The cataloging and classification field is changing rapidly. New concepts and models, such as linked data, identity management, the IFLA Library Reference Model, and the latest revision of Resource Description and Access (RDA), have the potential to change how libraries provide access to their collections. To prepare library and information science (LIS) students to be successful cataloging practitioners in this changing landscape, they need a solid understanding of fundamental cataloging concepts, standards, and practices: their history, where they stand currently, and possibilities for the future.

The chapters in Cataloging and Classification: Back to Basics are meant to complement textbooks and lectures so students can go deeper into specific topics. New and well-seasoned library practitioners will also benefit from reading these chapters as a way to refresh or fill gaps in their knowledge of cataloging and classification.

The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of the journal, Cataloging & Classification Quarterly.