Cataloging Policy and Procedure Manual

Level of Cataloging (Mannie Dalton)

For descriptive cataloging, use the Anglo-American Cataloging Rules (AACR2).

AACR2 offers 3 levels of description: USE Level 2 (requires subtitle/other title information, statements of responsibility, additional physical details, and series statements (Intner & Weihs, 2007))*
• Follow rule 1.1C3 for nonprint materials: Insert general material designations after main titles
• Rule changes are adopted at the start of the new year
• Existing catalog records are not altered to conform to new rules unless the rule changes are major

* For the second level of description, include at least the following elements (Truett, 2009):

       Title proper [general material designation] = Parallel title : other title information / first statement of responsibility ; each subsequent statement of responsibility. -- Edition statement / first statement of responsibility relating to the edition. -- Material (or type of publication) specific details. -- First place of publication, etc. : first publisher, etc., date of publication, etc. -- Extent of item : other physical details ; dimensions. -- (Title proper of series / statement of responsibility relating to series, ISSN of series ; numbering within the series. Title of subseries, ISSN of subseries ; numbering within subseries). -- Note(s). -- Standard number

Example of descriptive cataloging, second level, with tracings (Truett, 2009):

Waddell, Martin.
        Let's go home, Little Bear / by Martin Waddell ; illustrated by Barbara Firth. -- 1st U.S. ed. -- Cambridge, Mass. : Candlewick Press, 1993.
        [29] p. : col. ill. ; 27 cm.

        When Little Bear is frightened by the noises he hears while walking in the snowy woods, his friend Big Bear reassures him.

        ISBN 1-56402-131-9 : $14.95

       1.  Bears -- Fiction.  2.  Fear -- Fiction.  I.  Firth, Barbara, ill.  II.  Title.

Intner, S. S. & Weihs, J. (2007). Standard cataloging for school and public libraries. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.
Truett, C. (2009). LIB 5030: Cataloging and classification lab manual. Boone, NC: Appalachian State University.