Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
bibliographic and user paradigms has both technical services and public services,
true of nearly all libraries today.
The two types of bibliography are enumerative and subject. Enumerative biblio-
graphy is a list of everything in a defined location or scope; an example is a library's
shelf list, a listing of a library's collections by the order with which they are shelved
or organized. A subject bibliography is a listing of titles, regardless of format, and
fulfills stated parameters defined for a purpose or a set of users. Whereas enumer-
ative bibliography is organized by the scheme used to store and retrieve inform-
ation packages, a subject bibliography is a selection of those items that address
specified user needs.
In the early days of libraries, the librarian organized the collection of scrolls
or topics for retrieval and use. As schemes were developed for organizing topics
and other resources, bibliography was the intellectual foundation of the profession.
When Melvil Dewey introduced the Dewey Decimal Classification System to organ-
ize topics by subject for the benefit of library users, he also introduced in the 1870s
the concept of service. He introduced a new service paradigm, a value system that
evolved from a focus on the collection to a focus on the users of the information.
When we use the term “bibliographic paradigm,” we are referring to the value
system that values collections and their organization and preservation with em-
phasis on publishers, with less emphasis on subject, which addresses consumer
access. The movement toward subjects and attaching significance to subjects was
long after Dewey. That paradigm is still apparent in libraries and other information
agencies in this digital age. The move from enumerative bibliography to subject
bibliography was a major shift in the profession.
It should also be noted that bibliography is essential to the efficient retrieval
and use of information; however, the library profession has taken a general ap-
proach to organizing information. Terms used for subject headings are standard-
ized but are not necessarily the terms used by the library's clientele. In card and
printed catalogs, limits were placed on the number of subject headings that could
be used; however, advancements in computer technology have enabled the use
of key words in addition to subject headings or descriptors in searching for and
retrieving information. The use of sophisticated search engines provides full text
searching and much greater retrieval capability.
The individual who posts on a Web site or blog might have her information ac-
cessed by a user who uses a search engine. With the advances in retrieval tech-
nology, the production of information has increased along with the sophistication
of retrieval technology. Downs's assessment that total bibliographic control is im-
possible is valid and remains an unreachable utopia. Because of the impossibility
of “controlling” information, we will refer to “bibliographic control” and “organization
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