An entry in the context of library cataloging serves as a fundamental access point to bibliographic records within a catalog. It is the specific heading—a name, title, or subject—under which a user can locate information about a particular resource. The primary purpose of an entry is to organize and make accessible the vast collections of libraries, enabling users to efficiently find materials regardless of how much or how little specific information they possess about a given item. Beyond simple retrieval, entries facilitate the systematic arrangement of information, allowing for the collocation of related works, such as all works by a particular author, all editions of a specific title, or all materials on a distinct subject.

The Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, Second Edition (AACR2), a widely adopted and influential set of cataloging standards, provided a comprehensive framework for determining these entries. AACR2 aimed to achieve standardization in bibliographic description and access points, ensuring consistency across libraries and facilitating resource sharing. By defining clear rules for the choice and form of entries, AACR2 enabled catalogers to create structured and predictable access points, which are crucial for effective information retrieval in both card catalogs and, subsequently, in early online public access catalogs (OPACs). Understanding the concept of entry, as articulated by AACR2, is essential for comprehending the foundational principles of bibliographic control and the organization of knowledge in libraries.

Understanding “Entry” in Cataloging

At its core, an “entry” in library science refers to an access point within a bibliographic catalog that directs a user to the full description of a resource. Imagine a vast database of books, films, sound recordings, and other materials. An entry is a specific point, akin to an index term, under which a user can search and retrieve the complete record for an item. This record typically includes details such as the title, author, publication information, physical description, and sometimes content notes. The creation of effective entries is paramount because it directly impacts the user’s ability to discover and locate needed information within a library’s collection. Without standardized entries, a library catalog would be a chaotic compilation of descriptions, rendering efficient search and retrieval nearly impossible.

The function of an entry extends beyond mere identification. It serves several critical purposes in a well-organized catalog. Firstly, it facilitates user access by providing multiple avenues to find a single item. For instance, a book can be found by its author’s name, its title, or the subject it covers. Secondly, entries promote collocation, which is the act of bringing together in the catalog all works by a particular author, all editions of a given work, and all works about a specific subject. This is fundamental for researchers who need to explore the complete output of an author or delve deeply into a topic. Thirdly, entries aid in distinguishing works, ensuring that different works with similar titles or by authors with similar names can be clearly identified. This requires careful attention to the form of headings, ensuring they are unique and unambiguous. The principles governing the choice and form of these entries are meticulously laid out in cataloging rules like AACR2, ensuring consistency and predictability.

Kinds of Entry According to AACR2

AACR2 fundamentally distinguishes between two primary kinds of entry: the main entry and added entries. This distinction reflects the hierarchy of responsibility and significance assigned to various elements associated with a bibliographic resource. While the main entry is considered the primary or most important access point, added entries provide supplementary access points, significantly enhancing the discoverability of a resource.

Main Entry

The main entry is the primary access point for a bibliographic record. It is the heading chosen according to specific AACR2 rules (primarily Part II, “Choice of Access Points”) to represent the principal intellectual or artistic responsibility for the work. In many traditional catalogs, the full bibliographic description of an item was physically placed under its main entry heading, with cross-references or brief entries under added entry headings. Even in digital catalogs, the main entry often retains its conceptual significance as the primary means of organizing and identifying a work. The choice of main entry is critical because it dictates the primary filing or display order in many cataloging systems and is often the first point of access considered by users.

AACR2 specifies several categories for determining the main entry:

  1. Main Entry Under Personal Author: This is the most common type of main entry. A personal author is considered the main entry when a single person is primarily responsible for the intellectual content of the work. This includes creators of original works, adapters, illustrators, editors of a collection of works by a single author, or compilers where the work consists of contributions from several persons but the compiler’s role is dominant.

    • Rule of Three: AACR2 Rule 21.1C specifies the “rule of three.” If a work has more than three persons or corporate bodies performing the same function (e.g., three authors, three editors), the main entry is made under the title of the work. Added entries are then made for the first named person or corporate body, and sometimes for others if deemed important by the cataloger. If there are one, two, or three authors, the main entry is generally made under the first named author, with added entries for the others.

  2. Main Entry Under Corporate Body: A corporate body (an organization or group of persons identified by a name) is chosen as the main entry only under specific, limited conditions. AACR2 Rule 21.1B2 outlines five categories where a corporate body is considered primarily responsible:

    • Works of an administrative nature dealing with the corporate body itself (e.g., its reports, minutes, charters).
    • Certain legal and governmental works (e.g., laws, treaties, decrees, court decisions, legislative hearings).
    • Works that record the collective thought of a body (e.g., reports of commissions, committees, or conferences).
    • Works that report the collective activity of a conference, expedition, or exhibition (e.g., proceedings of a conference, exhibition catalogs).
    • Works that are sound recordings, films, or videorecordings resulting from the collective activity of a performing group as a whole, where the responsibility of the group as a whole goes beyond mere performance, or where the performing group is responsible for the artistic content. The underlying principle here is that the work emanates from the collective activity or official policy of the body, rather than the intellectual input of specific individuals within it.

