📄️ Cataloging Overview
The Cataloging module is the heart of the ABCD suite, where bibliographic records are created, searched, edited, and managed. Due to its flexibility, inherited from the underlying CDS/ISIS technology, ABCD can handle virtually any bibliographic standard or format, such as MARC, LILACS, AGRIS, or custom-defined structures.
📄️ Database Structure (FDT, FST)
The power and flexibility of the ABCD Cataloging module come from its underlying CDS/ISIS database structure. This structure is primarily defined by two core components: the Field Definition Table (FDT) and the Field Selection Table (FST).
📄️ Data Entry and Forms (FMT)
While the FDT and FST define the database's underlying structure and indexes, the Data Entry Worksheet (FMT) defines the user interface for cataloging. The FMT is the web form that operators use to create and edit records.
📄️ Authority Control and Thesaurus
Authority control is the process of using a single, distinct, and authorized form for a name or a subject heading to ensure consistency across a bibliographic catalog. This practice prevents variations (e.g., "Twain, Mark" vs. "Clemens, Samuel Langhorne") and guarantees that users can find all relevant materials under a single search.
📄️ Cataloging Utilities (Import, Export)
Beyond single-record data entry, the ABCD Cataloging module provides a powerful suite of Utilities for batch processing and database maintenance. These tools are essential for migrating data, sharing records with other institutions, and performing large-scale updates.
📄️ Generating Labels and Barcodes
ABCD includes a flexible tool for generating printable labels for books and other library materials. This feature allows you to create spine labels, book labels, and, most importantly, barcodes based on the inventory number of each item.
📄️ Cooperative Cataloging (Z39.50)
Z39.50 is an international standard client-server protocol that allows searching and retrieving information from remote library databases. ABCD includes a built-in Z39.50 client, which is a powerful tool for copy cataloging. Instead of creating a new bibliographic record from scratch, catalogers can search for the item in a large external catalog (like the Library of Congress), and if a record is found, import it directly into the local database.