Standard Cataloging Procedures - Introduction

Standard Cataloging Procedures - Introduction

Standard Cataloging Procedures

The Standard Cataloging Procedures (SCP) articles are meant to be a guide for cataloging practices in the Montana Shared Catalog library consortium. For more explanation of the topics covered herein, please refer to the Help menu in WorkFlows (F1), or contact the MSC staff or your cataloging mentor.

The SCP was last revised by the MSC Content Management Committee (CMC) in August 2019.

1. Introduction

The Montana Shared Catalog (MSC) serves a diverse group of libraries, including special, academic, school, and public libraries. The purpose of these procedures is to create consistency within the bibliographic records in the catalog. Member libraries and their patrons rely on the integrity of the catalog. Consistency is vital. It is the responsibility of each MSC member library to be consistent in following these procedures.

1.1 How to use this document

This document is intended to be used as a digital document. Reading this document from your computer makes the links within the manual accessible. If links do not work, please contact the MSC or download an updated version of the manual, as links will be reviewed and corrected as necessary.

This document has been separated into sections based on cataloging tasks. Libraries that do copy cataloging and rarely modify title/bibliographic records will primarily use section 3 and section 4. Instances where new records need to be created are explained in section 5. Please note that section 5 is not an explanation of how to create original MARC records from scratch; that is beyond the scope of this manual. Instead, section 6 will explain rules for modifying and enhancing records in the current MSC system, SirsiDynix Symphony Workflows. Other sections cover special topics, including: cataloging serials, series and multi-part works (section 7); removing records (section 8.2); transferring items between records (section 8.1); creating brief records for interlibrary loans (section 5.2); and special cataloging situations, like book kits (section 5.5) and eReaders (section 5.6). A MARC tag “cheat sheet” is also included.

For more information about the basics of cataloging, MARC21 for Everyone: A Practical Guide by Deborah Fritz is a good first resource for new catalogers.

1.2 How to get help

The Montana Shared Catalog staff can be reached by phone, email, and through the help desk ticket system. Enter a
help desk ticket with the details of your question or problem. The most effective tickets contain specific information about issues as well as item IDs, call numbers or title control numbers. By phone, the state library and MSC staff can be reached toll-free at 1-800-338-5087. Current contact information for individual staff can be found at the MSC About Us page.

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