CLD Online Tutorial

Introduction

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Section 1:

Introduction


What is a collection?

What is a collection-level description?

Why create a collection-level description?


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What is a collection?

A collection is an aggregation of physical and/or electronic items. e.g. library collections; museum collections; archives; library, museum and archival catalogues; digital archives; Internet directories; Internet subject gateways; collections of text; images; sounds; datasets; software etc. A collection may be made up of any number of items from one to many.

What is a collection-level description?

A 'collection-level description' provides information about the collection as a whole rather than about individual items within a collection.

A range of information is provided, including a brief text 'description' or summary, material formats, subject matter, collecting policy, location and access arrangements, amongst other details.

Note that a collection may also, but not always, have a catalogue or other finding aid providing item level descriptions for individual items in the collection.

Why create a collection-level description?

Collection-level descriptions may be created for a range of reasons. These can be separated into collection management and resource discovery

Collection Management

  • To enable the collection provider to manage collections
  • Control/audit/review holdings internally
  • Identify collections at risk
  • Aassess priorities for item-level cataloguing
  • To enable collection managers to manage their collections in collaboration with other providers
  • Identify, record and share information on strengths and weaknesses
  • To suggest areas where collaboration is possible

Resource Discovery

  • To disclose information about collections
  • To provide an overview of otherwise un-catalogued items
  • To enable users to select collections to search on the basis of summary description
  • To support controlled searching of multiple collections
  • To widen access to collections

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Content by: Shirley Keane of UKOLN.
Page last revised on: 17-Oct-2005
Email comments to: web-support@ukoln.ac.uk