Anglo-American

Cataloguing Rules:
A Cataloguing Scheme
Introduction:
 The Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules (AACR) is a
set of standards and guidelines for cataloging library
materials, primarily books and other printed
materials. These rules were developed jointly by
librarians from the United States (represented by the
American Library Association) and the United
Kingdom (represented by the Chartered Institute of
Library and Information Professionals) and were first
published in 1967. The AACR rules were designed to
provide a standardized way of describing and
organizing library resources to facilitate access and
retrieval.

 AACR has gone through several editions and

revisions over the years. The most notable edition is
AACR2 (Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, Second
Edition), which was published in 1978 and widely
adopted by libraries worldwide. AACR2 provided
detailed instructions for creating cataloging records,
including rules for creating descriptive cataloging
(bibliographic descriptions), access points (author,
title, and subject headings), and other elements of a
bibliographic record.
  However, it's important to note that AACR2 has been
largely superseded by Resource Description and
Access (RDA), a newer set of cataloging rules
developed to accommodate various types of library
materials, including digital resources. RDA focuses
on describing resources based on their attributes and
relationships rather than a fixed set of rules and
abbreviations. RDA is designed to be more adaptable
and flexible in the digital age.

Cataloging plays a crucial role in libraries and

information management, and the Anglo-American
Cataloguing Rules (AACR) and other cataloging
standards are fundamental to this role. Here's an
explanation of the significance of cataloging with
reference to AACR:
1. Information Retrieval: Cataloging is the process of
organizing and describing library materials in a
systematic way, allowing users to easily locate and
retrieve the information they need. AACR provides
standardized rules for creating bibliographic
descriptions and access points, ensuring that
materials are consistently and accurately represented
in library catalogs. This consistency enhances
information retrieval by enabling users to search for
and find resources efficiently.
2. Access to Diverse Materials: Libraries house a wide
range of materials, including books, journals,
 audiovisual media, digital resources, and more.
AACR offers guidelines for cataloging various types
of materials, making it possible to provide access to a
diverse collection. This is especially relevant in
modern libraries, where both physical and digital
resources need to be organized and discoverable.
3. Interoperability: AACR and other cataloging
standards ensure that cataloging records are created
in a format that is compatible with library systems
and databases. This interoperability allows libraries
to share cataloging records, making it easier to
access shared collections and resources, whether
within a single institution or across different libraries
and consortia.
4. Resource Sharing: Cataloging standards like AACR
facilitate resource sharing and cooperative
cataloging among libraries. This is essential for
libraries that participate in interlibrary loan services
and consortial arrangements, as standardized
cataloging ensures that materials are accurately
described and can be easily identified and borrowed
from other institutions.
5. User Experience: A well-organized catalog with
consistently applied cataloging rules, as found in
AACR, enhances the user experience. Users can
quickly identify relevant materials, understand their
content, and locate physical items on the library
shelves or access electronic resources. This
 streamlined experience encourages library use and
research.
6. Collection Development: Cataloging is closely
linked to collection development. By accurately
describing and organizing materials, libraries can
make informed decisions about collection
development, including acquisition, deaccessioning,
and resource allocation. This ensures that library
collections align with the needs and interests of the
user community.
7. Preservation and Conservation: Proper cataloging
can also aid in preservation and conservation efforts.
Detailed cataloging records can include information
about the physical condition of items, which is
valuable for preservation assessments. Additionally,
cataloging standards help identify rare and valuable
materials that may require special preservation
efforts.
8. Metadata for Digital Resources: In the digital age,
cataloging extends beyond physical materials to
include digital resources, databases, and online
content. Cataloging standards like AACR have
evolved to encompass these digital materials,
ensuring consistent metadata creation and
enhancing the discoverability of digital resources.
 HISTORY
Developments in the United States
 The American Library Association (ALA)
cataloguing rules “Condensed Rules for an Author &
Title Catalog” were first published in the Library
Journal in 1883 .
 In 1900 ALA appointed a committee led by J.C.M.
Hanson of the Library of Congress to revise these
rules. Of particular focus was agreement of the ALA
rules and the rules of the Library of Congress due to
the upcoming introduction of Library of Congress
printed cataloguing cards.
 In 1902 an advance edition of the revised ALA rules
was produced by the Library of Congress.
 Efforts were made to bring about uniformity
between the ALA rules and the fourth edition of
Cutter’s rules (published in 1904).

Developments in the United Kingdom

 In 1893 the “Cataloguing Rules” of the Library

Association (LA) were published .
  In 1902 a Committee was formed to revise these
rules, and in its work drew heavily on the British
Museum rules, and the advance edition of the
revised ALA rules.
 A draft revision of the LA rules was discussed at the
1904 meeting of the Library Association.

Co-operation

 In light of the similar work being done on both

sides of the Atlantic, Melvil Dewey suggested that
there should be co-operation to produce an Anglo-
American code. The American Library Association
and the Library Association formally agreed to co-
operate in 1904. Consultation between the two
bodies occurred by correspondence.
 The first international cataloguing code was
published in 1908 in an American edition (Catalog
Rules, Author and Title Entries .) and a British
edition (Cataloguing Rules, Author and Title
Entries .)
 Both editions contained 174 rules covering both
entry and heading for authors and titles, and
description.
 Areas of disagreement between the two editions
centred on authors and publications that changed
names or titles.
 In both editions disagreements were explained
either in a note or by printing two versions of the
rule. Library of Congress supplementary rules were
also included where necessary.
ONLINE ACCESS TO AACR2

AACR2 is accessible online via Cataloger’s

Desktop and RDA Toolkit, but it is required to subscribe
to RDA Toolkit to access AACR2 from within Cataloger’s
Desktop. Cataloger’s Desktop is a web-based cataloging
documentation subscription service by Library of
Congress. RDA Toolkit is an integrated, browser-based,
online product published by American Library
Association, Canadian Federation of Library
Associations, and Chartered Institute of Library and
Information Professionals (CILIP) that allows users to
interact with a collection of cataloging-related
documents and resources including RDA and AACR2.
Picture 2: AACR2 in Cataloger’s Desktop (screenshot
from https://desktop.loc.gov; subscription required)

Picture 3: AACR2 in RDA Toolkit (screenshot

from http://access.rdatoolkit.org ; subscription
required)
 BIBLIOGRAPHY:

 https://www.wikipedia.org/
