Abstract:
The local catalogue is supposed to be most attuned to the needs of the local user, but how do we know that what cataloguers consider as valuable information really answers the users’ needs? Lately, issues of retrieval and usefulness of data elements in bibliographic records have caused some concerns. New and constantly changing environments require current cataloguing conventions and MARC record structures to be re-examined. There has also been increasing interest in enhancing bibliographic records with additional content-bearing information.
In the University of Auckland Library much work has been done over the last few years on improving access to our monograph collections. To find ways to add value to bibliographic records, cataloguers have to be critical in their analysis and able to improve upon the information provided in bibliographic records provided by external sources. This paper will discuss the parameters we had to find, explain how we decided which elements of data are critical for retrieving material from different collections, and how we examined what effect this will have on our catalogue. It will also describe some of the bibliographic enhancements we have done (additional subject headings; addition of Tables of Contents data; authorities) and how they improved access in bibliographic retrieval.
