Department of Library and Information Studies

LIS 640 - Organizing Library Collections

COURSE P ROSPECTUS

Prerequisites/Corequisites:

None.

Required Text(s):

Anglo-American Cataloging Rules. 2nd ed., 1988 revision. Chicago: American Library Association, 1998.

Course Description:

Study of methods of organizing library collections for effective use. Introduces principles and techniques for cataloging and classification and investigates issues affecting organization. (3 s.h.)

Student Learning Outcomes:

At the conclusion of this course students will be able to:

  • Verbalize the role of bibliographic organization with relation to other library and information activities.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of the principles and purposes of descriptive and subject cataloging.
  • Recognize strengths and weaknesses of organizational tools, i.e. , DDC, LC, Sears, LCSH, AACR2R, etc.
  • Articulate through verbal and written means, current library issues and their impact on the organization of collections.
  • Discuss the social and technological forces influencing the organization of collections.

Course Requirements:

Attendance and participation 10%

This course covers much that is often unfamiliar to some students and may differ from individual library practice in some cases. It is, therefore, essential that students attend every class.

Exercises 50%

Exercises will be distributed in class. Each is due as noted in the course calendar, generally a class or two after the class when the topic is covered. You may find these easier if you augment these exercises with additional examples and exercises from the Manheimer/Saye workbook.

Midterm examination 20%

The midterm will be administered toward the sixth class meeting of the semester. It is "open book" but should be completed as an individual assigm-nent.

Final examination 20%

The final examination will be administered during the examination period. It is "open book" but should be completed as an individual assignment.

Topical Outline:

    1. Introduction
        1. Technical Services
        2. Technology and its role in the organization of library collections
        3. Management issues
        4. Ethics and the roles of the professional and paraprofessional
    2. Basic concepts of bibliographic organization
        1. Bibliographic control
        2. Bibliographic records
        3. Bibliographic description
    3. Descriptive cataloging
        1. General rules
          1. Levels of description
          2. Areas of description
        2. Description of print materials
        3. Description of non print materials
    4. Access
        1. Choice of access points
        2. Form of heading
        3. References
    5. Subject cataloging
        1. Subject arrangement
        2. Verbal subject analysis
          1. General principles
          2. Dewey Decimal Classification
          3. Library of Congress Classification
    6. Organization of bibliographic records
        1. Centralized processing
        2. Shelflist maintenance
        3. Inventory and collection control, retrospective conversion
        4. Filing and filing rules
    7. Technology
        1. Networking (including OCLC, RLIN, WLN, and LANS),
        2. Bibliographic utilities and bibliographic service centers ( e.g. , SOLINET)
        3. Online resources via WWW
        4. Applying organizational techniques to on-line resources

 
Department of Library and Information Studies
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro
349 Curry Building, PO Box 26170
Greensboro, NC 27402-6170
VOICE 336.334.3477
FAX 336.334.5060
EMAIL cpfelts@uncg.edu