Digital Cataloging Related Article

Levy, D. M. (1995). Cataloguing in the digital order: Paper regarding the future of cataloguing, from the Digital Libraries 95 conference.


This article is an overview of digital age cataloging. It begins with an introduction to the general idea of cataloging. This includes various definitions along with the contents of a typical cataloging record (title, author, publisher, etc.). Also included are descriptions of both descriptive and subject cataloging along with the distinction between cataloging and bibliographies.

The next section of the article, entitled "Cataloging as order-making" describes just that. A discussion of how materials are maintained and, most importantly, made available. It also includes a more in-depth discussion of what cataloging can truly involve, such as discussions of standards.

The remainder of the article delves into how cataloging is being affected and changed by the new digital word. Since digital collections, like any other, need to be organized, maintained, and made available, it logically follows that some type of cataloging will be required. The little space is given to how these new collections will be cataloged, the article does pose important questions such as, what standards will be used, what type of training will be needed for this cataloging, and will the final digital catalog be universal.