Faculty Publications

Cataloging Standards And Machine Translation: A Study Of Reformatted Isbd Records In An Online Catalog

Document Type

Article

Journal/Book/Conference Title

Information Technology and Libraries

Volume

12

Issue

4

First Page

383

Last Page

400

Abstract

Labeled bibliographic display screens in online catalogs can repackage records created for card catalogs in ways that restructure the record, redefine data categories and contexts, and add or omit selected categories of data. The impact of automated display on catalog records in a medium-sized research library was studied by comparing the card and online versions of 1,005 records created according to the International Standard Bibliographic Description (ISBD) conventions. Thirty-eight types of changes ascribable to the catalog software were identified, and the extent of occurrence in the sample was tabulated for each. Changes found involve rearrangement, inaccurate labeling, repetition, addition, and omission of data elements, along with the elimination of the traditional distinction between descriptive data and access points. The findings suggest that current descriptive cataloging standards may be ill-suited to the creation of records for online display.

Department

Rod Library

Original Publication Date

12-1-1993

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