Cataloger's Desktop Help

Preferences

Cataloger's Desktop Preferences control how the service works for you. It allowed you to access your chosen cataloging resources, as well as how storing your preferred interface language.

When you log into Cataloger's Desktop, you are prompted to enter your email address/User name as a "user name" and a password so that you can set up how Desktop will work for you. The following will guide you through the process of setting up or changing your preferences. If you have not logged into Desktop previously, you should consult the Login help.

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How to set up Preferences

1. Once you've logged in, click Preferences on the ribbon
2. Select the General preferences page. Make your general preferences choices and select the Apply button General preferences  Apply button
3. Repeat for remaining preferences pages. Select the Apply button at the bottom of each page Apply button
4. When you are finished making your Preferences selections, click the X in the upper right corner of the Manage preferences box Click to close

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What are Core resources?

Many Cataloger's Desktop subscribers prefer to use only the most widely used cataloging resources. Library of Congress staff surveyed Desktop subscribers and identified which resources are used most frequently. When you set the Search box or the Browse Contents view to display Core resources you will be consulting the following resources: Resource pull-down
  • AACR2: Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules
  • ALA-LC romanization tables
  • BIBCO Participants' Manual
  • Classification Web
  • CONSER Cataloging Manual (CCM)
  • CONSER editing guide
  • CSM: Classification and Shelflisting Manual
  • DCM: Descriptive Cataloging Manual
  • DDC: WebDewey (OCLC)
  • LC Authorities
  • LC Cutter table
  • LC Online Catalog
  • LC-PCC PS
  • LCC: LC Classification
  • LCRI: LC Rule Interpretations
  • LCSH: LC Subject Headings
  • MARC 21 Format for Authority Data
  • MARC 21 Format for Bibliographic Data
  • MARC Code List for Countries
  • MARC Code List for Geographic Areas
  • MARC Code List for Languages
  • MARC Code List for Relators, Sources, Description Conventions
  • NACO Participants' Manual
  • RDA: Resource Description & Access
  • SACO Participants' Manual
  • SHM: Subject Headings Manual
You can change the resources you consult when searching or browsing resources at any time by changing the Resources pull-down box next to the Search button. If you wish to change the resources that you search or browse by default, select Preferences on the ribbon and change the default resource set in Preferences. Change default search set

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What are My resources?

Setting Cataloger's Desktop Preferences allows subscribers to establish which resources they prefer to consult routinely. If you prefer to define a collection of resources that you consult routinely, define your work profile in Preferences and then select My resources as your default search and browse collection. If you prefer to use a pre-defined set of the 25 most popular resources, select Core resources in Preferences. Change default search set
You can change this search and browse collection to either Core resources or All resources at any time by selecting the pull-down box next to the Search box. When you change the search and browse collection by changing the pull-down box next to the Search box, this change only persists for your current work session. It will return to your default search and browse collection the next time you open Cataloger's Desktop. Resource pull-down

How to Use Classification Web

Checkmark You must subscribe to Classification Web LC-external website if you wish to access Class Web from within Desktop.
1. Once you've logged in, click Preferences on the ribbon
2. Select the Classification Web preferences page Classification Web preferences
3. Enter your Classification Web Account name in the appropriate box Classification Web Account Name
4. Select the radio button next to your choice of whether you want Class Web to display within or outside of Cataloger's Desktop
5. Make your changes and select Apply button

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How to use RDA

Checkmark You must subscribe to RDA Toolkit LC-external website if you wish to access RDA from within Desktop.
1. Once you've logged in, click Preferences on the ribbon
2. Select the RDA preferences page RDA preferences
3. Enter your RDA Toolkit Username and RDA Password in the appropriate boxes RDA Username & Password
4. Select the radio button next to your choice of whether you want RDA to display within or outside of Cataloger's Desktop NOTE: Some libraries' computer security suppresses third-party cookies. (This is the case at the Library of Congress.) If third-party cookies are suppressed, you will see the following when trying to display RDA within Cataloger's Desktop:

