What are Library Catalog & Library of Congress Catalog

What is Library Catalog & Type, Need, Purpose, and Functions of the Library Catalog

The Library Catalog or Library Catalogue is actually the key to library collections through which the repositories of library collections can be accessed.

 We can say that the creation of a catalog is a major technical process that needs to be completed.

Definition of Library Catalog 

"Library catalog" can be defined in various ways. Reference can be made to the five law of the library. 

"The library catalog is the key to library collections.

According to Dr. Ranganathan

Library List is a tool that provides readers with information regarding the textual content stored in the library." It is a tool which gives information about the contents of the library.

Charles Amy Cutter wrote, giving its definition

A library catalog is a table of books arranged according to a definite plan." A catalog is a list of books which is arranged on some definite plan.

According to James Brown

There is a well-organized table or key to finding texts and the subject matter described in them.

It is clear from the above definition that the Library catalog acts as a tool in the library and it is a list of logical books in order. Which is determined differently for different library irrespective of its physical and internal nature.

The first task of the library is to make available to the readers they've desired the requirement that books so that their needs can be fulfilled. Along with this, the five rules of library science are protected and in doing this work, the Library Catalog plays a major role.

The word catalog is derived from the Greek word 'Katalogus'. The literal meaning of 'kata' is' according to 'or' to 'and logus' means' word' 'order' or 'Logic'.

Thus the meaning of this word becomes clear that the catalog is related to the "content" that has been arranged as a sequence. 

Although the work of the Library catalog was started from the ancient library itself, at the time it had a standard There was a lack of. But at present, the creation of a catalog is based on the code which achieves standardization globally.

Library Catalog | Library Catalog System

Need for Library Catalog 

In the modern era, the importance of a library is not on the availability of its building or course material but on the usefulness of the textual content. This requires a catalog. 

Following is the requirement of the library catalog

i. For information on the textual content in the library - From the library list, the available material in the library can be found. The list shows which books of which authors, and which books of which subjects are available in the library.

ii. Help to access the book - The library catalog helps the readers to access the textual content. In the absence of a list, he will stay away from the reader even while the book is being done.

iii. To save time - the reader easily accesses the book through the catalog. This saves the reader and employees valuable time.

iv. Collection control - Library inventory becomes necessary to deal with the situation arising due to an increase in a book by day.

Purpose of Library Catalog

The main purpose of the catalog is that the reader gets his desired book or, say, the five sources of library science can be protected.

Keeping the five rules of the library of Dr. Ranganathan in mind, the following are the objectives of the library catalog

i. Full use of the book,

ii. Matching each reader with his / her book,

iii. To introduce each book to its readers,

iv. Saving reader time

V. To control collection in book abundance situation.

In 1876, Charles Amy Cutter described the purpose of the library catalog in his the book "Rules for Dictionary catalog" in a very simple way which is as follows:

i. Empowering a person to get an honorable book if he

A. Author

B. Title

C. The subject is known

ii. To demonstrate that in the library

A. Composed by a distinguished author

B. Related to a specific subject

C. Specific type of literature, but how many books are available.

iii. Providing assistance in the selection of a book as far as

A. Editions of the book

B. It is a question of symptoms.

The function of Library Catalogue

The most important function of a library catalog is to provide complete information about the book. We can demonstrate the function of the library catalog in the following way:

i. To find out how many books of an author are available in the library. Name catalogs are created for this.

ii. To get information about how many books are available or not available in the book library of a story (title). A tittle entry is made for this. Series and volume entries are created for the series and volume of the book.

iv. Information about how many books are there on a subject can be obtained. For this, the subject catalog is made.

V. Empowering to get the book - If the reader only has information about any of the titles, topics, series, etc., then the purpose of the list is to get the book to the reader.

vi. Giving information about collection books in the library - The purpose of the library list is also to make available the complete information of the books available in the library to the reader. 

To tell how much is the book written by the specific author, how much is the book related to the specific subject or how many books are available on specific types of literature.

vii. Help in book selection - The purpose of the list is to help in book selection. For example, to get information about the edition, book features, etc.

viii. Providing other information - Providing other information such as a syringe, volume, page, Acc. Providing information on the number, size, etc.

ix. Get information about the editor and collaborate on the book.

X. To get information about what is Bibliographical detail.

xi. Provide information about where the book is located.

Types of the Library Catalog

"The library list is the list of books available in the library and it is organized in a well-organized order. The entries to be made for this order are called internal formats"

The internal forms of the catalog are as follows:

1. Alphabetical catalog

2. Classified catalog

3. Alphabetic-classed catalog

1. Alphabetical Catalog - The list in a hierarchical list is organized like a Dictionary ie in alphabetical order. This list is most convenient for the readers. The following list is organized in several ways:

i. Author catalog - Entry is made by the author's name in the author list and arranged in alphabetical order. In the author catalog, the name of the author is written at the top. | Then he is punished in alphabetical order. A writer named B after A and C named after B is decorated in this way.

