Music Library Association webinar: Music cataloging basics

ALA Editions Workshops and the Music Library Association are offering the following webinar on September 30, 1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. (Central).

Music Cataloging Basics
The world of music cataloging is often puzzling to catalogers that have no music background or experience. In this new workshop, Sonia Archer-Capuzzo and Mary Huismann will put the puzzle pieces in place by covering the basics of music cataloging using the current RDA: Resource Description and Access and MARC21 standards. This workshop is designed for those with cataloging experience who are approaching cataloging of music materials for the first time.

In this workshop, you’ll learn about topics such as:

• Basic music information and concepts  
• MARC tags for music
• Searching OCLC and determining the best record in OCLC 
• Brief introduction to music subject and genre/form headings
• Brief introduction to music preferred titles
• Numbers (publisher numbers and how they are used)
• Dates (types of dates found and their significance, and what to do when there is no date)

Learning Objectives include:

• Search for and select the best record in OCLC
• Identify supplemental guidelines for cataloging music in RDA, including the Music Library Association's Best Practices
• Identify MARC fields and subfields that accommodate RDA data for music scores and sound recordings
• Recognize and learn how to address unique challenges for music catalogers, including using subject and genre/form headings, preferred titles, and publisher numbers