Approaches to Rare Books Cataloging and Reducing Backlogs of Hidden Collections: A Review of the Literature

Abstract

As rare books and special collections have become a focal point in libraries, the need to reduce backlogs or hidden collections has become even more of a priority for the rare books cataloging community. This literature review examines methods and approaches librarians have used to catalog rare books to reduce backlogs of these materials. As rare books catalogers are pressed to eliminate backlogs more quickly while balancing the needs of description and access, an evaluation of past cataloging practices may be used to help inform their future efforts to catalog rare books and reduce backlogs. The findings indicate minimal-level and phased