DEFINATION OF LIBRARY

DEFINATION OF LIBRARY: A library is said to be a room or building where collections for books, records, and films for borrowing or research to a public or student for reference are kept for use. According to Aina a library is concerned with the collection, processing, storage, and dissemination of recorded information for the purpose of reading, studying and consultation.

CATALOGUE: Catalogue is a principal guide or key that leads directly from catalogue card to the book on the shelf. It also means to compile a list of document according to a set of rules [i.e according to a catalogue code] so as to enable the reader to know what items are available in the library, and where this document can be found on the shelves of the library with the help of the class number, or other means of identification given in the catalogue entry.

CATALOGUING: It is a comprehensive list of books, periodicals, maps and other materials in a given collection arranged in systematic order to facilitate retrieval [usually alphabetically by author, and subject. It is also a list of materials systematically arranged for a specific purpose usually with brief descriptive information including in each entry.

CLASSIFICATION: Can be regarded as the process of grouping things or abtract, concept or ideas based on common characteristics. Classification also means the arrangement of books on the shelve or the systematic arrangement of books in the manner which is both useful to those who need them.

LIBRARY CATALOGUE: It can be defined as a register of all bibliographic items found in a library or group of libraries such as a network of libraries at several location. It is also a record of materials held by the library ranging from books, magazines, journals, document, print and non-print media resources.

FUNCTION OF LIBARARY CATALOGUE 1. To enable a person to find any work whether issued in print and non-print format.
2. Library catalogue helps to sort books in a specific order.
3. It also helps users/ patrons find the available books and their exact location.
4. Gives location number of a document such as call number of the document in order to locate the document on the shelves of the library.
5. Library catalogue facilitate identification of library information item.

PURPOSE OF LIBRARY CATALOGUE The purpose of library catalogue are stated by chartse .c. cutter and bohdan .s. wyner is to offer the user in variety of approaches or access points to the information contain in the collection. The purpose of library catalogue is to provide access to the library materials. Indeed, cataloging serves no function other than to identify items for those who seek information. Since cataloging codes and practices continue to develop this process suggest that there is not yet a consensus as to what constitute the perfect cataloging record, It also suggest however that professionals in the field are working to improve methods of accessing information and that cataloging is a dynamic function of the information process, information remains dormant unless channels are established which provide a means of making it usable. Library catalogue becomes the key which unlocks and organizes the realm of information. The information contained in cataloging record provides the many access points needed by the patrons looking for information in the library. Traditionally, the library catalogue provides access by the author’s name, the title of an item, and the subject(s) covered in the item. Other points of access were additional authors, name of series, illustrators and sometimes the title of the contents. Library catalogue can, in theory provide access to any part of the information contained in the record for an item in the library. The development of MARC (Machine Readable Cataloging) in the 1960s made it possible to encode all the areas of cataloging record to be searchable. In MARC cataloging, each piece of information in a catalogue record is given a numeric code or field, and sometimes an alphabetical or numerical subfield. CONCLUSION When library materials are catalogued in a careful and complete manner, access is provided for the library patrons and staff to all sources of information on a particular format, that the library possesses. The better the access, the more use the collection receives, the more satisfied the patron is in his or her search for information in the library. REFERENCES
1. Library of congress, Descriptive Cataloging Division, Rules for Descriptive Cataloging in the Library of Congress Washington DC:1949.
2. Library of Congress, Rules of Descriptive Cataloging in the library of Congress Motion Pictures and Filmstrips 1sted Washington DC;LC 1965

References: 1. Library of congress, Descriptive Cataloging Division, Rules for Descriptive Cataloging in the Library of Congress Washington DC:1949. 2. Library of Congress, Rules of Descriptive Cataloging in the library of Congress Motion Pictures and Filmstrips 1sted Washington DC;LC 1965