June 25, 2009 Thirty-one Years of Cataloging Service Bulletin Now Available Free Online

The Library of Congress is making available to the worldwide library community free online access to the entire 31 years of the Cataloging Service Bulletin (CSB).

The bulletin can be viewed at www.loc.gov/cds/PDFdownloads/csb/.

The CSB is a quarterly bulletin that includes current, new and revised information about the Library’s cataloging and classification practices and policies. The CSB lists revised Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules II; Library of Congress Rules Interpretations; changes to the American Library Association/Library of Congress Romanization tables; changes to the Library of Congress subject headings; and includes “Cataloging Publication News,” “News of Cataloging Projects” and more.

“The Library is committed to providing its products and services in a way that is sustainable, accessible and provides the greatest benefit to its customers,” said Eugene Flanagan, chief of the Library’s Office of Business Enterprises, which oversees the Cataloging Distribution Service (CDS).

Comprising 123 volumes, summer 1978 through spring 2009, the CSB can be accessed directly in PDF format from the Library’s CDS website (see address above). The online issues are available at no cost.

In addition, the issues are available and searchable in Cataloger’s Desktop, a CDS fee-based online service that contains the most widely used cataloging documentation resources in an integrated, online system. For Cataloger’s Desktop, visit www.loc.gov/cds/desktop/.

Hard copies or paper versions of the bulletin are still available by paid subscription. To order, visit www.loc.gov/cds/catman.html#csb.

The Cataloging Distribution Service of the Library of Congress packages, distribute and markets the Library’s cataloging records and cataloging-related publications, tools and resources. Catalogers within the Library of Congress and in libraries around the world rely on the standards and technical publications distributed by CDS to organize their collections for effective access.

Founded in 1800, the Library of Congress is the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution and the largest library in the world, with nearly 142 million items in various languages, disciplines and formats. As the world’s largest repository of knowledge and creativity, the Library is a symbol of democracy and the principles on which this nation was founded. The Library serves the U.S. Congress and the nation both on-site, in its reading rooms on Capitol Hill, and through its award-winning website at www.loc.gov. Many of the Library’s rich resources and treasures may also be accessed via interactive exhibitions on a new, personalized website at myLOC.gov.