Cataloging rare materials can be daunting, but they are usually the most unique things in our libraries. How can we describe and catalog rare books so that our patrons can find and use them? And what really is a rare book, anyway? In this workshop we will demystify the guidelines around rare book cataloging and learn how to create complete and beautiful records for rare books. In this workshop we will cover:
● What qualifies as a rare book
● An introduction to Descriptive Cataloging for Rare Materials (Books) (DCRM(B)
● Learning to identify formats such as folio, quarto, and octavo
● Discussing controlled vocabularies for rare books
● Troubleshoot participant-driven examples*

Participants are encouraged to bring any photographs of rare books you encounter at work along with your questions about them to the workshop or email the presenter in advance at elizabeth.shoemaker@emory.edu

Location: North Miami Beach Library 1601 NE 164th Street, North Miami Beach, FL  33162

Presenter: Beth Shoemaker

Beth Shoemaker is the Rare Book Cataloger at Emory University’s Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archive & Rare Book Library. Beth also teaches cataloging for Dominican University and the University of Illinois-Champaign/Urbana. Beth is passionate about cataloging as access to materials, and the ethics of metadata creation.

Part 2 - Tentatively scheduled for October 17, 2019 - location to be determined
This workshop will build on some of the skills encountered in the Original Rare Book Cataloging 1 workshop. We’ll will discuss some basic binding styles, and how to describe unique attributes such as inscriptions or bookplates. The afternoon of this workshop will be dedicated to cataloging artists’ books, including controlled vocabulary. Participants are welcome to email images of challenging items ahead of time so we can discuss troubleshooting and solutions.