The library catalogue as a bibliographic tool: document analysis and error corrections as parts of an enhanced workflow

Abstract

The paper aims to discuss cataloguing workflow as a part of catalogue improvement.

As a librarian involved in day-by-day cataloguing, every research on a library catalogue is an occasion to discover, in bibliographic and in authority entries, a huge amount of mistakes, especially in printed book and film description, and it is far from rare to have the doubt if the record I'm looking has been created for the same edition of my copy-in-hand, or for a different one.

Referring to the Italian (i.e. REICAT) situation but trying to having a look on the international (i.e. RDA) one, there will be discussed some practical examples of book and film cataloguing, on the assumption that examples are both important to build good cataloguing rules and to apply them.

Particular attention will be paid to record duplication and inaccuracies, trying to understand how to avoid them improving collaboration between cataloguers.