Advantage - An advantage of the author's list is that all the books of the same author merge together in one place. In this, the readers get the information about the availability of books composed by the given author in a single view. It is used in the Library of Congress, the National Library, etc.

ii. Name catalog - Name list is a changed and expanded form of the author list. In addition to a book written by an author, there is a collection of books of other authors have written on that author.

The name list is made on Jawaharlal Nehru by collecting books of other authors written on Jawaharlal Nehru. It is then decorated in alphabetical order (named after B, B after C).

Benefits: Readers who write an author's book and a book written by that author That is, if you are interested in biography, criticism, etc., then this list is very beneficial for him. 

If a reader wants all the books on Rabindranath Tagore then he will find a place. This list is more prevalent in Great Britain and is rarely used outside Britain.

iii. Subject catalog - It is decorated alphabetically by making subject entries in the table of contents. There is a co-ordination of specific subjects like all the books on the subject of 'Gulab' will be kept in one place, it will not be placed under Botany or Flower because it is a big form of the subject. Ranganathan defines the specific subject as "that division of knowledge whose intent and spread is equal to its content."

iv. Title catalog - The entries in the title list is made under the title (legend) and arranged in alphabetical order. A citation list can only be accessed by readers who know the title of the book. If the reader does not know the title of the book then the book is not accessible through this list. In this way, this list is able to satisfy fewer readers.

V. Dictionary catalog - A dictionary listing is derived from the common meaning of the word 'dictionary'. The dictionary provides information related to the author, subject, number, etc. of the book available in the library, which is arranged alphabetically.

Its the definition is given in AACR-II as follows- "This list in which all books of author, account, subject, library, etc. are arranged together in a group alphabetical order.

As mentioned above, there are four types of logging groups in the lexicographic list. 

The first group includes the author, the second group contains the figures, the third group contains the subject and the fourth group includes a a variety of references. 

The lexicographic catalog is presented in two parts in some libraries. In this, the first part is for the writer and number and the second part is for the subject. This is called a "Divided catalog".

Limitations: -

i. Books are scattered in it.

ii. The reader sometimes has to roam around for the desired book.

2. Classified catalog - In the classified list system, the subject entries are organized by category. In fact, it is a list in which the arrangement of lectures is done according to a classification system.

According to Henry Sharp, "The arrangement of books in a classified list is in a systematic orders and the classification system is based on how to organize it."

According to Dr. Ranganathan - "This is a list that contains some entries, numeral entries, and some word entries. Thus, according to Ranganathan, there are two parts of a list classified according to the number entries in one, the second-word entries which are called the graded part and the regression part respectively. 

i. Classified part - The main entry and cross entry in the classified part are organized according to the classification system. But in this system, it is difficult if the reader does not know by what method the classification is done.

ii. Trapeze Part - Added entries in the tracing list are arranged alphabetically. It is relatively convenient.

Merits of Library Catalog

A. The biggest feature of the classified catalog is that in it all the books on one subject are found in one place, like - all the books on the subject of politics will be found in one place, not different.

B. To find a book of a subject, the reader has to go to one place.

Limitation of Library Catalog

A. In this system, the reader should have knowledge of the classification method used in the arrangement of books.

B. There is a problem with incorporating new books.

3. Alphabetic-classed catalog - This list is prepared by combining both the nominative list and the classified list, hence its name is a hierarchical list.

In this, the major subjects are divided into graded order and their subordinate subjects are arranged in alphabetical order. 

If the major subjects are divided into alphabetical order, then the subordinate subjects are divided into a hierarchical sequence.

For example, if the main subject of mathematics is arranged in graded order, then its underlying subjects like geometry, algebra, computation, statistics, etc. are arranged in alphabetical order.

An attempt has been made to incorporate the benefits of both forms in it. In this method, the reader should know that mathematics is the subject of geometry, algebra, etc. under the main subject.

Merits: - A. It includes the benefits of both classified and non-classified lists.

B. This method facilitates the reader.

C. Books are included on a logical basis.

Defects / limitations:

(A) In this, readers should know what are the sub-topics under the main topic.

(B) In this, readers should have knowledge about the basis on which books are organized.

Conclusion: It is clear from the above description that a catalog is a tool that provides information about all the textual materials available in the library and related information can be easily obtained by catalog.

We can say that the implementation of the five sources of library science without a list is difficult. That is, we can say that the "Library catalog is a key to library collection".

To Know More About Library Science Click on the Link Given Below
1. Library and Society		Click Here
2. Library Management		Click Here
3. Library Cataloging		Click Here
4. Library Classification		Click Here
5. Information Source		Click Here
6. MCQs on Library Science		Click Here
8. Jobs in Library Science		Click Here
Join Library Science Group for Latest Updates
Join Telegram	Like on Facebook