Unit 4 Types of Catalogue: Structure
Unit 4 Types of Catalogue: Structure
4.0 OBJECTIVES
You have learnt about the physical forms of a library catalogue, their features,
advantages, disadvantages, etc. in the earlier Unit. In this Unit, you are introduced to the
inner forms of a library catalogue that relate to the arrangement of entries prepared for
documents and the resultant types of files.
After reading this Unit, you will be able to:
list the different types of inner forms of a library catalogue;
describe their distinctive features;
explain their merits and demerits;
distinguish the relative advantages and limitations of dictionary and classified
catalogues; and
suggest an appropriate inner form of catalogue for your library.
4.1 INTRODUCTION
In Units 1 and 2, you have learnt the definition, objectives and functions of a library
catalogue and the physical forms in which it exists, with their distinguished features. In
this Unit, we will introduce you to the inner forms of a library catalogue, which have a
direct relationship with its physical forms. Inner forms of a library catalogue deal with
the organisation and arrangement of bibliographic data in a catalogue entry. and the
systematic arrangement of the resultant entries for storage and retrieval. In this Unit, we
are concerned only with the arrangement of catalogue entries in a helpful sequence and 45
their relative advantages and limitations.
History, Purpose and Types of
Library Catalogues There are a number of ways of arranging catalogue entries to fall into a helpful sequence.
most popular of them, adopted in libraries, are to arrange the entries in an alphabetical c
or to arrange them in a classified order on the basis of a classification scheme chosen for
library for classifying its documents. The alphabetical catalogue can be separated for mitt
titles, names (works of or on authors), subjects or arranged in one alphabetical sequence
authors, titles, subjects etc., which is referred to as a dictionary catalogue.
The classified catalogue is a subject catalogue, displaying entries by the class number of
documents, which gives the structural order of the classification scheme used by the library.
It is usually in two parts, the first being the classified part, i.e., in the order of the class
numbers of documents and the second one is an alphabetical part or index, pointing to
the classified part.
The alphabetico-classed catalogue is a variety which combines the principles of alphabetical
arrangement and the classified structure.
The choice of a particular inner form of a catalogue for a specific library depends on the
type and quality of users, the document stock built up for the library, open or closed
access, library services offered, etc.
4.2 INNER FORMS OF A LIBRARY CATALOGUE
In Unit 2, we have given you an overview of the physical forms of a library catalogue w
their features, merits and demerits. Closely related to the physical forms is the inner foul'
a library catalogue, which determines the qualitative functions of the catalogue. The
inner for of a library catalogue refers to the arrangement of catalogue entries in a logical
and systematic order to fall into a helpful sequence for storage and retrieval.
The cataloguing process comprises two operations. The first is the creation of varieties
entries for documents acquired by a library. The second is the organisation of these
entries a logical and helpful order for storage and retrieval, as given below:
In this Unit, we are concerned only with the file organisation of catalogue entries.
While there are many ways of arranging these entries in a helpful order, the three currently
existing systems are:
Alphabetical files
Classified files
Alphabetico-classed files
Alphabetical catalogue can be separately designed and constructed for authors, titles,
names recording works on and by authors, subjects or all entries of authors, titles,
subjects, etc. in one single alphabetical file, known as the dictionary catalogue. In
classified files, the main entries are arranged according to the class number of the
classification scheme chosen for the shelf organisation of documents in a library. This
file is supported by an alphabetical index.
The following chart illustrates the different inner forms of a library catalogue:
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Types of Catalogues
We shall study these in some detail in the following sections of this Unit.
Self Check Exercises
1) Define the inner forms of a library catalogue.
2) Enumerate different categories of inner forms of a library catalogue.
Note: i) Write your answer in the space given below.
ii) Check your answer with the answers given at the end of this Unit.
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4.3 ALPHABETICAL CATALOGUES
Readers are more at home with a catalogue arranged alphabetically, as such catalogues
are arranged as in a dictionary. Alphabetical catalogues can be arranged in several ways,
some of which are by authors, by name of persons, by title or by specific subject. These
are discussed in the following subsections.
