CAT-ASSESS

An Example Library Catalogue Profile

An academic library

Bookstock c.400,000 books

Serials subscriptions c.2,000

Non-book materials small collections of maps, printed music, videocassettes, microforms and CD-ROMS

Classification Universal Decimal Classification with some local modifications. In use since library created. Shelfmarks have a maximum number of characters so can be shorter than the classmark.

Coverage Supports study in a range of disciplines with a bias towards the sciences.

Catalogue History

pre-1972 Card catalogue

1972 Card catalogue converted to machine-readable in-house catalogue with short entry records. Short entry records created in-house for new cataloguing.

1982-1985 SWALCAP consortium. Short entry records converted to UKMARC format. AACR2 level 2 minus pagination. Most new records created in-house with some copy cataloguing using other members' records.

1985-1998 URICA. Migration lost all 248 fields (some systematically re-instated) and in 260 field, copyright dates of the form 'c1980' corrupted to 's1980'. AACR2 level 2 minus pagination. All new records created in-house.

1998 Unicorn: All prior records have creation date of 25 June 1998, the date of the changeover. A shared catalogue with another academic library (B). AACR2 level 2 minus pagination. Most new records created in-house but some use of records created by library (B). Records created by library (B) include pagination and its own in-house subject headings for non-fiction.

Short entry records (1972-1982) Title proper, surnames and initials, date, edition, class and book numbers, ISBNs and language of the item. Subtitles only included to distinguish items, edition statements in abbreviated form (e.g. 4ed) and all accents and apostrophes omitted.

Standard records (1982 to date) AACR level 2 minus pagination and subject headings. Some missing 248 fields and corrupt 260 data.

Enhanced records (1998 to date) AACR2 level 2 plus pagination and library (B) in-house non-fiction subject headings. Some missing 248 fields and corrupt 260 data.

Other notes Records are only upgraded and revised if further copies are bought or classmarks are changed.

BL NAL used up till 1998 to verify names of corporate bodies and occasionally of personal authors.

Diacritics usually neglected in transcription, omission not counted as an error.

All materials catalogued to the same level.

There is no marker or identifying factor within records to identify the three types of records. It is therefore not possible to use the automated system to generate separate samples of each record type.

The full classmark is recorded on the verso of the title page. The spine of the item carries the shelf mark - this has a maximum length so can be shorter than the full classmark.

Web page content by Bibliographic Management Group of UKOLN.
Last updated on: 11-Feb-2002

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Bookstock	c.400,000 books
Serials subscriptions	c.2,000
Non-book materials	small collections of maps, printed music, videocassettes, microforms and CD-ROMS
Classification	Universal Decimal Classification with some local modifications. In use since library created. Shelfmarks have a maximum number of characters so can be shorter than the classmark.
Coverage	Supports study in a range of disciplines with a bias towards the sciences.

pre-1972	Card catalogue
1972	Card catalogue converted to machine-readable in-house catalogue with short entry records. Short entry records created in-house for new cataloguing.
1982-1985	SWALCAP consortium. Short entry records converted to UKMARC format. AACR2 level 2 minus pagination. Most new records created in-house with some copy cataloguing using other members' records.
1985-1998	URICA. Migration lost all 248 fields (some systematically re-instated) and in 260 field, copyright dates of the form 'c1980' corrupted to 's1980'. AACR2 level 2 minus pagination. All new records created in-house.
1998	Unicorn: All prior records have creation date of 25 June 1998, the date of the changeover. A shared catalogue with another academic library (B). AACR2 level 2 minus pagination. Most new records created in-house but some use of records created by library (B). Records created by library (B) include pagination and its own in-house subject headings for non-fiction.