Describes a historical study of cataloging rules through the "Anglo-American Cataloging Rules, 2d ed.," that was conducted to identify linking devices that have been used to connect bibliographic entities. Relationships that are part of the taxonomy of bibliographic relationships are explained, including equivalence, derivative,…

Reports on a study to estimate the proportion of the University of Michigan's library collection needing preservation efforts and describes the rating scale used. (FM)

Describes a study which sampled two card catalogs of varying sizes in order to find the percentage of personal authors who have only one entry, and discusses the implications of the results of the study for adoption of "Anglo-American Cataloging Rules 2" (AACR 2). (FM)

Analyzes accuracy of Library of Congress cataloging for items with Cataloging in Publication records and items not in that program. Types and frequencies of errors are observed with a separate analysis of significant errors. Recommendations are made for copy cataloging based on the different types of errors found. (Author/EM)

Seventy-two libraries participated in the development of a cost model for library catalogs, considered alternate forms of catalogs (including various combinations of card, computer output microfilm, and online), and prepared input data for computer runs to arrive at costs. Card catalogs appeared to be the least costly. (FM)

Discusses serials-related functions in academic research libraries, considers the operation of a separate serials department versus integration of serials functions within a general technical services department, and describes an analysis of advertisements for serials positions that was conducted to determine the need for serials specialists and…

Describes a citation analysis of journal articles dealing with online catalogs to determine patterns in subject content, date, publication format, authorship affiliation, type of authorship, and how the cited publication was used in the article. It is concluded that this literature has many characteristics of a scholarly literature and indicates…

Examines reasons for cataloging backlogs in libraries and describes a preliminary theory of backlog dynamics. Formulas for predicting backlogs are discussed, backlog models are explained, the use of computer simulation software to form models is described, and further research is suggested. (five references) (LRW)

Discussion of cooperative activities among libraries focuses on cataloging of Latin American materials among research libraries. Differences in motivation for cooperation in acquisitions and in cataloging are discussed; and a study is described that examined which libraries were providing online cataloging, and differences between OCLC and RLIN…

Study of advantages, disadvantages, and costs to small two-year college library of participation in online cataloging network concludes that networking is too expensive for smallest third of nation's libraries. Disadvantages include increased demands on professional staff time and cost in excess of $3.00 per title cataloged. Twenty-three…

A Public Library Association (PLA) survey compiled information on public libraries in bibliographic networks. Aspects identified and measured were perceptions of participation, reasons for non-participation, reactions to services, and suggestions for increasing participation. Recommendations are made for actions by PLA and the networks to ensure…

Describes a study that was conducted at the University of Botswana library to determine the extent to which Library of Congress catalog cardsets facilitate the cataloging and classification process. Flow charts for cataloging and classification are described, and estimates of cataloging costs using cardsets are compared with costs for original…

Describes a study conducted at the University of Illinois to test the effectiveness of subject access in the online bibliographic catalog. Relevance is examined and possible methods of improving subject access are described. Results suggest that significant improvements are not possible within the constraints of existing subject cataloging…

Defines mechanical and expert selection of library materials and investigates the usefulness of mechanical selection in three test cases involving popular novels, German literature, and contemporary poetry. The cost of mechanical selection is examined and more quantification in selection practice is recommended. Data are presented in eight tables,…

Research libraries surveyed to determine acceptance, application, and assessment of AACR rules concerned with the cataloging of serials indicate a wide degree of international variation from the standard because of dissatisfaction with entering serials under the corporate issuing body. Preference for a more simplified bibliographic description was…