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----------------------------Original message---------------------------- The most recent issue of Cataloging & classification quarterly (v. 26, no. 4, 1998) has the following article: "Untapped resource: art students cataloging art exhibition catalogs at Virginia Commonwealth University" by Ngoc-My Guidarelli and Karen Cary, p. 63-75. The authors describe the processing of 12,000 catalogs given to VCU Library by the School of the Arts. From 1963 to 1992, the School acquired "practically every" catalog distributed by Worldwide Books and kept them uncataloged by Worldwide number. When given to the library, more complete cataloging was undertaken by student copy catalogers. The article describes the analysis of inhouse vs. contract cataloging, the changes made to copy, and similar details about the cataloging. Two decisions on the part of the planners especially struck me. "The student copy catalogers assigned supplementary Library of Congress [subject] headings based on the artists' national origins, the media used, century or centuries to which they belonged, and the artistic movement they embraced." Generally speaking, one-, two-, or three-person exhibition catalogs don't get such headings in "normal" circumstances. Sometimes a theme or movement heading is added, but more typically the person(s) is the only subject heading. Assigning these added entries would seem to be relatively objective, but who could have guessed the interest in various artists based on their gender, place of origin, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, etc. a couple generations ago? And is any of it necessary for the "famous" artists, and who will be famous or forgotten tomorrow? I recognize that it's hard to argue against the added access but I'm still not sure that it's worth the time. The old Santa Barbara records in RLIN are a descriptive nightmare for catalogers, but a delight of information. If you search "Painters--Spain", do you want to get items about individual painters? The project organizers decided to add a note listing all exhibit participants. If the number of artists was six or fewer, they also added entries for each artist. They don't describe an upper limit for listing, but especially with increased keyword access to notes, this is a wonderful decision. If you want to see the cataloging records, the article recommends a keyword search "k worldwide and exhibitions" in the online catalog at http://www.library.vcu.edu If you don't have access to CCQ, as with all Haworth Press journals, articles in CCQ are available from the press. http://www.haworthpressinc.com or 1-800-haworth Sherman Clarke NYU