Resource Records Used as Copy at LC*

For statistical purposed, how does the Library of Congress (LC) identify its cataloging when a vendor or non-U.S. national library is used as the basis of a bibliographic record?

Is this considered copy cataloging or is it counted as original?

The answer was given in a message from Kay Guiles, CPSO descriptive cataloging specialist, which was sent to the PCClist February 13, 1998 and is presented here in a slightly expanded form:

LC distinguishes between a "copy cataloging" stream and a "resource cataloging" stream as follows:

• To qualify for the copy cataloging stream, the language of cataloging used in a record (terms in 300, etc.) must be in English and the record must contain subject headings from LCSH if the work is in a subject for which LC assigns subject headings. These records are candidates for processing as copy cataloging by technicians, although LC catalogers may also perform copy cataloging. If records in this category have subject headings from other systems, they are retained in the record as well as other non-LC data elements. These are statistically accounted for as "copy cataloging."
• The resource cataloging stream may include a mixture of vendor and other national library bibliographic records. To qualify for the resource stream, records either do not have the language of cataloging in English or do not contain subject headings from LCSH. These records are coded as LC original cataloging and so labelled (040 $a= DLC $c=DLC; the fixed field for cataloging source is blank). These records will only contain subject headings from LCSH; other subject headings are deleted. The main source for these records are internal resource files in LC, although some are obtained from both OCLC and RLIN. In all cases the 035 field containing the source of the system issuing the record is retained for statistical purposes. These records are statistically accounted for as "full level cataloging" also known as original cataloging.

More information on "Modes of cataloging employed at the Library of Congress" can be found in the document posted on the Cataloging Directorate Homepage.

*This document is a description of LC practices and procedures. BIBCO libraries follow guidelines developed at the local level or those issued by the bibliographic utility in which the cataloging is being done.