Catalogas

Catalogas is a term that can refer to different concepts depending on language and context. In Spanish, catalogas is the second-person singular present indicative form of the verb catalogar, meaning you catalog or you create a catalog. When encountered in English-language discussions, the root concept is catalog, a systematic list of items that describes their key attributes to support discovery and management.

In library and information science, cataloging is the process of creating a bibliographic catalog. This involves descriptive metadata, access points for authors, titles, subjects, and classification information that allow users to locate and identify resources such as books, journals, and multimedia. Catalogs may be organized by various frameworks and are often implemented as searchable databases or online catalogs.

Catalogs appear in multiple domains beyond libraries. Product catalogs in commerce present items with descriptions, pricing, and availability to aid purchasing. Museum or archival catalogs document collections, providing provenance, dates, materials, and contextual information. Digital catalogs and online catalogs (including online public access catalogs or OPACs) enable remote search and browsing across large inventories.

Cataloging relies on standards and practices to ensure consistency and interoperability. Examples include bibliographic description rules and standards such as MARC, AACR2 or its successor RDA (Resource Description and Access), and subject authority files like LCSH. Metadata frameworks such as Dublin Core also play roles in non-library catalogs.

See also: library catalog, product catalog, metadata, MARC, RDA.