Cataloging

Starting from scratch? Trying to cut down on the backlog? Backstage provides a range of cataloging services to supplement your institution's capabilities.

Automated Cataloging

Some of our clients have acquisition records, order records, or vendor records that can be submitted for an automated match against databases that contain full MARC cataloging, such as the Library of Congress catalog, the Research Libraries UK (RLUK) database, or OCLC WorldCat.

Send us a sample of your data — whether brief MARC records, text files, spreadsheets, or some other format — and we'll prepare a quote for returning full MARC records, ready to load into your system.

Need to retain your local fields or system-specific tags? Not a problem. We can integrate any of your data into the matched record.

Copy & Original Cataloging

When no electronic data is available, we work from item-in-hand or digital surrogates to search for matching MARC records to copy. Copy cataloging is handled to your specifications, whether accepting records as-is or with full verification of all access points and descriptions. Databases available include LC, RLUK, and OCLC — either with your account or ours. And we can set your holdings on WorldCat as we go.

When no matching copy can be found, items are cataloged as original and can be uploaded on your behalf to the database or consortium of your choice. While we follow international rules and standards, we can always adapt our processing to your specifications. Full, minimal, or modified. AACR2 or RDA. Our policy is to first follow your policies.

Foreign Languages

For your growing collections in languages that match your diverse community of users, Backstage has a multi-lingual cataloging staff and contract catalogers around the world. The language base we currently source includes:

• African languages • Arabic • Belarusian • Bengali • Bosnian • Breton • Bulgarian • Catalan • Caucasian • Chinese (Mandarin) • Croatian • Czech • Danish • Dutch • English • Faroese • Finnish • French • Gaelic/Irish • Galician • German • Greek • Gujarati • Hawaiian • Hebrew • Hindi • Hungarian • Icelandic • Indonesian • Italian • Japanese • Korean • Latin • Macedonian • Malayam • Malaysian • Marathi • Mongolian • Nepalese • Norwegian • