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Library of Congress printed catalog cards can be found in the catalogs of most of the libraries in the country. Completely authoritative, these cards raise the standard and effectiveness of any library catalog in which they are included.
Produced by the Cataloging Division of the Library of Congress, the cards may be obtained through the Library’s Card Division. Cards are made for all books copyrighted in the United States. In addition, through a cooperative cataloging scheme, the stock of Library of Congress printed cards is enlarged by there being produced catalog cards for a great mass of significant materials found in the collections of the cooperating libraries.
If it is decided to use LC cards in the compilation of the Union Catalog the planning committee for the catalog should contact the Card Division of the Library of Congress. The cost of LC cards varies with the total number of cards ordered and with the arrangement of the order. The Handbook of Card Distribution, issued by the Card Division, gives complete instruction for placing card orders.
LC cards, the product of standardized and best cataloging methods, can be an important factor in determining the quality and authoritativeness of the Union Catalog. A nucleus of LC cards (1) assists in the solution of filing arrangement which, in part, depends upon accuracy and completeness of entries, (2) will aid the differentiation of authors with similar names which present a real problem in union catalogs, (3) tends to unify similar entries into a logical arrangement even if typescript cards are incomplete, (4) reduces the problems and length of time in final revision of the catalog, (5) avoids much duplication in the typing process since it will not be [p.L-2] be necessary to copy a large percentage of the LC cards appearing on the film and (6) most important, the nucleus of LC cards supplies technical standards contributing to the permanency of the catalog.
From the initial ordering to final incorporation of LC cards in the Union Catalog, the following procedure is employed:
Before any transcribing by the typing unit, the films containing LC cards are segregated from those not containing LC cards. From the latter films the order number is taken from each LC card found in the Course of a card by card examination of these films. Each number is pencilled on a separate slip. Order numbers should not be taken for LC cards where the edition, imprint, etc., has been altered by the individual library. These altered cards will typed in the transcribing process.
The card numbers, are arranged according to the instructions found in the Handbook of Card Distribution, and sent to the Card Division as an order for LC cards.
Upon receipt, the LC cards are sorted, alphabetized and filed in a separate file.
The LC cards next are checked against the library films for assigning location symbols to them.
Location symbols are stamped on the LC cards and filed into the Union Catalog trays.
In connection with the operation indicated under (4) above the following notes may be of assistance:
A typist is assigned a film from which a portion of the LC order has been made. This film is checked with the corresponding trays of LC cards. Working from the unaltered LC [p.L-3] cards on the film to those in the tray, all cards found in the tray correspond with those on the film are accepted as correct duplications if the information below the author line and above the collation correspond. These cards are turned end-up; in the tray. Any LC cards on the film not found in the tray are typed and inserted in their proper position. If an old LC card on the film agrees with a new LC card among the cards ordered, except for a title variance, accept the new LC entry only if the specific title variance is given on it under the note “title varies.”
As indicated above, it is necessary to type a card when a corresponding card is not present in the LC order. If the LC card to be typed contains an old form of an entry, type it, using the form of the entry found on one of the new LC cards, which represents a work of the same author, e.g., film shows: Bennett, Enoch Arnold: latest form according to LC card: Bennett, Arnold. Substitute the latter. In the same manner if the author’s dates are not present on the film, and it is necessary to type the card insert the dates found on the LC card representing a work by the same author.
When the checking of LC cards with the library films is completed, the film containers are stamped, LC Record Completed. The Film Record also is marked, LC Record Completed.