College and Research Libraries By V E L L A J A N E B U R C H The Divided Catalog: Duke University Library Catalog Faces the Future Miss Burch, senior cataloger, Duke Uni- versity Library, read this paper at the meet- ing of the Duke University Library Staff Association, November 28, 1941. TH E I N C R E A S I N G N U M B E R of discus-sions concerning the library catalog, its form, rapid growth, and difficulties of use, only tend to make it evident that library catalogs are reaching a crisis. T h e dic- tionary catalog, "this strange creature of modern library economy," has become firmly established and is the predominant form used throughout the United States. T h e divided catalog is used pre-eminently in the larger European libraries. T w o main catalogs are found in all large re- search libraries in Germany: 1. A n alpha- betically arranged catalog by authors and anonymous titles ("Alphabetischer Kata- log" or "Nominal-Katalog") ; 2. A subject catalog ("Sachkatalog"). A single diction- ary catalog ( " K r e u z k a t a l o g " ) appears in only two large German libraries.1 A s early as 1886, there have been criti- cisms of the dictionary catalog in the United States. A t this time M r . Schwartz,2 librarian of the N e w Y o r k Apprentices' Library, said that the diction- ary catalog, "instead of being (as is sup- posed) the best and most convenient, is 1 R u n g e , S. " S o m e Recent Developments in Sub- ject Cataloguing in G e r m a n y . " Library Quarterly 11:46-68, Jan. 1941. 2 Schwartz, J. " A Dozen Desultory Denunciations of the Dictionary Catalogue, with a T h e o r y of Cata- l o g u i n g . " Library Journal 11:470-74, Dec. 1886. in fact the worst and least convenient of the three forms of catalogue: 1. Diction- ary catalogue; 2. T h e systematic; 3. T h e alphabetico-classed." In 1905, "the future of the catalog" was discussed by William I. Fletcher,3 librarian of Amherst Col- lege, who says that the size and complex- ities of the dictionary catalogs are the chief sources of complaints by their users. Am- herst College library has had its catalog divided for years into an author section and a subject-title section. T h i s form of division is not common. T h e extensive Harvard University Library is one of the early users of the divided form of catalog. William W a r n e r Bishop writes that "if it appears desirable to keep an author record separate from the subject record, it may be done without any departure from the basic principle of the dictionary cata- log."4 W i t h the recent advance of higher edu- cation, university libraries have grown so rapidly that the only obvious step toward simplification is division. Rolf K . Hage- dorn, cataloger at the University of T e x a s says5 that the catalog should be divided into its three component parts, subject, author, and title files. T h i s division would result in the elimination of the other two offenders in each alphabetical 3 Fletcher, W . I . " T h e F u t u r e of the C a t a l o g . " Library Journal 30:141, Mar. 1905. 4 Bishop, W . W . Practical Handbook of Modern Library Cataloging. 2d ed. p. so. 5 Hagedorn, R. K . " T o w a r d Catalog R e f o r m . " Li- brary Journal 64:223-25, M a r . 15, 1939. JUNE j 1942 219 file. T h e "vertical" division, which has been followed by the Baker Library of the Harvard Business School,6 is a break- ing up of the catalog into two separate units, as author-title catalog and subject catalog. A "horizontal" division of the catalog has been explained by W y l l i s E. W r i g h t of the N e w Y o r k Public Library,7 as making a "division into several catalogs each of which, within the field it covers, is a complete dictionary catalog." Other Divided Catalogs In 1938 when the University of Cali- fornia divided its catalog into an author- title and a subject section, the library staff felt that the complexities of the large dic- tionary catalog had reached the point where the undergraduate had great diffi- culty in using it. T h e principal arguments in favor of its division w e r e : first, the filing—and, therefore, finding—would be simplified drastically; second, the catalog would be more convenient for use, the author-title trays would be available for quick and frequent use while the subject trays were being studied.8 T h e only instance found in which the divided catalog has not proved more satis- factory than the dictionary form is at the University of Chicago Library where, "after struggling for years to explain the system and to train users in the finding of entries under three separate alphabets,"9 the cards were filed all together in one alphabet, absolutely word for word. 6 D e a n , H . " S h a l l W e D i v i d e O u r C a t a l o g V e r - t i c a l l y . " Catalogers' and Classifiers' Yearbook N o . 8 ( i 9 3 9 ) , 43-47. ' W r i g h t , W . E. " H o r i z o n t a l D i v i s i o n of the Cata- l o g . " Catalogers' and Classifiers' Yearbook No. 8 ( i 9 3 9 ) , 55-57- 8 W o o d , A . F . " T h e L a r g e D i c t i o n a r y Catalog F a c e s D e r T a g . " Catalogers' and Classifiers' Year- book N o . 