Cataloguing Access Point

Access Point:

Each bibliographic record is given one or more access points through which the record can be retrieved. For a cataloging record, an access point is presented in the form of a heading added to the description. Each heading applied to a record then results in a catalog entry. The basis for the access point may be the subject content of the work. In this case, it is called a subject entry and the heading used is called a subject heading (to be discussed in Part Three). Or the basis for the access point may be a bibliographic identifier, such as the author or the title of the work. This kind of access point is determined by descriptive cataloging rules. The four types of bibliographic entry found in a catalog are:

1. Names of persons who perform certain functions:

        a. Authors

        b. Editors and compilers

        c. Translators

        d. Illustrators

       e. Other related persons (e.g., the addressee of a collection of letters; a person honored by a Festschrift)

2. Names of corporate bodies related to the item being described in a function other than solely as distributor or manufacturer

3. Titles

4. Series

Sometimes the heading is in the form of a name-title combination.