Glossary of Terms

Access points: Any terms (word, headings, etc.) in a bibliographic record that may be used to locate that record.
Accompanying Material: Dependent materials which are included with and are intended to be used with the main item being cataloged.
Added entries: Any access points except the main entry.
Alternative title: The second title of a work, which is joined to the first title with "or" or its equivalent (e.g., Maria, or, The Wrongs of Woman). This is considered as part of the title proper.
Area: Refers to a major section of the bibliographical description such as the title and statement of responsibility area. There are eight areas.
Authority record: A record containing the established form of name or term and the references that have been made to and from that form.
Bibliographical record: A catalog entry in card, microtext, machine-readable, or other form carrying full cataloging information for a given item.
Caption title: The title appearing on the first page of the text.
Chief source of information: The source that is prescribed by the rules as the major source of data for use in preparing bibliographic description for an item .
CIP (Cataloging in Publication): A partial bibliographic record contained in the item I prepared by the Library of Congress has prepared from galley proofs. Because the cataloging is done from a pre-published work, no extent of item area is included and any changes made after the galley proof was prepared will not be reflected in the CIP (e.g., changes in the title area).
Close copy: A bibliographic record that is a near match for a different edition of an item.
Collective title: An inclusive title assigned to an item containing several works.
Colophon: A statement at the end of a book containing information about the author, title, and publication details. CIP may also be found here. This is considered part of the chief source of information for a book.
Copy cataloging: The preparation of a bibliographic record by using or adapting one already prepared by someone else.
Delimiter: A character used before MARC subfield codes. In this manual a "|" is used as a delimiter, but the symbol depends on the automated system being used by the library.
Descriptive cataloging: That phase of the cataloging process that is concerned with the identification and description of an item, the recording of this information in a bibliographic record, and the selection and formation of access points with the exception of subject headings.
Edition: Refers to all copies of a work made from the same type setup or same plates and issued by the same entity.
Electronic resources: Materials that require the use of a computer to access the intellectual contents.
Extent of item: Refers to the first element of the physical description area and gives the number of the units and the specific material designation for the item.
Facsimile: A reproduction of a work with the exact content and a simulation of the original appearance.
Field: A subunit of data in MARC bibliographic record.
Fixed field: The 008 field of a MARC record.
Format: The physical presentation of an item, e.g., a manuscript, a video, etc.
Half title: A portion of the title that is usually on a page placed before the title page.
Heading: A name, term, etc. at the head of a record or card used as an access point to the item.
Impression: An exact copy of a work printed at different times. It is also called a printing.
Indicator: A one or two character code that follows the field tag and further defines a data field. Not all fields have indicators.
ISBD: Stands for International Standard Bibliographic Description.
ISDS: Stands for International Serials Data System.
ISBN: Stands for International Standard Book Number.
ISSN: Stands for International Standard Serials Number.
LC: Refers to the Library of Congress.
Leaf: A sheet of paper in a book that is only printed on one side.
Lining papers: The papers glued to the inside front and back covers of a hardback book.
Main entry: The main access point for an item.
MARC (MAchine-Readable Cataloging): A series of rules for coding bibliographic data into a form that can be understood and manipulated by a computer.
Monograph: A publication that is complete in one or a limited number of parts.
OCLC ( Online Computer Library Center ): One of the bibliographic utilities in North America.
Original cataloging: The process of preparation of a bibliographic record for the first time without reference to other bibliographic records for the same item.
Other title information: Information on the chief source of information that qualifies or further expands the title proper. Formerly known as the subtitle.
Page: One side of a printed sheet that is printed on both sides.
Parallel title: The title proper written in another language. This is not considered part of the title proper.
Plates: Leaves or pages containing illustrations, with or without text, that are not part of the main pagination of an item.
Realia: An actual object (artifacts, specimens, etc.) rather than a replica.
Running title: The title that is repeated at the top of each page or leaf.
Serial: A publication issued in parts and intended to continue indefinitely.
Series: A number of separate works, usually related in subject or form that are issued successively. They are usually issued by the same publisher, distributor, etc., and in uniform style, with a collective title.
Series title: The collective title given to volumes or parts issued in a series.
Shelflist: Comprised of all bibliographic records for items in a collection filed in the order that the items are arranged on the shelves.
Spine title: The title lettered on the spine of book.
Title page: A page that occurs very near the beginning of a book and that contains the most complete bibliographic information about the book.
Title proper: The chief name of an item, excluding any parallel title or other title information. An alternative title is considered to be part of the title proper.
Uniform title: The form of title used to bring all variant forms of a title together under the main entry.
Verso: A book, is the page on the left side of an open book, usually bearing an even page number.
Verso of Title Page: The page following the title page; the backside of the title page.

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