8 ( 1 9 3 9 ) , 39-42. ° - V e r N o o y , W . " T h e C o n s u m e r and the C a t a l o g . " R a n d a l l , W . M . The Acquisition and Cataloging of Books, p. 310-30. A catalog for the Duke University Library, employing standard size cards, was begun in 1903 with a divided form, an author section and a subject-title divi- sion, on the Amherst College plan. T h i s divided catalog was used until 1914 when, with interest mounting for dictionary cata- logs, it was decided to file the cards to- gether into one alphabet. T h e Duke Uni- versity Library catalog has grown very rapidly, especially during the last ten years since the library has been housed in its present building. T h e dictionary form of catalog has been used continuously from 1914 until 1940 when it was decided to divide it into two sections, an author-title catalog and an alphabetical subject catalog. T h e division was made to eliminate many filing problems and complexities which have heretofore only caused bewilderment to the student users, and to divert the clumsily increasing bulk of a single unit into smaller sections for easier handling. T h e trays had become so full that shifting of the cards was imperative; so the time was ripe for the division. T h e exact period chosen for the work was selected because fewer students were on the campus at that time and the physical shifting of the trays came between the last summer school and the opening of the fall session when no classes were in progress. T h e author-title section is used for ready reference to find a special book, leaving the subject section free for the study of graduate students and those working on papers who are searching for material from the subject angle. T h i s relieves congestion in the public catalog room. Simplification of Catalog Simplification of the catalog by the for- mation of a separate serials catalog and a periodical catalog had already been made 220 C O L L E G E , AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES before the dictionary catalog was divided. Cross references from the main entries are in the author-title catalog to these two catalogs. T h e public seemed to appreci- ate finding the complete holdings of the li- brary's serials in a small catalog of only fifty trays. T h e periodical catalog is lo- cated in the periodical room, where the complete service of periodicals, including circulation, is made. By discontinuing the complete cataloging of most pamphlets, the number of cards going into the catalog has decreased. T h e pamphlets are taken care of in a special pamphlet collection where the material is shelved by subject and serv- iced by the reference department. T h e li- brary's holdings for material in manu- scripts, pamphlets, and public documents are brought out by the use of blue cards in the catalog. In the author-title section a blue card is filed under each state which reads: The Library maintains a collection of the P U B L I C D O C U M E N T S of this State. For information consult the Librarians in the Documents Room. A blue card is filed in the subject section under each state and certain individual subjects and in the author-title section under some author entries, which reads: Actual Dividing Begun O n August i , 1940, the actual work of dividing the dictionary catalog into an author-title catalog and a subject catalog was begun. T h e w o r k was completed on September 12. W h e n the division was begun, six catalogers working in groups of two, began to turn through the catalog card by card, making three simultaneous divisions, A — F , G — O , P — Z . T h e cards taken out were the subjects and cross references. T h e author and title cards were pushed to the front of each tray and the subject cards were put in the back of the tray, separated by a guide marked "Subjects." T h i s division did not necessitate the chang- ing of the labels on the front of each tray. As the division of each tray was com- pleted, the author-title cards and the sub- ject cards were measured and the inches tabulated on sheets. author-title cards 6,964 in. subject cards 4,701 in. total catalog 11,665 in- A f t e r the entire catalog was divided, the number of inches was computed for the amount of cards to be used in the trays for each section after the separation was com- pleted. T e n inches were allowed to the tray for author-title cards and eight inches to the tray for the subject cards, varying of course upon the possibility of division at the end of the tray. Eight hundred and twenty-three trays were used for author- title cards and 588 trays for subject cards, making a total of 1411 trays used. Before the catalog was divided 1272 trays were being used. T h e trays needed to be shifted, since this had been postponed for some time in view of the approaching division. The Library has additional material under this heading in its collection of: L̂ Manuscripts V Pamphlets Public Documents Consult the Librarian at the desk in the Public Catalog Room or in the Reference Room for further informa- tion. JUNE