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Atlas Cataloging Manual: Home

Local instructions for cataloging and classification of atlases

Contents

  • Introduction / Local Workflow

  • Searching OCLC

  • Editing the Record

  • Call numbers

  • MFHD & Item Records

  • Marking, Labelling, & Barcoding

  • Statistics

  • List of Resources

Introduction / General Workflow

Introduction

Cataloging an atlas is very similar to cataloging a book, with a few additional fields to consider.

Definitions:

  • Atlas. A volume of maps, plates, engravings, tables, etc., with or without descriptive text. It may be an independent publication or it may have been issued as accompanying material. (AACR2R, Glossary)

  • Atlas. A unit of extent of cartographic resource that is a volume of maps or other cartographic content with or without descriptive text. (RDA Toolkit, Glossary)

Local workflow

  • Atlas is received by Acquisitions, then property-stamped, tattle-taped, and barcoded. The item should include a flag noting the location and, possibly, the bib number.

  • Atlas is sent to the Special Formats Cataloger (SFC) for cataloging.

Searching

Searching in OCLC

  1. Scan the barcode in Voyager to pull up the record imported from OCLC by Acquisitions. If it is a brief record, verify that it is suppressed. If not, suppress the record, save to database, then follow CARLI's Safe Bibliographic Replacement routine.

  2. Search OCLC by ISBN for a bibliographic record.

If one record comes up, is the same as the one in Voyager, and has not been updated since the record was imported, use the record in Voyager.

If the record has been updated, import the record again and overlay the existing one.

If more than one record comes up, prefer the one that is cataloged as an atlas. (Sometimes these items will also be cataloged as a book.)

When determining whether the item is an atlas or not, a good rule of thumb is that if the item is more than 50% maps, then catalog as an atlas. If still uncertain and there is an atlas record in OCLC, use that record. If no atlas record is found, catalog as a monograph.

If there are multiple records, identify the best record. The primary search criteria are:

020 (ISBN)

1XX (author)

245/246 (title, alternate title)

250 (edition)

255 (scale, projection, coordinates)

260 $c (date of publication)

If all of these fields match, use these fields for additional verification:

260 $a, $b (place of publication, publisher)

300 (physical description)

500 (any notes)

7XX (alternate author(s))

When in doubt prefer DLC and prefer record with more holdings attached

If the record found still does not completely match, return the atlas to the SFC.