Cataloguing without tears : managing knowledge in the information society

This book is an introduction, 'handy' and authoritative guide to the principles of cataloguing for librarians, information scientists and information managers.

It is intended to be used in conjunction with an internationally recognised standard to show how, firstly, cataloguing underpins all the other activities of an information service and, secondly, how to apply best practice in a variety of different situations.

Key features are: It relates theory to practice; It includes guidance on subject cataloguing as well as descriptive cataloguing; Is written in an easy-to-read style; and covers the use of ISBD and Dublin Core in descriptive cataloguing, rather than being tied exclusively to using AACR.

The book also covers the principles of subject cataloguing, a topic which most non-librarians believe to be an integral part of cataloguing.Contents are: Why bother to catalogue; What to catalogue - writing a cataloguing policy, what a catalogue record contains, the politics of cataloguing; Who should catalogue - how long does it take to catalogue a book, skill sets needed, appropriate levels of staffing, organising time; and How to catalogue and not reinvent the wheel - choosing a records management system, international standards (AACR/MARC, ISBD, Dublin Core), subject cataloguing, and authority control.

Also includes: Is it a book, is it a journal - distinguishing between formats, the 'awkward squad', loose-leaf files, websites and skeletons; What's a strange attractor; Cataloguing subjects you know nothing about - finding the right subject headings, verifying your information; Ici on ne lit pas le francais: unknown languages and how to deal with them - what language is it, transcribing non-Roman alphabets, understanding the subject; Special cases - rare books and archival collections, children's books, electronic media; Resources for cataloguers - reference books, online discussion lists, conferences, and bibliography.