABLE DATABASE OF INFORMATION

CONTROLLED VOCABULARY MANY WORDS CAN BE USED TO DESCRIBE THE SAME THING US, U.S., UNITED STATES OF AMERICA SODA, SOFT DRINK, POP, SODA POP ONE APPROACH TO DEAL WITH THIS PROBLEM IS TO USE ONLY ONE TERM, CONSISTENTLY. EXAMPLE: THE YELLOW PAGES PROVIDE A CONSISTENT VOCABULARY FOR ALL PROFESSIONS.

GETTING ORGANIZED

CONTENT IDENTIFICATION IT’S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO ENSURE YOUR INTERNAL CUSTOMERS AND THE PUBLIC CAN ACCESS YOUR ARCHIVAL DOCUMENTS TO CONSISTENTLY IMPOSE CONTROL ON AND RETRIEVE INFORMATION: THINK LOGICALLY UNDERSTAND THE WAY INFORMATION IS ORGANIZED FOR RETRIEVAL

CONTROLLED VOCABULARY IN CITY GOVERNMENT FOR GOVERNMENT RECORDS, A CONTROLLED VOCABULARY SHOULD INCLUDE ACCESS POINTS THAT REFLECT THE COLLECTION FOR EXAMPLE, FOR CITY COUNCIL MINUTES, THE CONTROLLED VOCABULARY SHOULD INCLUDE TERMS TO REFLECT TYPES OF MEETINGS, DATES, PARTICIPANTS, AGENDAS, ETC.

ACCESS IS VITAL THINK ABOUT ALL THE WAYS PEOPLE MIGHT ASK FOR SOMETHING AND USE THAT AS A WAY TO BUILD YOUR CONTROLLED VOCABULARY. IDEALLY EVERY ITEM SHOULD HAVE SEVERAL POINTS OF ACCESS.

CONCLUSION EVERY SOLID RECORDS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM IS BUILT ON TWO CRUCIAL COMPONENTS: A FUNCTIONAL CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM AND A RECORDS RETENTION SCHEDULE TECHNOLOGY WILL BE THE DRIVER FOR ALL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS MANAGEMENT IN THE FUTURE, THE PUBLIC WILL EXPECT AS MUCH ACCESS AS POSSIBLE.

THANK YOU!