In raising this question I am not concerned with the principles of
cataloging, with the difference between cataloging and bibliography,
or any problem of that kind. My problem is the much more practical:
What part of the work of a library staff is meant when cataloging is
spoken of in an annual report? What does it mean when a librarian
states that a certain number of assistants have during a certain period
cataloged a certain number of books? And, bringing the matter down to
a particularly practical point, what does he mean when he says that
it costs a certain sum of money to catalog a book? I am not going to
answer the question, I want it answered. I don't want it answered
right off. I would like to see this section go after the problem and
bring in the answer. In a word, I suggest that this section appoint
a committee for the purpose of investigating the method and cost of
cataloging in a number of representative libraries. I would not be much
concerned for the present with the methods of the small public and
college libraries, but only with such libraries as may be said to have
a special cataloging force; and I would not extend the inquiry to more
than a score of libraries at the most.
The following draft of a questionnaire will show succinctly enough what
I have in mind:
1. How many persons between the grades of head of department and
clerical attendants are connected with your cataloging force? In
how many grades are these divided?
2. How many of these are occupied with the actual writing of the
titles?
3. How many persons of the grades of clerical attendants and pages
are occupied with copying of cards, typewriting headings, filing
and other such more mechanical work?
4. Are any persons of a higher grade than clerical attendant doing
any of the above kinds of work, and why?
5. Are those of your assistants who write the titles occupied
with this all day, or do they change regularly to some other
kind of work? If the latter, is such other work treated merely
as relief from the drudgery of title writing, or does it occupy
a considerable part of the assistants' time? Or, are a certain
number of days a week devoted to cataloging (i.e. title writing)
all the time, and other days given up to other kinds of work?
6. Are the following items, or any of them, determined by the
assistants who write the titles, or by superior members of the
staff:
(a) general form and completeness of entry;
(b) author heading and added author headings and cross references;
(c) collation;
(d) subject headings;
(e) classification.
7. What is the average salary of the members of your cataloging
force?
There may likely be other questions to be included; some of the above
questions may be made more detailed or given a different formulation or
bearing. I believe that an inquiry of this kind, if carried out as it
should be done, would do much to show us where changes in our methods
might be introduced, to the increased efficiency of the cataloging
force and to the benefit of its members.
The ensuing discussion, participated in by C. B. Roden, W. S. Merrill,
C. W. Andrews and others resulted in the adoption, on motion of Mr.
Roden, of the following resolution:
=RESOLVED=, that the executive board be asked to appoint a
committee to investigate the cost and methods of cataloging in
accordance with the suggestions in Mr. Josephson's paper.
A report on uniformity in cataloging rules, made by Miss Helen Turvill,
instructor in cataloging in the Wisconsin library school, as chairman
of a committee appointed at the January, 1912, meeting of the library
schools instructors, was presented by Miss Mary E. Hazeltine.
In connection with this report, Miss Hazeltine submitted for inspection
a double file of printed rules on cards embodying the present usage
of the Wisconsin library school, which it was hoped might serve as a
basis for the further work of the committee. One file was arranged
numerically as given to the students for class work; the other,
alphabetically under topical guides, as the students would have them
filed with illustrative sample cards, at the end of the course.[7]
[7] These card rules may be obtained of the Democrat Printing Company,
Madison, Wis., $2.50 per set.
The report itself, which was merely one of progress, to be completed at
the midwinter meeting, was accompanied by a request for discussion at
Ottawa and a list of points on which an expression of the preference of
librarians was desired.
=Points for Discussion=
Call number--Position.
Heading--Second line indention.
Date.
Figures--When to be written out.
Edition--Spacing.
Omissions to be indicated.
Supplied information to be bracketed?
Collation
To include paging?
Author abbreviation--
Women's names.
Title card.
Imprint?
Initial article in curves.
Author's name.
Spacing after initials.
Spacing between name and titles.
Added entry cards.
Form of date.
Contents.
Form.
Punctuation.
Cross reference.
Form.
Joint author.
Analytic.
Form.
Position of paging.
Added edition.
Miss Gooch and Miss Van Valkenburgh, members of the committee, spoke in
explanation of its purpose and scope.
Mr. Merrill said that as editor of the A. L. A. periodical cards he was
glad to learn that a committee was working to secure greater uniformity
in catalog entries.
Among the libraries contributing the copy for the periodical card
work of the Publishing board, there is still variation in the mode of
entering authors' names: sometimes date of birth is given and sometimes
it is omitted; names unused by a writer are looked up and entered upon
the card by one library and disregarded by another library; periods
after initials are used or omitted; names of joint authors are both
given in the heading by one library and only first name is given by
another, while there is even diversity about filling out initials of
the second author's name.
These divergencies are not only theoretically inconsistent but
practically inconvenient, because the printed cards do not conform
entirely to the practice of any library. Mr. Merrill said he hoped that
agreement upon these points might soon be reached.
The question of methods of bringing the matter to the attention of
librarians was informally discussed by Miss Margaret Mann, Miss Bessie
Goldberg, Miss Bessie Sargeant Smith, and others, but as the chairman,
Miss Thompson, pointed out, the report was but a partial one and not
from a committee of the Catalog section. Therefore no action was
required.
Owing to the lateness of the hour, further consideration of this
subject and also problems of arrangement in a dictionary catalog, which
was scheduled in the program, were referred to the incoming section
officers.
The nominating committee submitted this ticket: Chairman, Miss Harriet
B. Gooch, instructor in cataloging, Pratt institute school of library
science; secretary, Miss Margaret Sutherland Mackay, head cataloger,
McGill university.
They were unanimously elected and the meeting adjourned.