LS 201: ORGANIZATION OF

KNOWLEDGE I: CATALOGUING
MODULE ONE: INTRODUCTION TO
ORGANIZATION OF KNOWLEDGE
AND INFORMATION
 Introduction and definition of key
concepts:
Knowledge:
Knowledge is the collection of information, skills,
facts, and understanding that individuals acquire
through experience, education, or discovery. It's
the familiarity or awareness of subjects, ideas,
or practices, often leading to insights about how
things work, what they mean, or how to act in
various situations.
In a practical sense, knowledge serves as the
basis for decision-making, innovation, and the
advancement of societies, as it enables
individuals and groups to interpret and respond
to their environment more effectively.
Information:
Information is organized, processed, or
structured data that provides meaning or
insight. Unlike raw data, which may simply be
numbers, words, or signals without context,
information is data that has been given structure
or context so it can answer specific questions or
help make decisions.
Information is crucial for communication,
decision-making, and knowledge creation. It acts
as a bridge between data and knowledge,
allowing individuals and systems to make sense
of their environment and act in meaningful
ways.
 Role of libraries as sources of Knowledge
and Information:
Libraries have long been essential as sources of
knowledge and information, serving as hubs
where people can access, discover, and explore
a wealth of resources for education, research,
and personal development.
Repository of Knowledge:
• Libraries curate and store vast collections of books,
manuscripts, periodicals, maps, and multimedia
materials. This accumulation of works provides a
comprehensive base of explicit knowledge, covering
diverse fields like science, history, philosophy, and the
arts.
• By preserving historical records and literature, libraries
maintain the continuity of human knowledge across
generations, acting as guardians of cultural heritage and
intellectual history.
Access to Information:
Libraries provide free or low-cost access to
information resources, leveling the playing field for
individuals from diverse socio-economic
backgrounds. This access is crucial for education,
lifelong learning, and informed citizenship.
They often provide access to electronic databases,
journals, e-books, and other digital resources that
can be costly for individuals but are essential for
research and study.
 Organization of Knowledge/ Knowledge
Organization (KO)
Knowledge Organization: concerned with the nature
and quality of such Knowledge Organizing Processes
(KOP) as well as the Knowledge Organizing Systems
(KOS) used to organize documents, document
representation, works and concepts
Knowledge organization includes, “the description
of documents, their contents, features and
purposes, and the organization of these descriptions
so as to make these documents and their parts
accessible
KO encompasses every type and method of
indexing, abstracting, cataloguing ,
classification, record management,
bibliography and the creation of textual or
bibliographic databases for information
retrieval
 Manual vs Electronic organization of
knowledge:
Manual organization of knowledge:
Manual organization of knowledge relies on
physical tools like notebooks, index cards,
binders, and filing systems to structure, store,
and access information. This approach is valuable
for people who benefit from the tactile and
visual aspects of working with physical materials
and who may find that the act of writing by hand
reinforces memory and understanding.
Examples: Notebooks and Journals, Index Cards, Binders and
Folders
Advantages of Manual Knowledge Organization
1.Enhanced Memory Retention: Writing things down by hand
and physically organizing them can improve memory, as it
engages different cognitive processes than typing.
2.Freedom and Creativity: Manual methods allow for personal
expression, doodles, and unique layouts that foster creativity
and make the process enjoyable.
3.Reduced Digital Fatigue: For those experiencing screen fatigue,
manual systems offer a welcome break from devices, reducing
strain and distractions.
Drawbacks of Manual Organization
1.Space and Portability: Physical systems require storage
space, which can be limiting if you have extensive
information or need to access it on the go.
2.Limited Searchability: Searching through physical
documents is slower compared to digital methods,
especially for large volumes of information.
3.Backup Challenges: Paper-based systems are
vulnerable to damage or loss, and duplicating them can
be time-consuming.
Electronic organization of knowledge:
Electronic organization of knowledge uses digital
tools to collect, store, and manage information
efficiently. This approach offers several powerful
advantages, such as rapid searching, easy updates,
and scalability. Many tools are available for
different styles of electronic organization, each
catering to various needs like note-taking, database
management, collaboration, and archiving.
Examples: Note-Taking Apps, Digital File Systems,
Databases and Spreadsheets
Advantages of Electronic Knowledge Organization
1.Searchability and Speed: Most digital tools allow for
instant search, making it easy to retrieve specific
information with keywords, tags, or file names.
2.Portability and Access: Digital organization provides
access to information from multiple devices and
locations, particularly with cloud-based tools.
3.Collaboration and Sharing: Digital systems
simplify collaboration, letting users share files,
co-edit documents, and communicate within
platforms.
