The Impact of Social Cataloging Sites on the Construction of Bibliographic Records in the Public Library Catalog

Abstract

This article examines and evaluates the social features and comprehensiveness of the catalog records of sixteen popular social cataloging Web sites to determine whether their social and cataloging features could or should impact the design of library catalog records. Selected monograph records were evaluated to determine the extent to which they contained the standard International Standard Bibliographic Description elements used in Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules–based cataloging practice. The heuristics Communication, Identity, and Perception were used to evaluate the sites’ social features. Although the bibliographic content of most of the catalog records examined was poor when assessed by professional cataloging practice, their social features can help make the library catalog a lively community of interest where people can share their reading interests with one another.