Ala Catalog Rules and the International Meeting of Cataloguing Experts


by Samuel Bryant - Date: 2008-11-27 - Word Count: 800 Share This!

In response to the needs of the large academic libraries in the early 1900s, the Anglo-American Rules of 1908 (AA 1908) was created. This was the first time that the libraries in the United States and Britain came together to produce a common cataloging code. However, it was eventually published in an American version and a British version, because the two countries could not reach full agreement on every detail. By the 1930s, a general desire for greater centralized cataloging was voiced. 1941 was the date of the completion of the ALA Catalog Rules. The Catalog Code Revision Committee suggested that the details be elaborate and precise in order to encourage greater cooperation among libraries. Andrew D. Osborn wrote an article criticizing the revision's level of detail. He believed the ALA Draft of 1941 was a propagation of rules that was unnecessary.



The Library of Congress, in 1946, published Studies of Descriptive Cataloging: A Report to the Librarian of Congress by the Director of the Processing Department, which urged for a simplified cataloging code. In addition, the LC rules were not completely compatible with the ALA rules, and because the LC's printed catalog cards were being used extensively, a need emerged for the Library to publish its own set of rules for cataloging. In 1949, a final edition of the cataloging rules called LC's Rules for Descriptive Cataloging was published. The ALA also released a set of cataloging rules in 1949 called ALA Cataloging Rules for Author and Title Entries. The ALA 1949 and the LC 1949 served as the standard for nearly 18 years, until the release of AACR in 1967.



The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) organized a meeting in 1961 of cataloging experts to promote greater cooperation among libraries of different countries and to assist in the sharing of bibliographic information. The Paris Principles was the outcome of this meeting, and built a foundation for almost every cataloging code used in the world today.



Seymour Lubetzky, author of Cataloging Rules and Principles, voiced many concerns regarding the publications of 1949. His complaints were that the rules were unnecessarily long and confusing and that overlapping rules were present. He also argued that there was a lack of logical arrangement and organization of the rules. Lubetzky was given command over the creation of a new set of codes in 1956, control of which was handed over to C. Sumner Spalding in 1962. The code, called Anglo-American Cataloging Rules, was released in 1967 with a reception of mixed feelings. One great improvement over the codes of 1949 was its logical arrangement, and the fact that it put a greater emphasis on the conditions of authorship rather than on the type of work. It was, however, believed to be inadequate in terms of the way non-book materials were handled.



In 1966, multiple American libraries took part in a project to generate electronic versions of the card catalog. The enormous burden of creating records for the electronic catalog was lessened by the fact that 16 libraries came together to share the work. By 1968, about 50,000 records were created and sent to participating libraries as a pilot project. This was the first attempt at automating internal operations within the library environment; and, by 1972, libraries worldwide started using the revised MARC standard, known as MARC II. Although MARC is not a cataloging code or scheme, it is a coding method on which the results of the cataloging process depend. It has played an important role in cataloging for public and private institutions, and has been pivotal in the success of international standardization. MARC is a worldwide success, and is the basis for nearly all automated bibliographic systems.



In the late 1960s, another step towards greater international agreement was desired and was encouraged with the International Meeting of Cataloguing Experts. A new format for bibliographic descriptions was sought after, and the established working group came up with objectives deemed appropriate to their interests. Between 1974 and 1977, three documents were published that dealt specifically with the concerns outlined in the meeting. The first publication was entitled ISBD(M), which stood for the International Standard Bibliographic Description for Monographic Publications. The second and third were both released in 1977, with the titles of ISBD(S), which stood for Serials and ISBD(G), which stood for General. This final publication was installed to serve as a framework for all types of media by working as an all-encompassing standard. Since the general work was published, other ISBDs have been developed for items such as cartographic materials and printed music. In 1974, 1975, and 1976, chapters 6, 12, and 14 of the AACR were revised in respective years. Together, this cataloging code was called AACR, Chapters 6, 12, and 14, Revised.



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Related Tags: catalogs, libraries, ala, marc, librarian of congress, ifla, aarc, aa 1908


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