Catalog vs. Index What’s the difference?
Catalog vs Index
Dec 03, 2014
What is the difference between a catalog and an index? Library catalogs tell you what you will find in the library building
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Catalog vs. IndexWhat’s the difference?
What can you find in the library? Encyclopedias Magazines Newspapers Government
documents Books Journals Videos CDs (Books on
tape) Maps
What will you find in journals and books?
Credible sources Table of contents Index Glossary Chapters Poems Short stories Articles
Catalog vs. Index
WHOLES Books Journals Newspapers Magazines Anthologies Maps Encyclopedias Dictionaries Videos CDs Music Scores
PARTS Chapters Poems Articles Entries Songs Movements Tracks Essays Short stories Pages that talk about
a specific topic in the book
Catalog
Tells what you will find in the physical library building
The WHOLES
Definition of Catalog
“A finding tool that identifies the books, serials, and other types of sources in a library’s collection. Also spelled catalogue. The other major types of finding tools are bibliographies and indexes. See also online catalog; opac.”
—Mary GeorgeThe Elements of Library Research: What
Every Student Needs to Know. Princeton, NJ: Princeton
UP, 2008. (170)
A Catalog is…
A finding tool that identifies the whole-book sources in a specific collection
A finding tool that identifies all of a library’s newspaper and periodical subscriptions as well.
-See Mary George’s Elements of Library Research, pg. 76.
Index
Like an index finger = points to other things
PARTS Tells you about
articles Article indexes or
databases tell about articles and in some cases give access to the full text.
Definition of Index
“A finding tool that identifies specific articles, usually providing approaches by author, assigned-subject descriptors, and keywords. The other major types of finding tools are bibliographies and catalogs.”
—Mary GeorgeThe Elements of Library Research: What
Every Student Needs to Know. Princeton, NJ:
Princeton UP, 2008. (170)
An index is…
A finding tool that identifies the topics treated in a book (the familiar subject index in the back of a nonfiction volume).
A finding tool that identifies individual articles appearing in issues of a specific group of periodicals.
-See Mary George’s Elements of Library Research, pg. 76.
A CATALOG IS LIKE…
The Sears Catalog
It shows you the available inventory in the library.
“Sears Catalogue 1935- Women’s Coats.” Photo by Genibee.
AN INDEX IS LIKE…
A compass
It can point you in the direction you need to go to find articles, pages that discuss your topic, books that you may need, etc.
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