4.Automation and Scalability: Many tools
support automation, which streamlines
repetitive tasks and scales well with growing
volumes of data.
Drawbacks of Electronic Knowledge Organization
1.Digital Distraction: Working on digital devices
can lead to distractions and hinder focus.
2.Dependency on Technology: Digital tools rely
on power, internet, and compatible devices; loss
of access or technical issues can disrupt work.
3.Learning Curve: Advanced tools can have a
steep learning curve, and customizing or
troubleshooting them can take time.
4.Privacy and Security Concerns: Digital storage
comes with privacy risks, especially if tools
aren’t properly secured.
 Organization of Knowledge in
Libraries:
The organization of information in library and
information science is referred to as
“bibliographic control”
‘the skill or art …. of organizing knowledge
(information) for retrieval’ (Svenonius
Elaine)
‘encompassing the creation, storage,
manipulation, and retrieval of bibliographic
data’ (Smiraglia Richard)
• “ Retrieval of information is dependent upon
its having been organized, organization of
information also allows to keep usable records
of human endeavors for posterity.” ( Arlene.G.
Taylor)
• Anyone who has attempted to maintain a file
or references to articles, books and any other
types of materials containing information has
practiced bibliographic control. For such to
succeed, it is necessary to decide what
elements of data to record about the
information package or resource.
• It may be decided to record author(s), title,
keywords, abstracts and location of the
information package. These become the data
to be stored, manipulated and retrieved. As
the file grows, storing, manipulating and
retrieving become more and more complex,
then art and skill become necessary for
successful creation, maintenance and use of
the file.
 Bibliographic Tools:
• In the universe of all knowledge, there is a certain
amount of that knowledge that has been recorded
in some way e.g written down, digitized, printed,
recorded. This subset is often referred to as the
“bibliographic universe”.
• Only the bibliographic universe can be controlled,
such control is performed by bibliographic tools in
which each discrete item of knowledge is
represented by a bibliographic record
(entry,surrogate record, metadata).
• Bibliographic tools which are also retrieval
tools include:
• - Bibliographies
• - Indexes
• - Catalogs
• - Finding aids
• - Registers
• - Bibliographic databases & search engines
 Functions of Bibliographic Tools
• Bibliographic tools have three functions
1. Identifying a particular bibliographic item – all tools aim
at allowing a user, who has a citation/a particular
bibliographic item, to match that known item with the
entry in the tool
2. Collocating or gathering – collocation is a means for
bringing together in one place in a bibliographic tool all
entries for like and all closely related materials
3. Evaluating or selecting – allows a user to choose from
among many records, the most suitable item that
contains the required information and/or is in the
appropriate physical form (e.g. on paper or on disc)
 Uses of Bibliographic Control
• In Functional Requirements of Bibliographic Records
(FRBR), the functions of bibliographic control are
essential for the ultimate purpose of allowing users to
fulfill user tasks:
To find entities that correspond to the user’s stated
search criteria …
To identify an entity …
To select an entity that is appropriate to the user’s
needs …
To acquire or obtain access to the entry described …
 CATALOGING:
• Cataloguing is a subset of the larger field –
bibliographic control or organization of information
• OR cataloguing is preparation of bibliographic
information for catalog records
• The means by which catalogs are prepared is
through the process called cataloging. This process
usually begins with descriptive cataloging and
continues with subject analysis, and throughout
both phases is intertwined the process of authority
control.
 CATALOGS
What is a Catalog(ue)?
• A list of library materials contained in a
collection, a library, or a group of libraries
arranged according to some definite plan.
• In a wider sense, a list of materials prepared
for a particular purpose (e.g., an exhibition
catalog, a sales catalog).
-AACR2
• A catalog is an organized set of bibliographic
records that represent the holdings of a
particular collection and/or resources
accessible in a particular location.
• A collection may consist of any of several
types of materials- e.g books, periodicals,
maps, coins, sound recordings
 UNION CATALOGS:
• Traditionally the collection represented by a
catalog has been located in one place or at
least in different parts of the same institution
• Increasingly, however catalogs represent the
holdings of more than one library, as libraries
form consurtiums and otherwise link their
catalogs for the purposes of interlibrary
sharing such catalogs are sometimes called
“union catalogs”
 Why prepare catalogs?
• Catalogs are necessary whenever a collection
grows too large to be remembered item for
item. A small private library or classrorm
library has little need for a formal catalog, the
user can recall each book or other such item
by author, title, subject.
• When such a collection becomes a little larger,
an informal arrangement such as grouping the
items by subject categories provides access to
them.
