Introduction to Rare Book Cataloguing

Date and Time: Thursday, February 29th, 2024, 9:30-13.00
Venue: Trinity College
Trainer: Maria Giovanna Di Simone

This course aims to provide instruction and practice in the creation of bibliographic records for rare books from the hand-press era so that attendees will be equipped with the basic skills to catalogue their library’s early printed books to national standards. Focus will primarily be on 17th and 18th Century books printed in England and/or in English. Following the taught part of the training, there will be an opportunity to catalogue an early printed book yourself. 

Basic knowledge and familiarity with MARC21 and AACR2 is essential. Laptop optional (paper templates provided for exercises). 

The course will be held in the New Court Meeting Room, New Court Staircase E, Trinity College (see College Map). 

Places: 12

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Cataloguing odd items

Date: 24 May 2023
Time: 10:00am-12:00
Venue: Senior Common Room, St Catharine’s College

In 1906, Melvil Dewey wrote that: “what we call books have no exclusive rights in a library. The name “library” has lost its etymologic meaning and means not a collection of books, but the central agency for disseminating information, innocent recreation or, best of all, inspiration among the people.”

Most libraries contain mostly books. But most libraries have other things in them too. Some of these objects – films, musical recordings, maps, sheet music – have established cataloguing standards, developed through communities of practice. Others are more problematic. What should we do with our flashcards, skeletons, jigsaws, bookstands, postage stamps, DVD players, and the other odds-and-ends we collate, curate and circulate?

Should these things be catalogued? Perhaps. Can they be catalogued? Certainly.

This course provides an introduction to the theory and practice of cataloguing ‘realia.’ Examples will be provided for group cataloguing activities, but feel free to bring along your own unusual library materials too.

Trainer: Colin Higgins
Number of places: 12

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Cataloguing odd items

Date: 16 January 2020
Time: 10:00am-12:00
Venue: Ramsden Room, St Catharine’s College

In 1906, Melvil Dewey wrote that: “what we call books have no exclusive rights in a library. The name “library” has lost its etymologic meaning and means not a collection of books, but the central agency for disseminating information, innocent recreation or, best of all, inspiration among the people.”

Most libraries contain mostly books. But most libraries have other things in them too. Some of these objects – films, musical recordings, maps, sheet music – have established cataloguing standards, developed through communities of practice. Others are more problematic. What should we do with our flashcards, skeletons, jigsaws, bookstands, postage stamps, DVD players, and the other odds-and-ends we collate, curate and circulate?

Should these things be catalogued? Perhaps. Can they be catalogued? Certainly.

This course provides an introduction to the theory and practice of cataloguing ‘realia.’ Examples will be provided for group cataloguing activities, but feel free to bring along your own unusual library materials too.

Trainer: Colin Higgins

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Introduction to Library of Congress Subject headings

Date: Wednesday 8 January, 2020
Times: 9.30am-1.00pm
Venue: IT Training Room, University Library

Do you see these subject headings in the catalogue records and wonder how they work? Do you add these subject headings yourself but sometimes wonder if you’re doing so correctly? Are you studying librarianship and would like to add some subject heading skills to your portfolio? This is an introduction to the workings of LC subject headings, an opportunity to ask all the questions you want, and get some practical experience of adding headings to catalogue records.

Trainers: Vanessa Lacey and Agnieszka Kurzeja

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Introduction to Rare Book Cataloguing

Date: Monday 25 Nov 2019
Time: 09:00 – 13:00
Venue: Queens’ College

This course aims to provide instruction and practice in the creation of bibliographic records for rare books from the hand-press era so that attendees will be equipped with the basic skills to catalogue their library’s early printed books to national standards. Focus will primarily be on 17th-18th Century books printed in England and/or in English.

Basic knowledge and familiarity with MARC21 and AACR2 is essential. Laptop optional (paper templates provided for exercises).

Trainer: Lucille Munoz

 

Introduction to Rare books cataloguing Nov 2019 (PDF)

Introduction to Rare Book Cataloguing – Bibliography Nov 19 (PDF

Metadata for Digital Objects

Date: Tues 5 March
Time: 2:00-5:00pm
Venue: IT Training Room, UL

This course will look at how to create metadata for online catalogues and digital libraries, concentrating on special collections material. We will be using TEI (Text Encoding Initiative) as the most suitable metadata standard for the description and presentation of manuscripts and rare books in a digital environment. The course will focus on the descriptive element of TEI, but will also touch on the possibilities for transcription, translation, and the presentation of digital images. There will be a taught element (1 hour) followed by the opportunity to have a go at creating a description in TEI yourself.

Trainer: Huw Jones

Cost: Free

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Cataloguing and Managing Film Collections

Date: 19 September 2018
Time: 10.00 am – 12.00 pm
Venue: Ramsden Room, St Catharine’s College

This course will provide an introduction to film librarianship. In particular, it will explain how and why to develop film collections, and how to catalogue them.

Please note: This course will be cancelled if booking numbers are insufficient.

Course leader: Colin Higgins

Places: 12

Cost: Free

Book a place: http://linux02.lib.cam.ac.uk/UCstats/course_booking/course_booking.cgi

Cataloguing and managing film collections

Date:  20 June 2017
Time: 10am-12pm
Venue: Ramsden Room, St Catharines College

This course will provide an introduction to film librarianship. In particular, it will explain why and how to develop film collections, and how to catalogue and classify them.

Course leaders: Colin Higgins, Stephanie Palek, Anna Pensaert.

Places: 12

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Cataloguing rare books: skills and sources

Date: Friday 9 June 2017
Time: 2-5pm
Venue: Milstein Room, University Library

An introduction to rare books cataloguing skills and resources, covering the nature of book production in the early modern period, printed and online resources relating to provenance and bindings, and basic features of rare books (signatures, catchwords, and so on) of which an understanding is needed for cataloguing.

This course is aimed at librarians who may have a general knowledge of cataloguing practice but no specific knowledge of rare books, and will not cover the details of cataloguing standards like RDA or AACR2, but rather the primary skills needed to understand and catalogue rare books.

Course leader: Liam Sims

Places: 15

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Specialist Cataloguing: Maps, Music and Kits

Date: 1 February 2017
Time(s): Part 1: 10.00-12.30 am and Part 2: 1.30-3.30pm
Venue: Comms Room 1, Aoi Pavilion, University Library

This course is run by University cataloguing specialists for maps, music and AV, especially kits. You should commit to attending both the morning (part 1) and afternoon (part 2) sessions since the afternoon AV session will deal with music and maps, AND the practical work for all materials will be at the end.

However, if you attended the LiT ‘Quirky Cataloguing’ session last year and covered maps and music last time it is possible just to attend the afternoon (part 2) session. Please contact Anne Taylor with any queries.

Part 1:

10am-11am maps
11am-11.30 coffee
11.30-12.30 music
12.30-1.30 lunch

Part 2:

1.30-3.30 AV (including examples of sound recordings and cartographic products) plus practical session for all material types.

Tea/coffee and lunch – you can use the UL’s tea room, but please bring your own money to pay for your purchases and/or bring your own lunch.

Course leaders: Anne Taylor, Robin James, Anna Pensaert.

Number of places: 16 at each of Part 1 and Part 2

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