Subject Cataloger's Electronic Resources Toolkit

This document was prepared for use in conjunction with training sessions offered in 2001 for Library of Congress subject catalogers working with electronic resources.

Subject Cataloging Tools and Documentation

Cataloger's Desktop (Version 4.2 on your desktop updated quarterly)
Use to access LCSH, LCC and subject cataloging memos for electronic resources which are in:

ClassPlus includes:
LC Subject Headings
LC Classification Schedules (can limit searches down to subclasses which would reflect your cataloging work assignment)

Library of Congress Subject Headings : Tools and Documentation

Use Cataloger's Desktop/ClassPlus to access LCSH and subject policy memos, and other cataloging aids.
Use Classification Web to access LCSH and LCC/LCSH subject correlations on the Web.
Version 2.3 which includes subject headings was made available to LC staff 2/01. Go to
http://lcconline.info/
Public access to Classification Web is available through the Library of Congress Cataloging Distribution Service.

Weekly List of New Subject Headings
http://www.loc.gov/staff/catdir/cpso/ Under "Subject Cataloging Information."

Authority Records for Subdivisions (examples of form, topical and chronological subdivisions) http://www.loc.gov/catdir/cpso/subdauth.html

Form/Genre Implementation Policy at LC
http://www.loc.gov/catdir/cpso/formgenr.html

MARC Standards

MARC Bibliographic Standards
LC staff use: http://www.loc.gov/staff/marc/bibliographic/ecbdlocl.html
Public access: http://www.loc.gov/marc/bibliographic/ecbdhome.html

MARC Subject Authority Standards
LC staff use: http://www.loc.gov/staff/marc/authority/ecadlocl.html
Public access: http://www.loc.gov/marc/authority/ecadhome.html

MARC Document Type Definitions SGML
http://www.loc.gov/marc/marcdtd/marcdtdback.html

MARC SGML Conversion
http://www.loc.gov/marc/marcsgml.html

MARC-XML Conversion
Extensible Markup Language and MARC Conversion
XML is the next generation markup language which LC staff began using in 2001.
http://www.loc.gov/marc/marcsgml.html

MARC to XML to MARC Converter (Provided free by commercial vendor)
This tool allows you to see how the conversions work:
(Not located on the publisher's web site as viewed December 2003.)
http://www.logos.com/marc/default.asp

Metadata Documentation for Subject Catalogers

Metadata Authority Description Schema (MADS),
An XML schema for an authority element set which is used for subject metadata
http://www.loc.gov/standards/mads/

For a more complete listing of non-LC metadata schemas see:
Metadata standards and organizations (North Carolina State University Libraries)
http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/cataloging/metadata/metadataStandards.html

Dublin Core Metadata Elements
http://purl.org/dc/documents/rec-dces-19990702.htm

Subject catalogers should pay specific attention to the Subject Element which reads as follows:
Name:Subject and Keywords
Identifier: Subject
Definition: The topic of the content of the resource.
Comment: Typically, a Subject will be expressed as keywords, key phrases or classification codes
   that describe a topic of the resource.
Recommended best practice is to select a value from a controlled vocabulary or formal classification scheme.

Subject catalogers should also pay specific attention to the Type Element
which is mapped to MARC field 655 by the LC Network Development and MARC Standards Office.
LC practice is currently to use the form/genre subdivision in MARC 6xx subfield "v" for most cataloging.
See Form/genre Implementation Policy at LC.
The Type Element reads as follows:
Name:Resource Type
Identifier:Type
Definition:The nature or genre of the content of the resource.
Comment:Type includes terms describing general categories, functions,genres, or aggregation levels for content. Recommended best practice is to select a value from a controlled vocabulary (for example, the working draft list of Dublin Core Types [DCT1]). To describe the physical or digital manifestation of the resource, use the FORMAT element.

"The Dublin Core is intended to be usable by non-catalogers as well as by those with experience with formal resource description models."
(The Dublin Core: A Simple Content Description Model for Electronic Resources: Metadata for Electronic Resources 1999)

The Dublin Core Metadata Element Set was approved as ANSI standard Z39.85-2001.
Use this number to search for the free downloadable PDF file of the ANSI standard at TechStreet.com

Dublin Core to MARC 21 mapping of elements
http://www.loc.gov/marc/dccross.html

MARC 21 to Dublin Core mapping of elements
http://www.loc.gov/marc/marc2dc.html

Connexion Resource Catalog
(formerly CORC: the Cooperative Online Resource Catalog)

Cataloging interface from OCLC.
The CORC interface from which it was developed was used to catalog electronic resources, providing an optimized metadata creation service for electronic resources as well as an an integrated view of those resources with other bibliographic records in WorldCat (the OCLC Online Union Catalog)

Connexion provides integrated cataloging tools, using a browser interface for many functions now found in OCLC's various cataloging services, including the former CORC service, CatExpress service, CatME, Passport, and Dewey services.

Read about Connexion at:
http://www.oclc.org/connexion

LC uses Connexion for cataloging electronic resources. (Some LC reference librarians are using Connexion to create pathfinders, particularly for the Area Studies Portals to the World Project. Subject catalogers currently use Voyager and Serial catalogers use CONSER to catalog serial electronic resources).
http://connexion.oclc.org Login and password needed

To learn more about how to edit MARC records in Connexion see the Connexion training pages:
http://www.oclc.org/connexion/support/training/

Searching Tools

Use OCLC WorldCat to search completed cataloging of electronic resources.
CORC cataloging is included daily.
LC staff can search WorldCat by going to "New FirstSearch" in the list of electronic resources and choosing the WorldCat database. Limit the search with "Document type"=Computer files.
Also use "New FirstSearch" and other databases at this same location to do research for subject heading and form/genre proposals.

Use this Web site to help you find more good "DeepWeb" sources for subject heading or form/genre proposals
http://www.freepint.com/gary/direct.htm Choose one of the "direct search categories."

Library of Congress Classification Tools and Documentation

Use Cataloger's Desktop/ClassPlus to access LCC schedules updated quarterly or
Use Classification Web to access LC classification schedules on the Web.

LC staff access:
http://minaret.loc.gov/class
Version 2.3 is realtime and was made available to LC staff 2/01.
Use login and password for Minaret
Please note that CPSO has never mandated which tool LC catalogers must use. You may use the one you prefer.
If you are not registered to use any Minaret software please contact Jackie Radebaugh, jrad@loc.gov

Public access to Classification Web is available through the Library of Congress Cataloging Distribution Service.
All of the online LC classification schedules have now been fully proofed and corrected. The public version is updated weekly.

Library of Congress Classification schedules policy
http://www.loc.gov/catdir/cpso/cpso.html#class

Subject Cataloging Skills Used on the Web

Learn how your skills as a subject cataloger/classifier/librarian can be utilized on the Web.
View "Taxonomy and Knowledge Organization", a PowerPoint slide presentation which was given to members of the Federal Library and Information Center Committee (FLICC) and read the script (a WordPerfect file).

This presentation deals with:
The impact of the Web on information retrieval
Librarians work in dot coms and cooperative cataloging
Web-based traditional cataloging tools
Importance of controlled vocabulary on the Web
Metathesauri and subject correlations
Mapping of standard and specialized information systems

One of the handouts for this presentation was a list of Resources for Taxonomy Creation and Content Management.

Glossaries and Dictionaries for Internet or Electronic Resources Terminology

Free On-Line Dictionary of Computing
http://foldoc.doc.ic.ac.uk/foldoc/index.html

Glossary of Cataloging Terms
http://libraries.ou.edu/cms/default.aspx?id=41