Modern Special Collections Cataloging

Course Description

While rare book and special collections libraries are often associated with antiquarian, hand-press books, these collections increasingly include twentieth- and twenty-first-century materials that are not “rare” in the traditional sense of the word. While these materials are more suited to description with RDA rather than one of the Descriptive Cataloging of Rare Materials (DCRM) manuals, they still have unique features and challenges that require a different cataloging perspective than found in general collections cataloging.

This class is intended for catalogers who are or will be working with modern special collections, regardless of experience with hand-press books and DCRM(B) or DCRMR. It will focus on applying RDA with a special-collections inflection. While the emphasis will be on twentieth- and twenty-first-century materials, there will be discussion of late nineteenth-century materials and how describing them with RDA compares to describing them with DCRM(B). Topics include:

• application of RDA, especially the “rare materials” options
• transcription and physical description (including bindings)
• notes, both general and copy-specific
• edition, impression, issue, and state as they relate to modern materials
• controlled vocabularies, including subject headings, genre/form terms, and relationship designators
• copy cataloging and evaluating existing records
• overviews of specific material types, including ephemera, limited edition books, prepublication books, and comics

The focus of the course will be on monographic cataloging; while there will be a brief foray into materials that can be cataloged as serials, the course will not offer in-depth serials instruction or instruction in non-monographic formats or manuscript materials.

Note on RDA

The formal switch from Original RDA to Official RDA happens in May 2027, but many institutions are still early in their transition plans or have not begun yet. The content in this class will be applicable whichever version of RDA an applicant is using at their institution. The course content will continue to reference Original RDA; however, students will receive a crosswalk that maps all referenced Original RDA rules to Official RDA elements and existing PCC documentation.

A note on Rare Book Cataloging (L-30) and Modern Special Collections Cataloging (L-135)

Rare Book Cataloging (L-30) and Modern Special Collections Cataloging (L-150) are complementary courses. 

Both courses are intended for practicing catalogers who are, or soon will be, cataloging special collections materials. Both courses provide instruction in, and hands-on experience with, creating rich descriptions for special collections materials by considering an item’s intellectual and material aspects and then making extensive use of notes fields, applying controlled vocabularies, and integrating bibliographical concepts in the description. 

Potential applicants should take Rare Book Cataloging (L-30) if they are, or will be, cataloging hand-press materials and/or applying Descriptive Cataloging of Rare Materials (RDA Edition) (DCRMR) in their cataloging practice. Note that the class focuses on the application of DCRMR when cataloging hand-press books.

Potential applicants should take Modern Special Collections Cataloging (L-150) if they are, or will be, cataloging machine-press and modern monographic materials that would benefit from special collections treatment but do not require the depth called for in DCRMR. The class focuses on the application of RDA with an emphasis on options that allow for the fuller description necessary for the accurate description and discovery of special collections materials.

Students may take both courses, in any order. 

Application Requirements:

Applicants need to have working experience in and a demonstrated understanding of general cataloging principles and practices, including cataloging according to standards (e.g., AACR2, Original RDA, etc.) and cataloging in a MARC21 environment.

In their personal statements, applicants should describe their experience and training in creating MARC bibliographic records according to RDA or AACR2 and the types of materials they will be expected to catalog with RDA.

In addition, applicants are required to submit three typical bibliographic records of materials they are cataloging. The submissions may be original or copy cataloging; if the latter, please submit before-and-after versions or an explanation of changes made to the records. The three bibliographic records should be submitted as PDFs and may be combined into a single file.

Applications will be evaluated on:

• sound knowledge of standard cataloging principles and practices, demonstrated by bibliographic records submitted in the cataloging sample
• relevance of the course to the applicant’s current or immediately forthcoming position and duties, as detailed in the personal statement
• practical experience with AACR2 or RDA records in the MARC format, demonstrated by bibliographic records submitted in the cataloging sample and detailed in the personal statement

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Advance Reading List

Bring to Class

The class will involve substantial hands-on cataloging practice, so you will need to bring:

• Wi-Fi-enabled laptop or tablet
  • RBS will provide information on accessing UVA’s Wi-Fi network
  • Most cataloging for class will be done using templates in Google Drive
• Log-in credentials for RDA
• Log-in credentials for other tools you might find useful, including Connexion and ClassWeb

Advance Work

Before class, please read:

• The introduction to RDA, sections 0.0-0.10
• The introduction to Descriptive Cataloging of Rare Materials (Books), sections I, III, IX, and X

While reading, think about the objectives and principles identified for both standards (How are they different? How are they the same?) and what they assume about the users of library materials.

There will also be a pre-class cataloging exercise; details will be shared several weeks in advance of class.

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Course Evaluations

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Course History