Author: Jim Soe Nyun
Date: March 9, 2004
This document is intended to be a general introduction to cataloging moving image materials for the UCSD Libraries. Below are some of the more important topics to pay attention to in the cataloging and pre-cataloging processes. Specific UCSD policies are found in the following documents; please refer to them for the most current and detailed treatment of issues related to processing and cataloging videos and films:
Copy Cataloging Field Editing Guidelines: Videos and Films
Cataloging CJK sound recordings and moving image materials
Videos and Films: Technical Processing Notes
The Library of Congress uses Archival Moving Image Materials to catalog their collection. UCSD, however, catalogs according to Chapter 7 of AACR2revised. Relatively few Library of Congress Rule Interpretations exist for AACR2r Chapter 7. LC, however, is attempting to provide an increased number of RIs to address areas of concern for use by PCC libraries. Follow these RIs. Additional general information is available in Nancy Olson's Cataloging of audiovisual materials and other special materials, 4th edition (DeKalb, Ill. : Minnesota Scholarly Press, 1998) and in her chapter addressing DVDs in Guide to cataloging DVDs using AACR2r Chapters 7 and 9. The latter document is available online via the Online Video Catalogers website at: http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/units/cts/olac/capc/dvd/dvdprimer0.html
Much information on films from many countries of origin resides in the Internet Movie Database (imdb.com). Information on production crews, casts and dates can be found there, along with plot summaries that can be used as the basis for 520 summary notes. Commercial sites like Amazon also can occasionally provide useful cataloging information.
Workflow: Most moving image material is ordered in Acquisitions, though CJK material typically comes through the CJK unit. Stephen O'Riordan is the primary selector for most FVL items, Jim Cheng for CJK materials. Unless specified for a special location, materials reside in the Film & Video Library (FVL). Once received, most items go to the Music & Media Cataloging Unit for initial physical processing (property labelling, barcoding) and the assignment of the accession number if going to FVL. Each FVL accession number has a prefix based format and a suffix based on the number of physical units. (See Call number prefixes (non-book) for InnoPac and Videos and Films: Technical Processing Notes.) For Western-language materials, items are separated into copy and no-copy, and stored in the locked video cabinet. Chinese, Japanese and Korean materials are stored in their own area in the locked cabinet based on when the items were received, and the appropriate video cataloger is notified when there is a new batch to be sorted.
Once the material is cataloged, if it is an unusual format or playback standard, the cataloger marks it with an orange dot on the lower-left corner of the container, and the cataloger writes the unusual characteristic on the dot (e.g., "PAL" or "VCD"). It is then given directly to Catalog Department Database Maintenance staff, typically to Adela Crespin. She will direct the final export-verification and labelling processes. Once completed, FVL items are delivered personally by a DBM student, while other items are usually sent to the branches along with the books for the branches.
Rush materials may be sent directly to their destination and be cataloged later. Many of these go to Film & Video Reserves (FVR), located on the 1st floor of the West Wing of Geisel Library.
Formats, Standards and Regions: Most material collected for FVL consists of video recordings. These take the physical form of videotapes or videodiscs.
Among videotapes, you will most frequently encounter materials recorded on VHS videocassettes. Very rarely, you may face the smaller Beta videocassette, the much larger U-matic videocassette, or even videotape loose on reels. VHS and Beta tapes use 1/2-inch videotape in their plastic videocassettes; U-matic uses 3/4-inch tape.
Among videodiscs, DVDs are the most prevalent format today. However, the more typical standard for videodiscs from China remains the older Video Compact Disc format, usually referred to as VCD. Both DVD and VCD discs are the same size, 4 3/4 inches; however, the DVD can hold a much larger amount of information. During the 1980s and early 1990s, the prevalent videodisc format was the laserdisc. Typically 12 inches wide — the width of a long-playing record — these are easy to distinguish from DVDs or VCDs.
Standards for how the video information is recorded on tape or disc can vary by where the item was recorded. The United States and many other areas use NTSC. The other standard encountered frequently, particularly from many items from Asia, is PAL. SECAM is yet another standard, though one that is used less frequently. Generally, equipment is manufactured to play one standard only.
