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Why SCIS prefers to catalogue with item in hand
By Doreen Sullivan
Issue 98, Term 3 2016
CIS has a preference to catalogue from the original, and you may be puzzled as to why we encourage you to send your items in. SCIS’s preference for cataloguing resources that we can see or pick up lies in providing the most accurate record we can, which increases the likelihood of students and tea
From the desk of a SCIS cataloguer
By Mavis Heffernan
Issue 95, Term 4 2015
The SCIS cataloguing team regularly source, receive, and catalogue a range of print and electronic resources suitable for use in school libraries. Electronic resources include websites, apps, and ebooks, and are available for SCIS subscribers as easily downloadable files using the Special Order Fil
Demystifying barcodes
By Julie Styles
Issue 96, Term 1 2016
As cataloguers, we understand that it can sometimes be difficult to match the exact resource you have in your hand to one of the 1.4 million records available in the SCIS catalogue. This article will look at the identifying numbers many resources are assigned, what they mean, and how each number ca
SCIS is more
By Ben Chadwick
Issue 93, Term 2 2015
ubscribers are downloading records by searching from within their Library Management System (LMS). This method is usually referred to as 'Z39.50', 'Z cataloguing', or 'Rapid Entry', and is made possible by the Z39.50 standard. Some of our most common customer service calls are about setting up or co
Let’s talk seriously about series
By Julie Styles
Issue 100, Term 1 2017
ts are an issue for many of our customers. It is also an issue for cataloguers, who love consistency. This article explores some of the challenges of cataloguing items within a series. Stand-alone items Often when an author writes a book, there is no initial plan to turn it into a series. A seri
Consistency matters
By Mavis Heffernan
Issue 108, Term 1 2019
ime. This article highlights some changes that have affected SCIS records, and other factors that may contribute to inconsistency in some records. Cataloguing rules for resource description have changed The earliest SCIS records were created in the 1980s, when we used AACR2 (Anglo-American cat
SCIS is more
By Caroline Ramsden
Issue 108, Term 1 2019
Welcome to the first issue of Connections for 2019! Last November, SCIS welcomed Renate Beilharz as the new cataloguing team leader. Many of you will be familiar with Renate’s work in the field of cataloguing standards and education for the school library sector. We are very excited to have Ren
Cataloguing standards: what you see is what you get
By Natasha Campbell
Issue 111, Term 4 2019
are to have a day when we don’t receive a small parcel or large box of books delivered to one of the six Schools Catalogue Information Service (SCIS) cataloguing depots. SCIS cataloguers add approximately 4,500 catalogue records to the database each month, keeping it relevant and current. The reso
What's so special about Special Order Files?
By Julie Styles, Nicole Richardson
Issue 97, Term 2 2016
SCIS subscribers looking to add digital content to their library collection have the option to download bulk records from the Special Order Files page. The Special Order Files page enables you to obtain quick access to batches of records for new digital resources, including websites, apps, e-b
The relationship between SCIS Subject Headings and ScOT
By Les Kneebone
Issue 95, Term 4 2015
SHL)(1) and Schools Online Thesaurus (ScOT)(2) when adding resources to the SCIS database. ScOT is a relatively later addition to the SCIS arsenal of cataloguing tools, introduced and explained in Connections Issue 60(3). This article evaluates this two-vocabulary approach with a view to disting
From the desk of a cataloguer
By Julie Styles
Issue 94, Term 3 2015
ubscribers, and to facilitate this we have fostered relationships with many Australian publishers, both large and small, who send resources to us for cataloguing before they are available for sale. We run regular reports to see which ISBNs being entered into the ‘Order details’ page of SCISWeb are c
Taking the guesswork out of genre
By Brendan Eichholzer
Issue 91, Term 4 2014
343.pdf Education Services Australia. Guidelines to using SCIS Subject Headings 2015 . [online] Available at: http://www2.curriculum.edu.au/scis/cataloguing_standards.html Image credits Genre identifiers in use. Photography by Laura Armstrong. CC-BY-NC-SA.
Schools Online Thesaurus (ScOT): Read all over
By Les Kneebone
Issue 91, Term 4 2014
ard, again providing a common vocabulary link between the standards and resource that may support their objectives. ScOT and MARC: Machine-Readable Cataloguing ScOT is no stranger to the SCIS database and has been used within SCIS cataloguing standards for about seven years . However the mechan
The lowdown on authorities and authority files
By Doreen Sullivan
Issue 99, Term 4 2016
You’ve probably heard the term ‘authority files’ used in reference to cataloguing. You might know that they have nothing to do with the long arm of the law, but that’s about it. Or maybe you do know about authorities, but suspect they are something arcane best left to a secret enclave of cataloguer
New and revised subject headings
By Cataloguing team, SCIS
Issue 108, Term 1 2019
Below is an overview of the new and revised subject headings approved by the SCIS Information Services Standards Committee in 2018. New headings HASS education Use for works of, or works about education in the humanities and social sciences in an interdisciplinary and applied approach. Use
SCIS is more
By Caroline Ramsden
Issue 109, Term 2 2019
o accurately record names and terms with diacritics in SCIS Data. You can read more about diacritics and SCIS records in the SCIS blog post by SCIS cataloguing team leader Renate Beilharz. Series authorities Another big improvement, which came out towards the end of last year, was the SCIS Ser
SCIS is more
By Caroline Ramsden
Issue 110, Term 3 2019
ve also been on the road with SCIS workshops in Mandurah, Fremantle and Sydney. In Term 2 we ran a brand new webinar, ‘Understanding SCIS records’. Cataloguing Team Leader Renate Beilharz explained the anatomy of a SCIS record, and discussed subject cataloguing, the importance of the subject searc
New and revised subject headings
By Cataloguing team, SCIS
Issue 112, Term 1 2020
New headings Fake news Use for works on and about disinformation in print and online media that are deliberately written to attract and mislead readers by exploiting entrenched biases. Anxiety disorders Use for works on medical conditions characterised by persistent, excessive worry. Stre
New and revised subject headings
By Cataloguing team, SCIS
Issue 116, Term 1 2021
New headings Animal rescue Use for the rescue of wildlife and pet animals from harmful situations. These animals are then provided with medical aid or care until they can be returned to the wild or a suitable permanent home can be found for them. Black lives matter movement Use for works on
SCIS is more
By Renate Beilharz
Issue 122, Term 3 2022
ecords for school libraries.’ The quote above introduces SCIS to all those who use our website. High quality means that we adhere to international cataloguing standards, ensuring SCIS records are compatible with catalogue records around the world. These international cataloguing standards in