ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces cataloging concepts and suggests a workflow for cataloging that can be adapted to any cataloging system or type of repository. Cataloging practice for oral histories varies greatly from one setting to another, based on the type of institution, size of collection, and cataloging resources. Modern cataloging is a skill that draws on practices from information science, records management, library science, and database design. The terms cataloging and metadata both refer to the creation of 'information about information' that somehow adds value to the original resource. Cataloging must begin with a system for organizing the information being cataloged. Standardization in cataloging consists of rules and guidelines for recording information consistently in order to improve organization and retrieval. The example on the right illustrates cataloging at the collection level, where a catalog record describes a collection of related oral histories, such as all the interviews in an oral history project.
