BOOK REVIEWS
Amy K. Weiss, Column Editor
Organizing Audiovisual and Electronic Resources for Access:
A Cataloging Guide (2nd edition)
By Ingrid Hsieh-Yee
Few catalogers are comfortable cataloging in a variety of formats and even fewer know them all intimately. For those who need a working knowledge of the various non-print formats, Ingrid Hsieh-Yee’s Organizing Audiovisual and Electronic Resources for Access: A Cataloging Guide (2nd ed.) is ideal. This book is designed for either self-study or classroom use and assumes only minimal prior knowledge of cataloging principles. Every chapter is full of examples in MARC format, including step-by-step instructions explaining the choices made in each field.
The original version of Organizing Audiovisual and Electronic Resources for Access: A Cataloging Guide was published in 2001, but revisions began on it almost immediately. This second edition reflects both updates to AACR2 since then (2002 and 2004), the latest version of the Library of Congress Rule Interpretations, and CONSER Module 31. The introductory chapters have been revised extensively to reflect the philosophical sea-change that Resource Description and Access (RDA) represents. There are also three brand-new chapters on electronic resources and a chapter that addresses the latest developments in metadata. The bibliography and selected readings have also been updated. In all, the second edition is ninety-one pages longer than the first edition.
This book is organized as elegantly as the sample MARC records it includes. The first chapter ("Organizing of Information and Cataloging") is a brief introduction to the theoretical basis of cataloging. The second chapter ("Cataloging: An Overview") serves as a primer on AACR & MARC. Chapters 3-7 address specific formats ("Sound Recordings", "Videorecordings", "Electronic Resources", "Integrating Resources" & "Remote Access Electronic Serials"). The final chapter (Chapter 8, "Organizing Information in the Digital Age") serves mainly as a primer on metadata, but also includes the author’s predictions for the future of cataloging in the twenty-first century.
The format-specific chapters are all arranged with a parallel structure, for quick reference. Each one begins with a list of the MARC fields commonly found in each format and then proceeds to the rules of descriptive cataloging. They are each organized into the eight areas of bibliographic description, as found in AACR2 1.1 through 1.8 (Title and Statement of Responsibility; Edition; Material Specific Details; Publication, Distribution, Etc.; Physical Description; Series; Notes; International Standard Numbers). Next, attention shifts to the assignment of access points and subject analysis (including both Library of Congress Subject Headings and call numbers). Hsieh-Yee ends with discussions of various systems of physical arrangement on the library shelves. Ten sample MARC records follow each chapter, as well as a format-specific bibliography and suggested readings.
The chapter on videorecordings starts with a list of five challenges presented in describing them. Problem pieces are treated as learning opportunities, not as obstacles to be overcome. The author clearly explains the hierarchical sources of information (title frames and end credit frames, then labels on the media, then labels on the container). Throughout, she attempts to instill the instincts that lead to good catalogers’ judgment. The examples within the chapters pertain usually to just one field/concept and are simple and straightforward, with jargon-free explanations. The examples at the end of the chapters address entire records and could be used as templates in one’s own work. Both the form and the content of the chapter are impressive and exceptionally clear, and could even be used to explain cataloging practices to laypersons.
Organizing Audiovisual and Electronic Resources for Access is written in such a way that it does not have to be read sequentially. I suspect most professional catalogers will be able to breeze through the first two chapters and that of their chosen format(s), before returning to carefully parse the chapters on formats outside their area of expertise. Hsieh-Yee focuses on information most likely to be used by introductory catalogers. For example, her chapter on sound recordings focuses on popular music and on spoken word recordings, rather than attempting to explain the arcana of classical music cataloging. The three chapters on various aspects of electronic resources cataloging should perhaps be read together for a full view of these complex materials. My only criticism is that the final chapter on metadata and cataloging futures seemed tangential to the rest of the book, though it was certainly interesting and informative.
I would strongly recommend Organizing Audiovisual and Electronic Resources for Access: A Cataloging Guide (2nd ed.) to all catalogers. Managers, Information Technology people, and library-school students would also benefit greatly from it. This is a "feel good" book in the best sense of the term, because it empowers catalogers both practically and emotionally. There is no reason to be leery of the new and constantly-evolving formats catalogers face, Hsieh-Yee argues. The technology, resources, and expertise exist for producing better records than ever before; the records made with this knowledge will contribute to the libraries of the future for decades to come.
Published in 2006 by: Libraries Unlimited, Westport, Connecticut. (376 p.) ISBN10: 1-59158-051-X // ISBN13: 978-1-59158-051-X (pbk.; $45.00).
Reviewed by: Richard N. Leigh
AV Cataloger
McKeldin Library
University of Maryland
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Last updated: June 16, 2007
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