The Goals of Cataloging:*

1. To enable a person to find a book  (or other material) of which either
   1. the author
   2. the title
   3. the subject

            is known.

2. To show what the library has

d.      by a given author

e.       on a given subject

f.        in a given kind of literature

3. To assist in the choice of a book (or other material)

g.       as to the edition (bibliographically)

h.       as to its character (literary or topical)

These are sometimes summarized as: 1) identifying or finding known items; 2) collocating or bringing together related materials; and 3) providing sufficient data so that the user can evaluate and select from among related materials.

*Based on Charles A. Cutter’s Rules for a Dictionary Catalog, 1904. Adapted from Wynar’s Introduction to Cataloging and Classification by Arlene G. Taylor, 9^th ed., 2000, p. 7-8.