4.3.1 Author Catalogue
In an author catalogue, the entries of documents are under authors' name and are
arranged alphabetically. In other words, the leading section of an author catalogue would
be the name of an author. An author is generally a person or a corporate body who is
responsible for the thought contents of the document brought out under the name. Listing
of personal names of authors varies greatly because of the cultural traditions in the
naming of persons in different regions of the world. For example, names of persons in
western countries, Indic names, Muslim names, Chinese and Japanese names have their
own traditions, which part of the names should be taken as the lead in a catalogue has
been set by cataloguing codes and there are established practices. There are also a variety
of corporate bodies under whose names documents are published. Although we are not
concerned very much with rendering of names in catalogue entries here, it is important to
note that their filing position is determined by these names. Inaccuracies in the rendering
of names would seriously affect the alphabetical arrangement of entries in the catalogue.
Libraries may have author catalogues arranged in three different ways. a) There may be
an exclusive author catalogue without mixing it with any other entries such as titles,
subjects, series, etc. b) Author entries may form part and parcel of a dictionary catalogue.
c) Author entries may form part of the alphabetical index of a classified catalogue.
Irrespective of the form in which an author catalogue exists, it provides an important
approach to a library catalogue, as it fulfills an essential function of a catalogue. If the
user approaches the catalogue with the correct name of an author, the catalogue
immediately gives the person all the documents by the author. To help a user, the other
variants of a name of an author are usually provided as cross-reference in a catalogue.
The advantages of an author catalogue is that it brings together the titles of books of the
same author at one place in the catalogue. This helps a user to obtain at a glance what
books are available in the library by a given author. This function, can, however be
fulfilled by author entries in other inner forms of a library catalogue. In a classified 47
catalogue this function is performed by the alphabetical index or dictionary part.
History, Purpose and Types of
Library Catalogues The catalogues of the British Museum Library (now the British Library), the Library of
Congress, the National Library of India are some of the fine examples of author
catalogues.
4.3.2 Name Catalogue
A name catalogue is a variation and extension of an author catalogue. It contains entries
for works of an author and also for books written on him. All entries are arranged
alphabetically by the name of the author. In other words, a name catalogue is a mixed
type of catalogue which combines the author and subject entries (the subject entries
representing the author as a subject) into one alphabetical sequence. In this type of
catalogue, biographies and other critical studies of an author, are arranged along with his
original works. The author entries include:
corporate authors, both as an author as well as a subject
name series
place name forming part of an author heading
The following examples, exemplify these points:
Person as an author Nehru, Jawaharlal: Discovery of India
Nehru, Jawaharlal: Glimpses of World History
Nehru, Jawaharlal: Towards Freedom:
Autobiography of Jawaharlal Nehru.
Persons as subject Jawaharlal Nehru, a Political Biography by F. Moraces
Jawaharlal Nehru: a Biography by S. Gopal
Nehru: the Making of a Nation by M.J.Akbar
Name series Oxford historical series
Madras University Sir C.P. Ramaswami Ayer
Endowment Lecture Series
Place name Bombay University
Calcutta University
Name catalogue serves as an author catalogue and also as a subject catalogue as far as
the author as a subject is concerned. Any reader interested on the works by or on an
author may find this type of catalogue very useful to find specific material of his interest.
In this type of catalogue, one can find the works of Rabindranath Tagore as well as
works on him arranged in a single alphabetical order under Tagore.
Name catalogue seems to be almost confined to Great Britain. Such a catalogue, outside
Great Britain appears to be rare. The Catalogue of the British Museum Library (now the
British Library) is near name catalogue which includes references from all names that
occur in titles.
Self Check Exercise
3) State the essential difference between an author catalogue and a name catalogue
in two lines.
Note: i) Write your answer in the space given below.
ii) Check your answer with the answers given at the end of this Unit.
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4.3.3 Title Catalogue
In a title catalogue, the titles of documents occupy at the leading section of entries, which
are arranged in an alphabetical order. Queries of readers who remember only the exact
48 title of the book can be answered with the help of a title catalogue. However, it is noticed
that many of the readers do not spell out a title exactly the way it appears on the title
page, particularly non-fiction titles.
Types of Catalogues
To fulfil title approach of readers, entries can he selectively provided in catalogues of
public libraries for fiction and for those that are well-known by their titles.
