STATEMENT OF INTERNATIONAL CATALOGUING PRINCIPLES
Page 2, Section 2
2. General Principles
Several principles direct the construction of cataloguing codes.4
- The highest is the convenience of the user.5*
2.1. Convenience of the user. Decisions taken in the making of descriptions and controlled forms of names for access should be made with the user in mind.
2.2. Common usage. Vocabulary used in descriptions and access should be in accord with that of the majority of users.
2.3. Representation. Descriptions and controlled forms of names should be based on the way an entity describes itself.
2.4. Accuracy. The entity described should be faithfully portrayed.
2.5. Sufficiency and necessity. Only those data elements in descriptions and controlled forms of names for access that are required to fulfil user tasks and are essential to uniquely identify an entity should be included.
2.6. Significance. Data elements should be bibliographically significant.
2.7. Economy. When alternative ways exist to achieve a goal, preference should be given to the way that best furthers overall economy (i.e., the least cost or the simplest approach).
2.8. Consistency and standardization. Descriptions and construction of access points should be standardized as far as possible. This enables greater consistency, which in turn increases the ability to share bibliographic and authority data.
2.9. Integration. The descriptions for all types of materials and controlled forms of names of all types of entities should be based on a common set of rules, insofar as it is relevant.
The rules in a cataloguing code should be defensible and not arbitrary. It is recognized that these principles may contradict each other in specific situations and a defensible, practical solution should be taken.
Anyone else interested in comparing and contrasting that organisation’s cataloguing principles with our own current principles?