Three-way division combined with conversion to Medical Subject Headings(MeSH) in a medium-sized medical library.
(25/45)
Conversion to MeSH and other reasons are enumerated for the division of an undivided dictionary card catalog into a three-way divided catalog, consisting of Proper Names, Titles, and Topical Subjects sections. Methodology of division is described. Conversion from Library of Congress Subject Headings to Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) as an authority list stimulated such concurrent changes as (1) the introduction of a guide card system that eliminates typing of subject headings on catalog cards and (2) the adoption of a filing system that employs reverse chronological order for all types of sequential material in the Proper Names and Titles sections and for all material in the Topical Subjects section. The ancillary decisions, procedures, and methods necessitated by these major conversions are also described. (+info)
Mechanization of library procedures in the medium-sized medical library. IV. Physical characteristics of the acquisitions-cataloging record.
(26/45)
Acquisitions-Cataloging records stored on magnetic tape by the Washington University School of Medicine Library were examined to determine frequency and average length of record components and their alphabetization requirements in a book catalog. Data from this study of 4,708 records will be used in adaptation of the Library's computer-based cataloging system to greater machine capabilities. The first of these two papers compares measurements found for WUSML records with those reported in studies of conventional catalog cards. The number of sorting positions used to alphabetize entries and causes of sort failure are examined in the second paper (Number V) which will be found on page 71 of this issue of the BULLETIN. (+info)
The current catalog--how current?
(27/45)
NLM's Current Catalog has recently come in for some criticism. To be useful as a tool in acquisition and cataloging, currency in receipt of the Current Catalog is necessary. A survey of 263 titles with 1967 imprints, which were received by the Library of the Medical Sciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, was made to determine the correlation between the receipt of these books in the library and their appearance in the Current Catalog. (+info)
Problems of medical subject cataloging.
(28/45)
The subject catalog of the University of Colorado Medical Center Library is examined in considerable detail. Annual revisions of the subject catalog required by annual revisions of the subject heading authority list used, NLM's MeSH, are analyzed in terms of man-hours required for the effort and the effect on the catalog's structure. It is contended that, in a divided catalog, changes of headings on a one-for-one equivalency basis are no more difficult than they would be in a computerized catalog, but that in many-for-one changes the manual catalog and the machine catalog face exactly the same dilemma and in the same magnitude, the only solution in either case being the reexamination of many entries. The proliferation of subheadings is shown to present particularly vexing problems in catalog revision. A plea is made to recognize the MeSH system for what it is, a legitimate compromise between the descriptor-oriented terms of a computer coordinate-indexing system, and the subject-heading-oriented terms of the conventional card catalog. (+info)
Survey of the card catalog in medical libraries.
(29/45)
A survey of present uses and arrangement of medical library card catalogs was made in order to determine current practices and trends. Attention was focused on the influences of MeSH on the card catalog. The results indicate that the prevalent type of card catalog found in medical libraries is the divided catalog. In addition, it appears that this catalog arrangement is gaining acceptance, and the trend is toward division. MeSH has an effect on the organization of the card catalog; libraries indicate that it is an influential factor in the decision to divide the catalog. (+info)
The NLM current catalog.
(30/45)
When the National Library of Medicine acquired a computer to augment its publication program, the intent was to present in one medium an index to journal articles and a catalog of books and new serial titles. The computer programs designed for indexing were unsatisfactory for cataloging, however; so two publications were issued, the Index Medicus and the NLM Current Catalog. The Current Catalog features separate name and subject sections, added volumes, and technical reports. The Express Cataloging Service was one of the first attempts to increase the speed and coverage of the Catalog. Shared cataloging with the Library of Congress, the Countway Library at Harvard, and the Upstate Medical Library in Syracuse, New York, have also contributed to the efforts toward improving this library service. An additional shared cataloging program, this time with the National Medical Audiovisual Center, is expected to be implemented shortly. (+info)
Mechanization of library procedures in the medium-sized medical library. 8. Suspension of computer atalog.
(31/45)
A system for the substitution of a computer-printed book catalog for a card catalog was put to the test by making the former the sole means of locating material in the library, after four years of being used merely as an adjunct to the card catalog. It was found not suitable, and a new system is being devised in the light of the difficulties encountered. The reasons why the system broke down and the plans for the new one are described. (+info)
A computer-generated catalog of audiovisuals.
(32/45)
A computer-generated catalog of nonprint media is described. Examples are given of four access points to the data base: (1) main entry, (2) title, (3) MeSH terms, and (4) broad subject categories. The data input procedure is summarized. The AV catalog as the basis for a union list is evaluated, and finally, the catalog in relation to certain local problems is discussed. (+info)