• When a collection becomes too large for such
a simple approach, a formal record is
necessary
• There are two (2) major reasons to make such
a formal record in larger collections: for
retrieval and for inventory purposes
• In addition to being unable to remember what
is in a large collection for access purposes, it
also becomes impossible for the owner to
remember what has been acquired, lost,
replaced etc. A catalog can serve as a record
of what is owned.
 Why Do We Catalog? What is the Purpose
of a Catalog Record?
• TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO LIBRARY MATERIALS
• The process of cataloging results in the creation of a
“catalog record” or “bibliographic record” for a
specific item
• The purpose of the library catalog is to enable
people to locate items within the library’s collection
• The bibliographic record, whether in card form,
book form, or online, serves as a facsimile of the
item itself
 Why Do We Catalog? What is the Purpose
of a Catalog Record?
• By looking at the bibliographic record one can identify features
of the item, such as title, author(s), publisher, publication date,
subject, etc.
• Within the catalog access is provided to the bibliographic
records through a variety of names, titles and subject terms
associated with the item
• Once the record is located within the catalog through these
access points it can be evaluated by the user to see if she or
he wants to examine the item itself
• If so the bibliographic record provides the user access to the
item, usually through a call number or other location
contained in the record
 Functions of Catalog:
• The functions of bibliographic control
mentioned earlier - identifying,
collocating,evaluating are functions of every
bibliographic tool, including catalogs.
• These functions for catalogs were stated by
Charles. A. Cutter in his “Rules for a
Dictionary Catalog” in 1904.
• He first stated what he thought the objectives
“objects” of a catalog should be and then gave
his views of the “means” by which the objects
would be accomplished.
 Functions of Catalog: Objects
Charles Cutter (1904)
1. Finding (Identifying) Function
• To enable a person to find a book of
which either
• a) the author is known.
• b) the title is known.
• c) the subject is known.
2. Assembling (Collocating) Function
• To show what the library has
• d) by a given author.
• e) on a given subject.
• f) in a given kind of literature.
3. To assist in the choice of a book (Evaluating
Function)
• g) as to its edition (bibliographically).
• h) as to its character (literary, topical).
 Functions of Catalog: Means
Charles Cutter (1904)
1. Author-entry with the necessary references (for A
and D).
2. Title-entry or title-reference (for B).
3. Subject-entry, with cross-references, and classed
subject-table (for C and E).
4. Form-entry and language-entry (for F).
5. Giving edition and imprint, with notes when
necessary (for G).
6. Notes (for H).
 Forms of Catalogs
• A library catalog may exist in:-
1. Physical format
(a) Book catalog
(b) Card catalog
(c) Microform catalog
2. Online computer catalog (the most common)
 Physical formats of catalogs
Book catalog:
The printed book catalog is the oldest type
known, it was used by many American libraries
as the most common form of catalog until the
late 1800s. Because book catalogs were rather
expensive to produce and quickly became
outdated, they were gradually replaced by card
catalogs.
Example of book catalog
Card catalog:
At the beginning of the 1990s the card catalog was
still the library catalog most often found and used. It
is still found in libraries that have not been able to
afford the software and equipment necessary for an
online catalog, and it is also found in libraries that
have not been able to complete the retrospective
conversion of records from card format to machine
readable format. Each entrt was prepared on a
standard 7.5 cm x 12.5 cm card.
Example of card catalog
Microform catalogs:
They became much popular with the
development of computer output microform
(COM). COM catalogs could either be produced
in either microfilm or microfiche, however they
were not popular with users.
Example of microform catalog
Online computer catalog:
The online computer catalog, often referred to
as an online public access catalog (OPAC), has
rapidly become the catalog of choice.
Bibliographic records stored in the computer
memory are displayed on a video screen in
response to a request from a user.
Entries may comprise the full bibliographic
record or only parts of it, depending on the
system and/or desires of the user.
Until the 1990s, such systems were costly and
only very large libraries were able to afford
them. Now systems have been developed for
use on every size computer from mainframes to
personal computers and have become quite
affordable.
Picture of Udsm Library OPAC
 Qualities of a catalog:
An effective catalog in any format should be possess
certain qualities that will allow it to be easily
consulted and maintained. The following criteria can
be considered for judging a catalog
1. A catalog should be flexible and up to date:
Library’s collection is constantly changing, since
catalogs are records of what is available in the library
entries should be added or removed as items are
added to or discarded from the collection. The card
catalog and the OPAC are totally flexible
2. A catalog should be constructed so that all
entries can be quickly and easily found: This is a
matter of labelling, filing and in the case of
online catalogs, simple and clear screen
instructions.
