HIT : Cataloging Music CD's

[Chris Beardsley <CMBeard57@AOL.COM>]

Hello all,
I apologize for the delay in posting.  I received many kind and thoughtful 
responses.  I'm still on the fence but I think that I'm going to catalog Dewey.
Many thanks,
Chris Beardsley
Librarian
Darrow School
New Lebanon, NY

Since the author will be included in the MARC record as a searchable item, I
would assign a Dewey number.  Compilations can always list individual
composers and/or artists in the Notes. Students will probably be searching
for composers or artists, but when they go the bin ( or shelf) they will
then be browsing related items, just like books

I think this a case for organizing like they do the records in stores
but this can be done Dewey numbers.  You may have to carry the number
out a long way.  I liked the break down for children's,  country,  Pop,
etc. that was in Dewey 20 when used with 4 places past the decimal  I
would then organize under the performer except in classical where if
they did one only Mozart would go under Mozart then orchestra,
performer, or conductor.  But just my way.  I am sure how ever you do it
students will figure it out.

We have a large collection which we catalog by composer. Definitely easier
way for the kids to browse!

This is only a personal opinion.  I have very few CD's but decided to assign
dewey numbers
as if they were books.  On the spine label, where Ref would go, I put CD.
It just didn't make sense to me to have Basie, Celtic strings and Mozart under
the same
number.

What it always comes down to, for me, is what helps the patron.

Filing by the author would be more user friendly in my humble opinion.
We too have a large recording collection and I opted to go with the
Dewey number so that musical genres are together (operas,
symphonies, etc.).  Frequently there are more than one
composer's work on a recording so what do you do then if you just
do a composer designation?  I worked for a few years in Columbia
University's Music Library and they had a large recording collection
and their's was carefully cataloged.  New York Public Library at
Lincoln Center (the performing arts collection) is a great source for
cataloging.  When I last used it records were not downloadable but
I could print them and that was a huge help

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