Rare Book Records in Online Systems

Abstract

In traditional card-based library cataloging, control of the catalog record meant control of the catalog itself. The cataloger’s decisions determined, for better or for worse, the structure and appearance of the institution’s public catalog. During the first half of the century some of this autonomy, especially in the layout and typography of the individual record, was sacrificed for the sake of efficiency with the widespread use of Library of Congress cards and the increased adherence to national and international cataloging standards. However, the choice of many access points, the order in which the headings were filed, and the reference structure . . .