Cataloguing the Collection
Now that the majority of the books in our library collection have been classified according to the Library’s very own classification scheme, the next stage is for us to catalogue the collection. This entails recording information about each item in the collection, such as author, title and date, in a standard format. Once the catalogue has been launched, you will be able to search for a particular book or for items on a certain topic.
The collection is being catalogued using the Heritage Library Management System, and will eventually be fully accessible online. Once we have settled into our new home at the Mitchell, we will use the system to manage loans.
In order to help people find items on the catalogue, keywords will be added to non-fiction items in order to describe subject matter of the item. It is advisable to use a thesaurus when adding keywords in order that consistency is maintained, cataloguers use the same words to describe the materials and users can find items on a similar topic more easily. We have decided to use the European Women’s Thesaurus, created and managed by Aletta (formerly the IIAV). The thesaurus is intended to help people find information in subjects relating to women or women’s studies. It is important to have a thesaurus that both reflects the subjects in our library collection and uses appropriate language to describe them. The EWT will allow us to tag our collection with relevant terms.
It is anticipated that we will launch our new catalogue next year. Once the catalogue is on the web, you will be able to search for items in our collection. In the meantime, updates on the cataloguing process will be posted in the LiBlog.
If you have any questions about the catalogue, please contact Laura McVean.
