What is each part of cataloging and classification?
In the library, two books on the same topic have two distinct catalog records. And, two entirely different books may be shelved nearby if their call number indicates the books are on the same subject. Cataloging and classification are separate but interrelated processes. Cataloging tells us what the item is; classification tells us where it belongs in the library.
Let’s consider
Two books in a small collection. Write down what you can gather about each book: the title, the author, the edition of the book, publisher, and date of publication. Also, include information such as physical format, paperback, large print, hardcover, and so on. These observations are examples of cataloging records. In addition, note one or two phrases that describe what the book is about. These observations are examples of how to begin thinking about classification. Make separate notes for this second set of observations so that there is a visual representation of the difference between cataloging and classification tasks.
Cataloging
Cataloging tells us what an item is, providing useful information for the catalog record and for readers searching for that item. A library catalog can provide an author entry, a title and subtitle, edition statement, publisher and date of publication, series, ISBN number, subject headings and notes. A library can record a barcode and location, loan status and condition for an individual item. This information allows a reader to find the correct book and distinguishes the book from similar titles in a library. For example, two books on the same topic may not be the same edition, or one may be a translation, or one may have been revised.
Classification
Classification places the work into an arrangement of knowledge. A subject-based classification system assigns the first part of the call number to an item. Other elements, including marks of author, may be used to complete the call number. The call number is the code that bridges catalog information and the physical location of an item on the library’s shelves. Classification puts similar items together in the stacks and provides a predictable location for individual items. This call number should be the same as the call number in the catalog for that item. Classification supplements, not replaces, catalog records.
Confusion over classification
Learners often confuse cataloging and classification when they look at a book’s title and determine classification. For instance, The Hidden City may refer to a novel, an urban planning history, an archaeology book or a book of photographs. A look at the title page and copyright page reveals which book it is; the table of contents and the book’s subject focus indicate what type of item is being classified. “Interesting books,” or “things about cities” may be useful as personal labels but they cannot be used to assign library call numbers.
A good review and assessment activity
Take a library catalog example and hide the call number for a single item. What information does a reader have to find an item on the library shelves? What information is lost? Remove the call number; the item is identifiable by title, author, edition, and publisher but no longer has a physical location. In a working library, cataloging and classification are essential components. They each have distinct roles to fulfill.
A good review activity is also
To write a sentence that explains the decision you made and why:
I wrote this edition on my record because it appears on the book’s copyright page.
This is a cataloging observation. I decided to put this book on the subject of X in the library because that subject covers most of the book content. This is a classification observation. If I do not combine those two observations into a singular thought, it is much easier to make decisions that are easy to review, the decision of where to shelve the book can be explained and cataloging does not feel like classification.