  3. Main Entry Under Title: The title is chosen as the main entry when no personal author or corporate body can be identified as primarily responsible for the work. This category is broad and includes:

    • Anonymous works (where no author is known or can be ascertained).
    • Works produced by diffused authorship, where the contributions of various individuals are not distinct enough to warrant individual authorship (e.g., many encyclopedias, dictionaries, periodicals, newspapers).
    • Collections of works by different authors or corporate bodies, assembled by an editor or compiler whose role is not considered primary intellectual responsibility (e.g., anthologies, symposia, serials).
    • Works for which authorship is diffuse or unknown, such as many early electronic resources or websites, where the concept of a single “author” might not apply.
    • Sacred scriptures (e.g., Bible, Qur’an), which are considered to have no specific human author.

  4. Main Entry Under Uniform Title: While uniform titles are often added entries, they can also function as the main entry in specific cases, particularly for certain classical works, sacred scriptures, or musical compositions that have appeared under various titles over time. In these instances, the uniform title serves as the primary access point to collocate all manifestations of that specific work, irrespective of their varying published titles. For example, all editions of the Bible are entered under the uniform title “Bible,” ensuring they are grouped together.

Added Entries

Added entries are secondary access points that allow a user to find a bibliographic record under names, titles, or subjects other than the main entry. They significantly enhance the retrievability of resources by providing multiple avenues of access, thereby improving the chances of a user finding a desired item, even if their initial search term is not the main entry. AACR2 specifies a wide range of circumstances under which added entries should be made, guided by the principle of utility—that is, whether an added entry would be helpful to a user.

Common types of added entries include:

  1. Author/Name Added Entries: These entries provide access under names of individuals or corporate bodies who have a significant, but not primary, relationship to the work.

    • Joint Authors/Collaborators: If a work has multiple authors and the main entry is under the first named author (per the “rule of three”), added entries are made for the other named authors.
    • Editors, Compilers, Translators, Illustrators, Revisers: When these individuals have made a significant intellectual or artistic contribution to the work, an added entry is made under their name. The importance of their role determines whether an entry is warranted (e.g., a translator of a major literary work, an editor of a critical edition).
    • Named Corporate Bodies: If a corporate body has a significant relationship to the work but is not the main entry (e.g., it published the work, sponsored it, or is the subject of it), an added entry may be made for it.
    • Related Persons/Bodies: This can include individuals or organizations who are the subject of the work, interviewees, or those for whom the work is dedicated, if their connection is deemed important for access.

  2. Title Added Entries: Title added entries are crucial for locating works, especially given that many users remember or search by title. A wide variety of titles can warrant an added entry:

    • Variant Titles: This includes any title appearing prominently on the item that differs from the title proper (e.g., cover title, running title, spine title, half-title, caption title).
    • Parallel Titles: Titles in other languages that appear on the item.
    • Other Title Information: Subtitles or other distinctive information that might be remembered by a user.
    • Series Titles: Essential for gathering together all parts of a monographic series. If a work is part of a named series (e.g., “Penguin Classics”), an added entry under the series title ensures that all books in that series are linked together in the catalog.
    • Earlier/Later Titles: For serials or integrating resources, entries might be made for previous or subsequent titles to maintain continuity.
    • Uniform Titles: As mentioned, uniform titles are often added entries to bring together different manifestations of a work that appeared under various original titles (e.g., “Twelfth Night” as the uniform title for various editions titled “What You Will”).

  3. Subject Added Entries: Subject added entries are fundamental for subject-based retrieval, allowing users to find materials based on what they are about, rather than who created them or what they are called. AACR2, while primarily focused on descriptive cataloging, implicitly acknowledges the need for subject access, often referencing external subject heading lists like the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) or Medical Subject Headings (MeSH).