4.3.4 Subject Catalogue
In an alphabetical subject catalogue, entries are made under the name of the specific
subjects of documents. Irrespective of their affiliations, specific subject entries are strictly
arranged in an alphabetical order. The fundamental rule of entry in an alphabetical specific
subject catalogue is to enter a work under its specific subject. For example, a book on
`Roses' will be entered under `Roses' and not under `flowers' or `Botany', which are broader
than `Roses'. Ranganathan defines a specific subject of a document as that division of
knowledge whose intension and extension are equal to its thought contents. According to
him, the specific subject of `Teaching chemistry in secondary schools in Delhi' would be
`DELHI, CHEMISTRY, TEACHING 'TECHNIQUE, SECONDARY SCHOOLS,
EDUCATION' and not the way it is given in the heading.
In almost every type of library, the predominate requests for documents are by their
subjects. Hence extensive provision must be made to give adequate representation to
subjects of documents, with a considerable number of cross-references, directing the user
to the various aspects of a subject.
While the alphabetical specific subject catalogue provides comparatively easy approach to
the catalogue by arranging subjects in alphabetical order, it scatters related subjects.
Depending on the incidence of the letter of the alphabet, it disperses entries pertaining to
related subjects throughout the catalogue. In fact, one has to refer to a number of subject
headings to get a full view of the ramifications of a subject. The following headings, serve
as a example:
Aeronautics Arts
Aesthetics Asparagus
Agriculture Astronomy
Aircraft Athletics
Anthropology Atoms
Apples Aves (Birds)
Arithmetics Aviation
Arsenic Awards
In these headings, their alphabetical arrangement scatters the related ones. Agriculture,
Apples, Asparagus is subjects group; Aeronautics, Aircraft, Aviation, another
group;.Aesthetics and Arts, is still another group; Arithmetics and Astronomy, Arsenic
and Atoms, etc., form still other groups. Thus, subject affiliations are totally absent in
this type of catalogue. Of course, this difficulty can be overcome by appropriate
references.
Self Check Exercise
4) With ten examples of subject headings, illustrate how an alphabetical subject
catalogue scatters related subjects.
Note: i) Write your answer in the space given below,
ii) Check your answer with the model answers given at the end of this Unit.
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History, Purpose and Types of
Library Catalogues 4.3.5 Dictionary Catalogue
The general meaning of the word `dictionary' is that it is a reference book, giving information
on particular subjects or on a particular class of words, names, or facts, usually arranged
alphabetically, for example: a biographical dictionary. The dictionary catalogue derives its
name from this general meaning of the word `dictionary'. A dictionary catalogue gives
information about documents available in a library with reference to their authors, titles,
subjects, etc. All the entries getting arranged in a single alphabetical order. It resembles
arrangement of entries as in a natural language dictionary in which all words, irrespective of
their origin, parts of speech (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, etc.), usage, etc. are arranged in
one single alphabetical order. A more formal definition of a dictionary catalogue is that it is `a
catalogue usually on cards, in which all entries - author, title, subjects, series, etc.,- and their
relatives are arranged together in one general alphabet" (Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules II)
As mentioned above, a dictionary catalogue consists of four different groups of entries, each
containing different types of bibliographical elements. The first group comprises authors and
collaborators (editors, translators, commentators, etc.); the second group is composed of title
entries. The third group is made up of subject entries. The fourth group consists of cross-
references of different kinds. But all these groups fall in one single alphabetical order. All these
entries are called word entries.
Some libraries prefer to display the dictionary catalogue in two separate parts: the first part
containing author and title entries with cross references, if any, and the second part is reserved
exclusively for subject entries with cross references. This is called `divided catalogue'. This
type of separation poses some problems for users, as they have to refer to both these parts
located at different places, to find out the information for a document of their interest.
Although the dictionary catalogue is quite popular and widely used in libraries, it has its merits
and demerits. Let us discuss these.
Merits
a) Its alphabetical arrangement is easy and simple to use. Anyone knowing the letters of an
alphabet and being able to refer a dictionary can find his/her references without any
difficulty.
b) The works of the same author, different editions of the same title, translations of a work in
different languages, all such related entries can be brought together in a dictionary
catalogue. This indeed is a great facility for users.
c) Subjects that are related but get distributed in a classified catalogue are brought, together
in a dictionary catalogue. For 'example, documents on `roses' with reference to cultivation,
decoration, extraction of rose essence for making perfumes and scents, rose garden, rose
competition, artificial roses, etc. get distributed in a classified catalogue as they are
classified under different classes. But in a dictionary catalogue all these distributed
relatives are brought together, making it possible for users to get all the information on
roses in one search. These are, in fact, classified pockets in a dictionary catalogue.
d) In a dictionary catalogue, subjects are entered under their specific names as such there is
no need for a user to know facet relations of subject to use the catalogue. A straight search
under a specific heading of a subject would fetch a reader the necessary information.
e) New subject headings e.g., artificial intelligence can be inserted in a dictionary catalogue
without waiting for any authority list or standard subject headings to incorporate into it.
f) All types of relationships between subjects such as hierarchical (broad and narrow terms)
associative (related terms), synonyms and homonyms, etc., can be shown in a dictionary
catalogue by appropriate cross references.
