How we describe and catalog our photographs

The ability of the public to search the records successfully is directly related to the quality of our catalog records.  The creation of quality catalog records describing the historical photographs requires the intensive effort of a talented staff. The cataloging of images is broken into 2 phases: research and MARC record creation (conducted by Catalog Assistants) and editing and application of controlled vocabulary subject headings (conducted by Catalog Librarians.)

For our project, we create an item level MARC record for every image. MARC (Machine Readable Cataloging) is an international standard developed by the Library of Congress and others to define the elements within a bibliographic record. For more information about MARC records, click here. To see one of our MARC records, click here.

These records are created off-line using OCLC (Online Computer Library Center, Inc.) Cataloging Micro Enhancer.  When records are complete, they are loaded onto the OCLC database and the Library’s on-line catalog, which is part of the CARL Corporation network.

The Catalog Librarian reviews material and sets up a MARC record template to be used by Catalog Assistants. Catalog Assistants remove negatives and prints from storage boxes and enter the following information into the record:

• All notation and writing on the front or back of the photographs, storage envelopes, album pages, end pages, and accession lists. To see a sample, click here.

• A title, if it exists.  Otherwise, one is created. To see a sample, click here.

• Complete physical descriptions and condition notes. To see a sample, click here.

• The identity of the photographer, if known.

• The content of the photograph.  Dates, historical context, proper names, and geographic locations are researched and recorded.  The comprehensive holdings of the Library’s Western History Collection support this research.

   

• The image file name. This number is needed to link the catalog record with the associated digital image. This file name is embedded in the barcode that is attached to the acid-free envelope containing the photograph. 

When the research and descriptive cataloging is complete, a Catalog Librarian edits the record. The Librarian ensures that all MARC tags are correct and checks for spelling and grammar errors.  The Catalog Librarian assigns appropriate subject headings and names (classifications) using controlled vocabularies.  The thesauri used are the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH), the Thesaurus for Graphic Materials (LCTGM), the Art and Architecture Thesaurus (AAT), and the USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).