Catalog Card

A library catalog (or library catalogue) is a register of all bibliographic items found in a library or group of libraries, such as a network of libraries at several locations. A bibliographic item can be any information entity (e.g., books, computer files, graphics, realia, cartographic materials, etc.) that is considered library material (e.g., a single novel in an anthology), or a group of library materials (e.g., a trilogy), or linked from the catalog (e.g., a webpage) as far as it is relevant to the catalog and to the users (patrons) of the library. -wikipedia A card catalog is a physical listing of all of the contents of a library, organized with a single card for each item in the library. The card catalog was a familiar navigational hazard and blessing in all libraries well through the late 20th century, when physical card catalogs began to be displaced by computerized versions. Some libraries retain their card catalogs, often as sentimental mementos, and a few actively maintain their card catalogs: this is most common in small, remote libraries. The need to catalog books in some way has been present since books were invented. A good catalog enables people to know which books a library has, and where to find them, and many catalogs contain additional information which could be assistance to scholars. Early library catalogs were kept on scrolls or in ledgers, and they were often printed and distributed so that distant scholars could know which books a library had. The concept of the card catalog was introduced in the 1800s, and it was a great help to scholars. Card catalogs can be configured in a number of ways, and their organization makes it easy to add or remove books, and to find books. In a card catalog, every time a new book enters a library, a card is created for it, with information like the title, author's name, subject, and location of the book. An Online Public Access Catalog (often abbreviated as OPAC or simply Library Catalog) is an online database of materials held by a library or group of libraries. Users search a library catalog principally to locate books and other material physically located at a library. http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-card-catalog.htm Main Entry eg. Arif, Abdul Majid. Political structure in a changing Pakistani villages / by Abdul Majid and Basharat Hafeez Andaleeb. -- 2nd ed. -- Lahore : ABC Press, 1985. xvi, 367p. : ill. ; 22 cm. Includes index. ISBN 969-8612-02-8 (hbk.)

Library card catalogs offer an easy way to search for and locate books throughout a library system. Each card provides specific information on the author, title, subject and location of the book in the facility and at satellite branches.
Author o The author's name is typically found at the top of every card catalog entry. If there is no specific author, the name of a company or organization that produced the title is listed. Title o Subject o Card catalogs arranged by author or title will have a section at the bottom of each card for three to five subjects. Card catalogs arranged by subject will have the main subject of the book listed at the top of the card. ISBN o Catalog cards all contain an ISBN (International Standard Book Number). The ISBN allows for further indexing of all titles that the library owns, making it easier for employees and visitors to locate a specific book. Dewey Decimal Classification o The Dewey Decimal Classification helps each library arrange books by specific categories. A card catalog will usually list the DDC number on the top left corner of the card. Kinds of Card Catalogues Card catalogs appear in many libraries and are used to categorize and locate the available books. The most widely used types are by subject, title and author, although certain libraries may use less The title is the second entry on each card. It appears first when the card is part of an index of titles.

common types. In many cases, card catalogs have been or will be replaced by computerized cataloging systems. Subject o With this type of card catalog, the cards are grouped by subject area. For example, if you were looking for a book about the Civil War, you would need to locate the drawer that encompasses the letters "Ci" and browse until you come to the Civil War books. From there, the books will likely be alphabetized either by author's name or book title. Title o In a title system, the books will be arranged alphabetically by title. Information about the book's subject and author will then be listed underneath on the card. These are usually found in libraries that include publisher series. Author o In an author catalog, the books are listed alphabetically based on the author's last name. Cards for all books written by that author will then appear, and will be grouped alphabetically by either subject or title. Electronic o In many libraries, especially larger ones, card systems are being replaced by computers to save space and promote efficiency. In a computerized system, the book title, subject or author name is typed into the appropriate field. The search can then be narrowed down to pinpoint the specific book and where it is located in the library. Other Types o Other less-common types of catalogs may be present in places such as academic or research institutions. These include a government publications catalog which can be used for locating items such as IRS publications, and catalogs that list books alphabetically by their first sentence.