All in the Family: Cataloging the Alice Hoffman Collection

Abstract

ABSTRACT The acquisition and cataloging of the Alice Hoffman Collection at University Archives and Special Collections (UASC) of the Adelphi University Libraries allowed for a successful collaboration between the Catalog and Metadata Strategies Department and UASC, and a novel approach to the methodology of applying metadata when cataloging a unified bibliographic family. This case study provides detailed steps taken in cataloging the novels, foreign language translations, and special editions of the Alice Hoffman Collection, both from the standpoint of the creation of workflows and a working team, the creation of RDA MARC 21 bibliographic records informed by the theory of Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (FRBR), its Work-Expression-Manifestation-Item (WEMI) model, and the bibliographic relationships inherent in a unified bibliographic family. As an exercise in practical cataloging, this article provides ideas and a roadmap to cataloging successfully a unique collection of titles for the purposes of ease of cataloging, the collocation of resources, and the benefit of the end-user or researcher.