Demerits
The alphabetical arrangement of entries in one sequence is at once the strength and weakness of
a dictionary catalogue. The subject entries get scattered in it, making it difficult for a user to get
a full view of the ramifications (divisions and subdivisions) of a subject. Further, sometime a
50 user moves from pillar to post in search of his entries. In order to get over this problem, a
number of cross-references are provided which makes the catalogue bulky.
But with all these limitations, many libraries use the dictionary catalogue all over the world.
Types of Catalogues
Self Check Exercise
5) With six examples of your own, illustrate how the distributed relatives get
collected in one place in a dictionary catalogue.
Note: i) Write your answer in the space given below.
ii) Check your answer with the answers given at the end of this Unit.
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Types of Catalogues
Providing feature headings is theoretically sound and extremely useful and it is done
quite well in a printed catalogue or bibliography like BNB. But in a card catalogue, the
breakdown of the class numbers into their hierarchical divisions would need too many
cards for each entry. It sometimes diminishes its practical utility. Therefore, it has to be
done with considerable imagination and caution. Feature headings should not be allowed
to defeat their very purpose.
4.4.2 Alphabetical Index
The alphabetical index to a classified catalogue; consisting of author, title (wherever
necessary), subject entries and other entries for collaborators, series, editors of series, and
a host of cross references, is meant to support the classified part of the catalogue. It can
fulfil all the functions of a dictionary catalogue i.e., collect the works of an author
together, bring all the different editions of a title, cross references for subjects, etc. With
the classified part bringing all the related subjects together, and the alphabetical order
bringing together all the distributed relatives, the classified catalogue can fulfil all the
functions of a library catalogue.
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Despite all these features of a classified catalogue, it has its own merits and limitations.
Both these aspects are discussed below:
History, Purpose and Types of
Library Catalogues Merits
a) The greatest merit of a classified catalogue is that it provides a logical subject-wise
guide to the materials available in a library. In other words, it brings together in one
place all the entries relevant to a particular subject with all its related subjects.
b) The arrangement of entries in the catalogue reflects the arrangements of documents
on the shelves of the library.
c) The reader is not shunted from one end of the catalogue to the other for finding the
materials of his interest from the catalogues.
d) Subjects without inconvenience can bring our the printed versions of the catalogue
in parts.
e) At one glance, it reveals the strength and weakness of different subjects represented
by the library collection.
It facilitates compilation of reading lists and subjects bibliographies for special purposes.
Changes in the terminology of the subjects do not affect the arrangement of entries in the
classified part of the catalogue.
Limitations
Readers must have some knowledge of the classification scheme used for the
arrangement of entries before the person is able to consult the catalogue. While this is
strength for logical grouping of subjects, it is at once a handicap for readers without any
idea of the classification scheme of the library.
Alphabetical index has, therefore, to be provided to help a reader in the task of referring
to the subject part of the catalogue as well as findings out materials of his interest from
the library.
a) The absolute dependence of the classification scheme for the arrangement of the
subject part of the catalogue restrains the autonomy of the cataloguer.
b) While new subjects can be introduced at the appropriate place in the classified part
of the catalogue, it also poses difficulties for the users, if libraries place new
subjects in two or more different places, as the classification scheme usually takes
time to update and keep it current.
Yet with all these deficiencies, the classified catalogue has found favour with many
libraries, especially academic, research and special libraries, because most of the
deficiencies may be overcome by a good alphabetical index and use of a good
classification scheme.
Given below are samples of main entry for a classified catalogue and for a dictionary
catalogue.
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In case of classified catalogue the arrangement of entries in the classified part of the
catalogue is by call numbers.
Types of Catalogues
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Types of Catalogues
Both these types of library catalogues should work reasonably well and within limits if
worked and operated well. There is no absolute yardstick to measure their merits or
demerits.
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