What services does the Cataloging Unit provide?
Answer
The Cataloging Unit is responsible for helping the Cornette Library serve its dual mission of providing access to information resources for the University community and acting as a cultural and intellectual resource for the region by:
Producing bibliographic records for the online catalog which:
- describe the physical nature of a work,
- supply appropriate terms (authors, subject, titles) by which these records may be searched and retrieved, and
- include the call number to show shelving location and indicate overall subject content;
Attaching item records to their corresponding bibliographic records which:
- give a location code telling where an item is held,
- identify the physical format of an item,
- show the circulation status of an item, and
- record the enumeration (copy or volume information) of an item;
Creating check-in records for currently received serial issues which:
- indicate the publication frequency of a serial and when the next issue should be received,
- alert staff when a serial issue has not been received and needs to be claimed, and
- update the corresponding summary holdings statement for individual serial titles; and
Processing items added to the library collection which:
- allows these items to be checked out through the use of barcodes,
- presents a shelving arrangement through the use of call number labels,
- provides a patron reminder for when materials need to be returned through the use of "date due" stickers; and
Performing a variety of database maintenance activities which:
- directs patrons to locate what they need with the presence of "see" and "see also" references in the online catalog,
- flags "on-the-fly" items which were initially circulated without a full bibliographic record and now require cataloging,
- keeps an accurate and current inventory of library materials by deleting bibliographic and corresponding item records from the catalog when those materials are withdrawn from the collection; and
- permits temporary bibliographic and corresponding item records to be created (and later deleted) for reserve class items.