    • Topical Subjects: Represent the core content or topic of the work (e.g., “Artificial Intelligence,” “Climate Change,” “Ancient History”).
    • Geographical Subjects: Place names associated with the content (e.g., “Paris (France) – History,” “Amazon River Region – Description and travel”).
    • Chronological Subjects: Time periods relevant to the content (e.g., “Great Depression (United States) – 1929-1939,” “Nineteenth Century”).
    • Form/Genre Subjects: Describe the intellectual or artistic form or genre of the work (e.g., “Fiction,” “Biographies,” “Essays,” “Sonnets,” “Detective stories,” “Websites”). These help users find works of a certain type.
    • Name/Title as Subject: When a person, corporate body, or a specific work is the subject of another work (e.g., “Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 – Criticism and interpretation,” “United Nations – History,” “Hamlet (Shakespeare, William) – Adaptations”).

  4. Series Added Entries: These are a specific type of added entry critical for scholarly research. They ensure that all individual items published as part of a larger monographic series (e.g., “Studies in Medieval Art,” “Library of Congress Symposia on the Book”) are brought together in the catalog, allowing users to browse the entire series.

  5. Analytical Added Entries: When a distinct part of a larger work is significant enough to warrant its own access point, an analytical added entry can be made. This is common for essays within an anthology, chapters in a book, or individual stories in a collection.

Rules and Principles Governing Entry (AACR2 Specifics)

AACR2’s meticulous approach to entries is embodied in its structured rules. Part II: Choice of Access Points (Chapters 21-26) details the criteria for determining main and added entries. For instance, Chapter 21 provides general rules for choosing access points, while specific rules address works of mixed responsibility, collections, serials, and other specific material types.

Equally important is Part III: Headings, Uniform Titles, and References (Chapters 22-26), which dictates the form of heading for each entry. This part ensures that entries are consistent and standardized, regardless of variations in how names or titles appear on the item itself.

  • Personal Names (Chapter 22): Rules for constructing unique and authoritative headings for individuals, including full names, dates, and distinguishing terms (e.g., “Smith, John, 1950-” vs. “Smith, John, 1880-1945”). This is crucial for authority control.
  • Geographic Names (Chapter 23): Rules for establishing standardized forms for places.
  • Corporate Names (Chapter 24): Guidelines for forming headings for organizations, departments, conferences, etc., ensuring they are uniquely identifiable and consistent (e.g., “United States. Department of State” rather than just “State Department”).
  • Uniform Titles (Chapter 25): Rules for establishing a conventional, authoritative title for a work that may have appeared under different titles in various editions or manifestations (e.g., “Beowulf,” “Bible. New Testament,” “Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus, 1756-1791. Symphonies, K. 551 (Jupiter)”).
  • References (Chapter 26): Rules for making “see” and “see also” references to guide users from variant forms of a heading to the authorized form, or to related headings. This is a cornerstone of authority control.

The concept of authority control is intimately linked with the creation and management of entries. Authority control is the process of creating and maintaining consistency in the headings used in a catalog. It involves establishing a single, authoritative form for each name, title, or subject, and linking all variant forms to that authorized form. This ensures that all works by or about “Mark Twain” are found under “Twain, Mark, 1835-1910,” regardless of whether the specific item uses “Samuel Clemens,” “M. Twain,” or just “Twain” on its title page. Authority records are vital for ensuring the accuracy and integrity of entries, allowing for precise searching and effective collocation.

Importance and Impact of Entries

The meticulously defined “kinds of entry” in AACR2 are more than mere technicalities; they represent the bedrock of effective information retrieval in libraries. By providing multiple, standardized access points, AACR2-compliant entries significantly enhance the user experience. Users can approach the catalog with varying levels of information—be it an author’s name, a partial title, or a general subject—and still have a high probability of finding relevant resources. This multi-faceted approach to access is crucial in accommodating diverse search strategies.

Furthermore, the structured nature of entries facilitates robust collocation. For instance, all books by “Jane Austen” are brought together under her authorized name heading, and all editions of “Pride and Prejudice” are grouped under its uniform title. This systematic grouping aids researchers in performing comprehensive literature reviews and understanding the full scope of an author’s work or a work’s publishing history. The consistent application of main and added entry principles, buttressed by authority control, ensures the integrity and predictability of the catalog, making it a reliable tool for knowledge discovery.

While AACR2 has largely been superseded by Resource Description and Access (RDA) in many parts of the world, the fundamental principles of entry and access points that it codified remain highly relevant. RDA builds upon AACR2’s foundation, extending the concept of “entry” to broader “access points” and emphasizing relationships between entities. However, the core ideas of primary responsibility (main entry) and supplementary access (added entries) continue to shape how bibliographic data is organized and presented, highlighting the enduring legacy of AACR2 in structuring and making accessible the world’s recorded knowledge. The meticulous delineation of entry types by AACR2 has thus profoundly influenced generations of catalogers and continues to underpin the logical organization of library resources in the digital age.