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teriboop's review
4.0
An interesting little book that discusses how libraries came to be and specifically about the establishment of the Library of Congress and the cataloging of books. Full of pictures, this book covers the earliest known cataloging of scrolls and books dating back to ancient times and finishes up with the modern computerized catalog system. There is a final section on what has become of the old fashioned index cards that most of us remember using in our public libraries.
Also included are some great pictures of books, authors, and old paper catalog cards.
Also included are some great pictures of books, authors, and old paper catalog cards.
george_tte's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
3.5
Interesting read about the history of the card catalogue. Also showcases a lot of cool cards in the Library of Congress’s collection.
snowbenton's review against another edition
5.0
"Legend has it that the library and its collection were burned when Alexandria was besieged by Julius Caesar in 48 BC. Although the library suffered some damage during the battle, its demise was probably gradual and much less dramatic. Most historians agree that the decline of the Great Library of Alexandria was due to what endangers libraries of the present day -- general indifference and bureaucratic neglect."
A fun ephemera book for the library lover with a couple facts that definitely blew my mind.
A fun ephemera book for the library lover with a couple facts that definitely blew my mind.
books_plan_create's review against another edition
3.0
I highly enjoyed reading about the history of card cataloging systems, but recognize this book is definitely not for everyone.
The only complaint I have for it, is the book kind of ends abruptly in the early 1990s of cataloging, and for a book published in 2017 I was hoping it would have included more information on the internet we have today and how that is integrated into cataloging. Also, more information on the actual classification of LOC vs Dewey would have been pretty cool.
But all in all, I enjoyed the read.
The only complaint I have for it, is the book kind of ends abruptly in the early 1990s of cataloging, and for a book published in 2017 I was hoping it would have included more information on the internet we have today and how that is integrated into cataloging. Also, more information on the actual classification of LOC vs Dewey would have been pretty cool.
But all in all, I enjoyed the read.
hidinginstacks's review
5.0
A lovely history (with plenty of pics) of the ancient card catalog. The last time I remember using a card catalog was when I was in elementary school (this was the 90s) so it was so cool to get a glimpse of that again. I would love to have to have one of those lil oak card catalog drawers for home!
in2reading's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book! Admittedly I am a librarian who started her career when card catalogs were still intact. And as a college student I worked in a library where part of my job involved typing and filing catalog cards. But the history of the card catalog is the story of one of how information about books was organized for 100 years, and this book does a good job of telling the story. It includes many, many pages of illustrations of classic books paired with their Library of Congress catalog cards. The handwritten ones of the early 1900s are especially compelling. How fortunate we are to live in a time when information is so readily accessible to so many people, through the card catalog in the past and now expanded through digital access.