Biography & Audiobook - What Call Letters to use?

If we use "B" for biography, would it be confusing to use "BCD" for book on CD (audiobook)? If we use BCD, would it be better to use Bio for biography? OR maybe use CDBk for book on CD (audiobook)? What are your thoughts / experience with this?

 

An Example:

Christian Heroes Then and Now Series 

George Muller: The Guardian of Bristol's Orphans, by Janet and Geoff Benge

ISBN: 1576587266         ISBN-13: 9781576587263

 

BCD = Book on CD (Audiobook on CD)              OR       BCD  

YB = Youth Biography                                                         YBio                                                

Mul = Muller                                                                         Mul     

 

OR

 

CDBk = Book on CD (Audiobook on CD)                  

YB = Youth Biography                                                               

Mul = Muller                                                                                

 

Any thoughts / advice? I just want to be consistent with whatever we end up doing.

       Thank you.

 

 

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Replies

  • Gosh, this was a good discussion.  My third year in the library, I did an inventory and had some confusion.  I wish I had this then.  I can't seem to remember my exact problem, but when I do a new inventory  I know where to head.

    • So glad this is helpful for you, Kate. Right now I'm in the midst of working through the Adult reference section. I've a lot to work through and think about with this area as well. I need to remain patient - a good virtue to have, right?!

      Biographies are all now relabeled.

      In the mean time, I'm thankful we do have readers checking out books from our small library.

  • In a word, Yes!   You are correct.  

    Also, the collective biography Dewey number is 920.  In this case, the first three letters of the author's name is in the second line of the call number. Good subject headings containing the names of people whose biographies are in the book will lead searchers to the collective biography section.

    We use 266.092 for missionary biography, with the second line of the call number containing the first three letters of the last name of the person or family about whom the book is written. (Use a J or C preceding the 266.092, on the same line -- or however you designate the age groups).

    • Thank you, Sandra. You are most helpful. It will be a few week or so until I can get around to redo the biographies for the adults, but it's great to plan ahead. As I look at the library it seems as if different librarians did differently. I hope to bring consistency to our little church library.

       

      I guess my next question is: How to determine a "missionary biography" versus and evangelist? Is there a clear-cut way?

      For instance, Billy Sunday OR Billy Graham? Is it limited to overseas missions perhaps?

       

      I'm so thankful that I have such a wonderful support! I see that you answered the same day I posted. We became extremely busy soon after I posted. Sorry I didn't reply sooner.   

  • I'm updating this old thread to say that we now are not including board books with the Children's Collection of our library. At this point we're going with 5 subject areas plus Bible and Resource sections. I'm rather excited about the system for the Children's Collection!  

    Another huge change since I last posted around here - I'm now the "head" Librarian. The other person who was in charge is very content & happy to focus on some other areas of ministry right now. It's a good & healthy change for all involved.  

    So I now am in the middle of relabeling a lot of books . . . including the biographical sections. Books will now be labeled according to the subject of the biography. Of course, I'll be putting collections in the 920's (that's the right number, right?) I'm trying to decide about separating missionary biographies. I'm leaning now toward doing so.

     

    Question (if seen):  Just for an example I'll use a random name - Chris Park.  

    B

    Par    

     ....................Do you then use the author's surname for the 3rd line?   

  • Thank you. I plan to soon get Church Library Information Services. It sounds like something I need about now.  

     

    As far as the author's name & biography subject's name: I very much want to label as you suggest. In discussion with our head librarian, she holds to the position of simply putting the author's name. I've quoted this site as well as other sources of information regarding my position & put forth how I wish to label for the Kids' Collection. So in a cooperative spirit & in recognition of her position & as a sister-in-Christ, I'll willing do her wishes.

     

    Thanks again, Sandra, for your thoughtful input.   

    • I understand.  If you have a good subject cataloging system, that will work -- if a customer or library worker can locate the media relating to that particular person. :)

      But . . .  In looking back at all of the responses for this discussion, I notice that none of us give the  reason for using the biography subject's name in the call number! Using the 1st three letters of the subject of the biography in the call number places all the books about that particular person together.  When they are arranged by author, the books are scattered throughout the biography section of the library.  But as stated earlier, the important thing is that the item's location can be found through the catalog. 

      • Again I agree with you. Thanks for your understanding. Although, I'm finding that there is something nice about having sets together.  I hope someday in the bright future our library will become at least partly automated, but until then I plan to use my home computer & make up a simple reference list of biographies.

         

           

  • It is sometimes hard to figure this stuff out... I think our biographies are all labeled B and I don't know if we have any youth biographies.  We do have some youth non-fiction and with those I bought the Youth stickers to put on the spine with the call numbers.  Here is a great resource the public library told me about: 

    http://www.worldcat.org/  

    It will show libraries in the area that have the same book and you can see how they categorized it.  At a local library they have it categorized JB (Junior Biography) here is the page: http://catalog.wcls.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?index=CNTRLEX&profile=i...

    I hope it helps!

    I hope this helps.

    • Nicole ~ I'm always interested in what others do. It's reassuring when I know that I'm not re-inventing the wheel.  On our new book biographies we are now using YB (Youth Biography). Based on this thread and all your input and studying numerous libraries (per internet), I plan to classify biography audiobooks as follows:

      BCD (Book on CD) 

      YB (Youth Biography) 

      Ben #8(1st three letters of surname & Series Number)   

      (I prefer to use the name about whom the biography is written, but our head church librarian uses the author's surname. I'd like at least to put in the surname about whom the biography is written - similar to the example from worldcat.org.  This is one of my loving disagreements with our head church librarian.)   

       

      At this point we're not automated. But if that were the case, Ben #8 would likely become Ben.08.  

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