RDA login

If you see the dialog box above when trying to display RDA, follow the Processing RDA Toolkit Cookies instructions.
5. Make your changes and select Apply button

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Adding RDA to Contents

If you wish to routinely consult RDA, you should add it to your list of preferred resources.
Steps:
  1. Once you've logged in, click Preferences on the ribbon
  2. Select the Table of Contents preferences page
  3. Scroll down to RDA: Resource Description and Access and click the checkbox next to RDA. Now select Apply.
    RDA preferences
  4. Click Contents on the ribbon. The Contents view will refresh with RDA.
You should now be able to use RDA within your Cataloger's Desktop session.

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Processing RDA Toolkit cookies

If you followed the instructions above and nevertheless received an extraneous RDA Toolkit login request, follow either Procedure A (for Firefox) or Procedure B (for Internet Explorer).

Procedure A (for Firefox)
  1. Select the Tools pull-down menu and choose Options.
  2. Across the top of the Options dialog box are a number of categories: General – Tabs – Content – etc. Select Privacy.
  3. Under History is a pulldown-box that is captioned: Firefox wwill and gives you the following choices: Remember history; Never remember history; Use custom settings for history.
  4. Select Use custom settings for history in the pulldown-box
  5. This will open a number of choices below the pulldown-box. To the right of the text Accept cookies from sites (which is greyed out on LC computers), click the Exceptions... button
  6. Type the following into Address of website: access.rdatoolkit.org
    RDA Firefox cookie
  7. Click the Allow button immediately below the Address of the web site: box. Now click Close.
  8. Click the OK button on the Options dialog box.
You should now be able to use RDA within your Cataloger's Desktop session.
Procedure B (for Internet Explorer)
  1. Select the Tools pull-down menu and choose Internet Options.
  2. Across the top of the Internet Options dialog box are a number of categories: General – Security – Privacy – etc. Select Privacy.
  3. Click the Sites button in the middle of the dialog box.
  4. Type the following into Address of website: http://access.rdatoolkit.org
    RDA IE cookie
  5. Click the Allow button to the right of the Address of the website: box. Now click OK.
  6. Click the OK button on the Internet Options dialog box.
You should now be able to use RDA within your Cataloger's Desktop session.

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RDA FAQs

Checkmark You must subscribe to RDA Toolkit LC-external website if you wish to access AACR2 from within Desktop. Once you have a subscription to RDA Toolkit, follow the directions in Getting started with RDA Toolkit in Cataloger's Desktop.
Checkmark If your library has IP recognition access to RDA Toolkit, supply the following values in your Cataloger's Desktop General Preferences:
RDA Username: ip
RDA Password: [blank] (i.e., leave this box blank)
Click here for instructions in how to input this information.
Checkmark If you input your RDA Username and RDA Password in Cataloger's Desktop Preferences, but are asked to log in again when you try to view RDA, you are experiencing a known RDA bug. Some web browsers (including all web browsers as LC) prevent opening RDA from within Cataloger's Desktop. The developers of RDA plan to address this bug. In the meantime, follow the procedure outlined in Getting started with RDA Toolkit in Cataloger's Desktop to resolve this. RDA login
Checkmark To access RDA outside Cataloger's Desktop, do the following:
  1. Select Preferences on the right side of the blue menu ribbon.
  2. The Manage preferences dialog will open. Click RDA preferences.
  3. Select the radio button to the right of Open RDA in a new browser window and then click the Apply button below it.
  4. Click the X button in the upper right corner of the Manage preferences dialog.
 RDA preferences
Checkmark If you set up your RDA access within Cataloger's Desktop so that it opens within Desktop, but when you select a section of RDA and it does not display (i.e., the document pane is blank), the browser is preventing RDA from displaying. This is caused by a security mismatch between Desktop (which has a secure login) and RDA Toolkit (which does not.) If you experience this problem, follow the directions found here.
Checkmark It is possible to search RDA and LC-PCC PS by using AACR2 rule numbers. Simply type the AACR2 rule number into the searchbox and enclose it in quotation marks (e.g. "1.1B1") and then click the Search button next to it. To limit the search to just RDA or LC-PCC PS, select the checkbox in the Browse Contents view next to the resource(s) you wish to search before clicking the Search button.
Q: I know the AACR2 rule number and want to find related rules in RDA. Can I do that?
A: Yes. Just type the AACR2 rule number into the searchbox, enclose it in quotes (e.g., "1.1B1") and then click the Find button. All of the related RDA instructions will be retrieved. You may want to limit the search by selecting the checkbox next to RDA and/or LC-PCC PS.