Regions came into being with the introduction of DVDs, and allow the manufacturer to produce and market discs in one area that cannot be played in another. There are 6 regions in the standard, labelled 1-6, with North America being Region 1. Dedicated DVD players are usually manufactured to be able to read one region only; a DVD drive on a computer, however, can read all regions. A manufacturer can also produce a "Region 0" or "Region all" disc, which can be played on any DVD player. Note that a DVD may be produced using different recording standards. Therefore, for example, a Region 0 disc recorded using PAL might not be viewable on an NTSC machine.
Film, when encountered, also has differences in size and standards, mainly relating to the width of the film and the size of the reel.
Viewing Facilities: The media workstation by the Music & Media Cataloging Unit is equipped to play most formats, standards and regions of materials. The VHS tape player can handle NTSC, PAL and most SECAM standards. The DVD player can play discs designed for any region, including those recorded in PAL; and it can also play VCDs. A laserdic machine can play most laserdics.
The Film & Video Library in the Arts Libraries facility has machines to deal with all of the above formats with the exception of non-NTSC videotapes. They also have a Beta tape unit. The Film & Video Reserves facility can deal with virtually all materials, including film, though a viewer of a film will need to make an appointment to have an operator run a projector.
DVD drives on computer desktops also may be used to view DVD videos, though it may be necessary to install some software. These drives usually can cope with discs in all regions. Viewing VCDs may or may not be possible, depending on the hardware and software.
Verify the match before beginning cataloging any moving image material. Format, recording standards, regions (see above), all must match if given in the bib record. Other things that must match, when present include: publisher number (028); "edition" (250 or statements in notes indicating such things as "letterboxed" or "closed-captioned"); language of dialogue or subtitles; publisher or distributor; other fields given in the "When to input a new record" chapter of the OCLC Bibliographic formats and standards. Keep in mind that the chief source of information for these materials is both the opening and closing on-screen credits. View parts of the item if you have questions.
Edit the bibliographic record according to UCSD's Copy Cataloging Field Editing Guidelines: Videos and Films. Be sure to add a 538 for system details if the record fails to record information such as the format of a videotape or videodisc (e.g., VHS or Beta, DVD or VCV) or its special characteristics (e.g., PAL or SECAM format) or information on the sound or aspect ratio of the video (e.g., DTS Stereo 4.1, or letterboxed). Provide an 028 to record the publisher's number. Also, be sure to provide local genre access points as described in the Videos and Films: Technical Processing Notes document. Verfiy that geographical subdivisions under a genre term refer to the country of the video's production, not where it takes place. If the item is closed-captioned, add the LCSH genre term: Video recordings for the hearing impaired.
Original input guidelines for videos do not yet exist. Use the Copy Cataloging Field Editing Guidelines: Videos and Films for a general guide as to the most important fields. Pay special attention to any field where the directions instruct you to "add" or "correct" information. Below are more specific guidelines on several of the more important points. As both the opening closing on-screen credits comprise the chief sorce of information for moving image materials, you must view them to catalog the item. However, it is generally not neccessary to view much (if any) of the item, particularly when you can find summaries on the container or on the internet.
System details note: Make the 538 the first note, and include important technical details about the material. See the "Edit the bibliographic record" section under Copy Cataloging for further details.
Language: Give the language of the spoken dialog and of any subtitles. If you have a DVD with optional subtitles, list all that are available on the disc.
Summary notes: As mentioned above, when possible draw on the item's container or on textual sources, including the internet, in lieu of having to view the item. Edit any statements you find for clarity and brevity. It's not necessary to give detailed descriptions of the actions in a film, and it's usually not necessary to give the names of fictional characters. Film summaries are frequently given in the present tense.
Subject and genre headings: For fictional films, be conservative in your assignment of subject headings. Follow the LC Subject Manual section H1790 (Literature: Fiction) as a general guide. For individual works, this section lists only three categories for special attention: biographical fiction, historical fiction and animal stories. Use "Drama" as a form subdivision instead of "Fiction." Generally do not apply the final section, "Special provisions for increased subject access to fiction," unless the item strongly suggests a topcial term "in the title, series, introductory matter, dustjacket, or other prominent location." (See Section 6.) For documentary films, provide complete subject analysis as you would for a book on the same topic.
Assign one or more genre terms from the local procedure, Videos and Films: Technical Processing Notes.