j 1942 221 Cabinets Rearranged A f t e r the separation of cards within the trays was completed, it was decided best to rearrange the cabinets holding the cata- log in the public catalog room. Hereto- fore the cabinets had been in rows. N o w it seemed that it would prove less confus- ing if the cabinets were placed end to end down the center of the room making one long row, except for two small breaks to allow passage from one side to the other. Signs were placed at the top of the cabinets showing which side contained the separate catalogs. In order to move the cabinets the trays had to be removed. T h e y were placed in order along the reference room tables. T h e cabinets were moved during the night so that no time was lost by the library staff. T h e next morning the trays were brought in truck loads by an assistant, and four catalogers working in pairs began separating the author-title cards and the subject cards which were still in the same tray. T h e subject group removed their part of the cards from the trays and sent the remainder to the author-title group. T h e cards were measured and placed in the trays, goals being set on the author- title side so that this division would be complete on one side of the cabinets. Proper labels were made for the front of each tray; those for the subject side were typed in red and the author-title labels were typed in blue. W h e n this was finished, guide cards typed in red were made for the subject side of the catalog. T h e guide cards already in were left, for the most part, on the author-title side. These were not reworked until they were picked up by the filers. T h e trays on each side were numbered beginning with one—an " S " being added to the numbers of the subject trays. T h e cross references taken out were checked and when the entry also appeared in the subject catalog, the typists made subject cross reference cards (typed in red). T h e author-title cross references were refiled immediately. A n authority file for cross references for each division of the catalog is kept now in the cataloging department. Since the division of the catalog, duplicate cards have not been made except for the necessary cross refer- ences and an extra card for autobiogra- phies. Simplification of Filing Further simplification of the filing has been worked on since the catalog division. One filer has been giving her full time to turning through the catalog card by card and adding the publication date to the upper right corner of the catalog card for the books having several editions in the library and arranging them chronologically beginning with the earliest edition. D i f - ferent editions of the same book having editors and translators, had the surname of the editor or translator added to the upper right corner of the card and the cards filed alphabetically by these names. Serials Catalog Sub- Author- ject Title Catalog Catalog 222 C O L L E G E , AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES A single prolific author has guide cards added for works, selections, and the titles of his chief works. T h e cards back of these guides are then arranged chrono- logically by dates in the upper right corner or alphabetically by editors. Chaucer af- fords a good example. 1798 Chaucer, Geoffrey The Canterbury tales of Chaucer . . . 1798. 1847-51 Chaucer, Geoffrey The Canterbury tales of Geoffrey Chaucer . . . 1847-51. i860 Chaucer, Geoffrey The Canterbury tales of Chaucer . . . i860. 1882 Chaucer, Geoffrey Chaucer. The book of the tales of Canterbury . . . 1882. 1894 Chaucer, Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury tales, edited . . . by Alfred W . Pollard . . . 1894. 1894 Chaucer, Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury tales, anno- tated . . . by John Saunders . . . 1894. 1915 Chaucer, Geoffrey Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury tales, nach dem Ellesmere manuscript . . .,1915. 1925 Chaucer, Geoffrey Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury erzahlungen . . . 1925. 1928 Chaucer, Geoffrey Canterbury tales . . . [C1928] 1934 Chaucer, Geoffrey Canterbury tales . . . . [1934] 1935 Chaucer, Geoffrey Canterbury tales *935- Professors and students alike seem to enjoy using the author-title section with- out having the bother of the subject cards. T h i s section brings together the scattered titles for the same work of an author. Some few have to be educated as to what the exact meaning of the subject catalog is. T h e y think of the title as the subject of the book and expect to find this title in the subject division. One professor would like to have still more of the subject matter of the library brought out in the subject catalog, rather than just the chief subjects of the books. Although the divided catalog is still new and time has not tested its merits, we have realized that something had to be done to keep the catalog under control and make it more usable for the public. W e are now looking forward to see what new innovations will be made in the catalog of the future. JUNE j 1942 223