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Classification Web FAQs

Checkmark You must subscribe to Classification Web LC-external website if you wish to access Class Web from within Desktop.
Q: I subscribe to Class Web and have set my Preferences to display it within Cataloger's Desktop. When I click one of the Class Web links I instead get a page that talks about cookies. Is there some way to fix that?
A: Yes. This situation occurs with some subscriber's FireFox (FF) browser. Do the following to resolve it:
  1. Go to Option > Privacy tab > Click the Remember History drop-down > Select Use custom settings for History
  2. On the right hand side of the dialog box, select Exceptions…
  3. In the dialog box that pops open, type classificationweb.net and select Allow
  4. In the previous Privacy tab screen, ensure that the Clear history when Firefox closes box is unchecked.
Q: When I search Classification Web within Desktop and see hits in LCSH or LC Classification, am I seeing full subject headings or classification numbers?
A: No. The hit list does not represent complete headings, captions, or notes and should not be used to assign headings or class numbers without first referring to Classification Web. It is very important that you follow the (View details in Classification Web) link to Classification Web to see the full hit.
Q: What do BT and UF mean in the Classification Web hit lists?
A: BT = Broader Term; UF = Use For.

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AACR2 FAQs

Checkmark You must subscribe to RDA Toolkit LC-external website if you wish to access AACR2 from within Desktop. Once you have an RDA Toolkit subscription, follow the directions in Getting started with RDA Toolkit in Cataloger's Desktop.
Checkmark If you set up your RDA Toolkit access within Cataloger's Desktop so that it opens within Desktop, but when you select a section of AACR2 and it does not display (i.e., the document pane is blank), the browser is preventing AACR2 from displaying. This is caused by a security mismatch between Desktop (which has a secure login) and RDA Toolkit (which does not). If you experience this problem, follow the directions found here.
Q: I know the AACR2 rule number and want to find related rules in RDA. Can I do that?
A: Yes. Just type the AACR2 rule number into the searchbox, enclose it in quotes (e.g., "1.1B1") and then click the Search button. All of the related RDA instructions will be retrieved. You may want to limit the search by selecting the checkbox next to RDA and/or LC-PCC PS.

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WebDewey FAQs

Checkmark You must subscribe to WebDewey LC-external website if you wish to access it from within Desktop.
Checkmark Your WebDewey login is not stored in your Cataloger's Desktop preferences. If you are a WebDewey subscriber, when you select it from the Cataloger's Desktop Browse Contents view, you will have to log into WebDewey normally.

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Preferences FAQs

Q: Are my Preferences linked to my sign-on?
A: Yes.

Q: Is there a way to set Desktop to never display non-English language resources?
A: Yes. When you set up your Preferences you can select one or more languages you want to consult routinely.

Q: Is there a way to set a preferred set of resources to be visible institution-wide?
A: No.

Q: What is the "Restore the default settings" button used for in the Preferences menu?
A: This returns your preferences to any default values stored in the system.

Q: After I choose the resources I want to be included in My Resources, am I able to see resources I left out when I do searches?
A: Yes. Select All resources in the pull-down box next to the Search box.

Q: Can I create multiple resource lists (like one for books and a second one for visual materials)? Or am I limited to just one My resources list?
A: You can only have one set of preferred resources per login. There's nothing that would stop you from setting up more than one login, but your Favorites (e.g., bookmarks, saved searches, saved sessions) will only be available if you saved them as "Shared" Favorites.

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