LTA Cataloging and Classification 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which cataloging principle holds that a catalog should enable a user to find all works by a particular author collected together?
- Collocating function (Correct answer)
- Finding function
- Syndetic function
- Display function
Correct answer: Collocating function
The collocating (or gathering) function of the catalog groups works related by authorship, subject, or other attribute in one place.
Question 2: When a library assigns the same call number to multiple editions of the same work, this practice is called:
- Superimposition (Correct answer)
- Collocation by edition
- Edition stacking
- Version clustering
Correct answer: Superimposition
Superimposition refers to keeping an older classification or heading for existing records while applying new rules only to new cataloging, though the term is also used for shelving all editions under the same number.
Question 3: What does the ISBD (International Standard Bibliographic Description) primarily standardize?
- The order and punctuation of bibliographic elements in a catalog record (Correct answer)
- The vocabulary of subject headings
- The shelf arrangement of library materials
- The format of interlibrary loan requests
Correct answer: The order and punctuation of bibliographic elements in a catalog record
ISBD prescribes a specific order for bibliographic areas and mandates prescribed punctuation between and within those areas.
Question 4: In Dewey Decimal Classification, Table 2 is used for:
- Geographic areas, historical periods, and biography (Correct answer)
- Standard subdivisions
- Individual literatures
- Languages
Correct answer: Geographic areas, historical periods, and biography
Table 2 in DDC provides geographic and historical notations added to base numbers throughout the schedules.
Question 5: Which MARC field is used to record a subject added entry using LCSH?
- 650 (Correct answer)
- 600
- 610
- 630
Correct answer: 650
Field 650 records a topical subject added entry, typically from LCSH, while 600, 610, and 630 are for personal name, corporate name, and uniform title subjects respectively.
Question 6: The principle of 'specific entry' in subject cataloging means:
- Assign the most specific heading that accurately describes the work, not a broader one (Correct answer)
- Always use the broadest possible heading for maximum retrieval
- Enter all subjects under a general term first
- Use only one subject heading per record
Correct answer: Assign the most specific heading that accurately describes the work, not a broader one
Specific entry, a foundational principle of Cutter, requires assigning a heading as specific as the topic of the work rather than a more general term.
Question 7: In RDA cataloging, the 'source of description' element (MARC 588 field) is recorded to:
- Identify which part of the resource was used as the basis for the description (Correct answer)
- Cite the cataloging agency that created the record
- Record the edition statement source
- Note the authority file consulted
Correct answer: Identify which part of the resource was used as the basis for the description
The 588 field documents the source consulted for the description, such as 'Description based on title frame, viewed 2024-03-01,' supporting transparency and verification.
LTA Cataloging and Classification 5
Which cataloging principle holds that a catalog should enable a user to find all works by a particular author collected together?