3. A catalog should be economically prepared
and maintained: The catalog that can be
prepared most inexpensively and with greatest
attention to currency has obvious advantages.
 Cataloging cont……
Cataloging process usually begins with
descriptive cataloging and continues with
subject analysis, and throughout both phases is
intertwined the process of authority control
• Encoding:
Encoding permeates the entire cataloging
process. The results of each of the descriptive,
subject and authority processes are entered into
a machine- readable form that is compatible
with the online system in which the catalog
record will be used.
• Descriptive cataloging:
Is that phase of the cataloging process that is
concerned with the identification and description of
an information package.
The recording of this information in the form of a
cataloging record, (I)the selection of name and title
access points, (II)the formation of headings for the
name and title access points and the (III) encoding of
the data elements so that they will be machine
readable.
Descriptive cataloging describes the make up of
an information package and identifies the
responsibility for intellectual contents
(bibliographic universe).
(i)Description:
Identification and description are interrelated
processes in descriptive cataloging.
• IDENTIFICATION: Choice of conventional
elements guided by a set of rules
• When the cataloger has properly identified
the conventional elements, they are described
in a catalog record in such a fashion that the
description is unique and can be applied to no
other entity in the collection
• Each information package should be distinguished
from everything with which it could be confused
• Elements: - Title
- Statement of responsibility
- Edition information
- Publication distribution
- Physical description (extent& size)
- Series (“ this are for physical
information package”)
• Elements: - Title
- Statement of responsibility
- Edition information
- Date information
- Location information (e.g URL)
(“ For virtual information packages i.e. internet
documents”)
(ii) Access:
After describing an information package the cataloger
selects name and title access points. Names of
persons and corporate bodies associated with a work
are chosen according to the cataloging rules used.
Title access points also are chosen in addition to the
obvious main title ( called title proper) there may be
alternative titles, variant titles, series titles, and titles
of other works related in some way with the work
being cataloged.
• In traditional practice one of the access points is
chosen as the main one, a better term might be
“primary access point” and the remaining access
points are called “ added entries”
• The access points chosen are formatted as
headings, constructed in a form that will make them
readily accessible in the catalog and will enhance
collocation. This is done using cataloging rules and
through reference to the authority file, thus
continuing the process of authority control
• Subject Analysis:
It involves determining what subject concept or
concepts are covered by the intellectual content of a
work. Once this has been determined, as many
subject headings as are appropriate are chosen from
a standard list. Again, an authority file must be
consulted if the subject headings are to be properly
collocated into the catalog with other works
covering the same or related subject concepts.
• The final step in the subject analysis process
usually is to choose a classification notation
from whatever classification scheme is used
by the library
• Authority Control:
Is the result process of maintaining consistency in
the verbal form (heading) used to represent an
access point and the further process of showing
the relationship among names, works and subjects.
It is accomplished through use of rules (in the case
of names and titles), use of a controlled vocabulary
and reference to an authority file to create an
authorized character string called a heading.
• Authority file: Grouping of records of the forms of
names, titles or subjects chosen for use in a catalog
• Each authority record in an authority file may
contain in addition to the form chosen for use as
the heading, a list of variant forms to use as
references
• It is possible to practice authority control by letting
the catalog it self serve as the authority file- i.e by
assuming that the form of heading used in the
catalog is correct
• It is authority control that makes cataloging more
than a process of creating a series of bibliographic
records to represent discrete works without
apparent relationship to any other
• The process of cataloging can be defined as “
creation of catalog using bibliographic records”
because authority control allows the cataloger to
create headings for names, titles and subjects that
show relationships among the works cataloged
• It means that the heading for the same name in
different records always the same so that bibliographic
records for all works by and about the same person or
emanating from the same corporate body can be
displayed together
• The heading used to represent the same subject
concept in different works can be used always in one
form (called controlled vocabulary) so that, to the
extent that works are identified as being about the
same subject concept, all such works can be displayed
together.
• Authority control of controlled vocabulary also
makes it possible to refer users from terms not
used to those used and from terms used to
other related terms.
Process of cataloging

CATALOGING

DESCRIPTIVE SUBJECT
CATALOGING ANALYSIS

AUTHORITY CONTROL
• Cooperative and Copy cataloging: The
process of cataloging explained in previous
slide is often referred to as “ original
cataloging”
• Fortunately it is not necessary for every
information package in every library to be
cataloged originally in that library
• Because libraries acquire copies of many of
the same items or decide to catalog the same
internet resources their catalogers can share
cataloging by adapting for their own catalogs a
copy of the original cataloging created by
another library a process commonly called
“copy cataloging”
THE END