ETL505 Module 2

Today I am reading about how libraries have developed, from

Taylor, A. (2004). Development of the organization of recorded information in

western civilization. In The organization of information (2nd Ed.) (pp.

49-66). Westport, Conn.: Libraries Unlimited.

One of the oldest lists of books is from the Sumerians in 2000BC.They also had the first recorded “letter home from a student who threatens to drop out of school unless his parents fork over more money for a suitable wardrobe”(p.50) !! In 1500BC the Hittites “saw the need to record bibliographic information as part of a written work”(p.50).In 650BC the people of Nineveh developed the first library. The Greek civilisation seems to have given us the idea that our main entry should be author. Early 9^th – 13^th century libraries kept lists of their works, even if they had 700 entries. It was manageable, although it was not always in a discernible order !!

In 1389 the first catalogue of sorts is recorded. It was divided into 3 sections. In the 15^th Century references were used to help locate resources. Finally at the end of the 15^th Century the first bibliography in chronological order is recorded. More and more advances were made, although some suggestions would now seem rather silly …. Order books due to height and thickness, follow the rules unless you think otherwise! Sounds like 2 steps forward and 1 back !!

However, in 1791 after the French Revolution, the new government set out instructions for what would seem a national code… the card catalogue !! The cards were filed and strung together on a piece of thread so they would remain in order. In the 19^th Century many were discussing how best to catalogue. In 1839 Panizzi wrote his views in a cataloguing code called “91 Rules”. The issues he was dealing with are still the ones we are dealing with today!

In 1876 Charles Cutter published Rules For a Printed Dictionary Catalogue. They emphasised that catalogues should focus on individual publications but “should also assemble and organise literary units” (p.57). The British and Americans  collaborated on a cataloguing code in 1908 .. the first international one. They continued to make alterations until the war ended this. The American Library Association continued working and in 1941 produced a second edition. There were two parts to it ; one for entry and heading, with another for the description of books. It was attacked because of its complexity, but in 1961the Paris Principles ( or IFLA Principles- International Federation of Library Associations) were agreed to, significant because this was the first multinational agreement.

In 1974 IFLA issued the International Standard Bibliographic Description (ISBD). The aim was to make “records from different sources interchangeable, to facilitate their interpretation against language barriers, and to facilitate the conversion of such records to machine readable form” (p.58).

“AACR2, Anglo- American Cataloguing Rules was published in 1978” (p.59). United States, great Britain, Canada and Australia “agreed to standard interpretation and implementation of AACR2” (p.59). Many other countries use this now also.revisions continue even up to 2002.

Philosophers have tried to classify books, but it was not really until Cutters’ Rules For a Dictionary Catalog that interest in subject access began.Subject Heading Lists began to be developed.In the early 1800’s classification was an issue. In 1876 Melvil Dewey issued the first edition of his system anonymously. There were 10 classes, divided into 10 and then another 10 , so 1000 catagories.

A lot has gone in to the system we use today !