Rare Book Catalogers and the Internet

Abstract

There is litlle documentation in the professional literature about how rare book catalogers can or do use the Internet in a cost-effective and time-effective way to improve the quality and accuracy of their work. This paper seeks to fill the gap, not only with theoretical strategy, but also with examples and practical suggestions. In each of the cases described the caraloger could have completed the cataloging record satisfactorily without using the Internet. Instead, with the Internet, the cataloger is able to complete the record in a cheaper and faster way, with less effort, and with a better quality results. The Internet can often facilitate the creation of full level cataloging records where otherwise the cataloger, frustrated by dead ends in bibliographic research done with the usual locally available print sources, may elect to catalog at either the minimal level or any of several less than full levels. Full level rare book cataloging helps both the scholarly user and the special collections referen...