Katalogien

Katalogien is a term used in several Scandinavian languages to refer to the catalog or cataloging system within libraries, archives, and information systems. In general, the katalogien denotes the organized listing of resources and the metadata that describes them, enabling search, retrieval, and interlibrary exchange. The concept encompasses bibliographic catalogs, authority files, and subject indexes that make it possible to locate books, media, datasets, and other materials.

Origin and usage: The word derives from Latin catalogus via French catalogue and other Germanic forms. In modern Swedish and Norwegian, the common definite singular is katalogen; katalogien appears in older texts, regional dialects, or as a formal or institutional naming variant. In some contexts it can function as a proper noun referring to a specific catalog system or project.

Applications: Katalogien is central to library science, archival management, and digital repositories. Catalogs may be physical or online (OPACs), and contemporary katalogien systems integrate standards such as MARC, Dublin Core, FRBR, and RDA. The catalog provides access points, controlled vocabularies, and relationships between works, expressions, and items. Union catalogs and cooperative catalogs connect multiple institutions’ catalogs into a single searchable index, supporting resource discovery across collections.

See also: Catalog, Catalogue, Library catalog, Bibliography, Metadata, Information retrieval, Digital library, FRBR, MARC, Dublin Core.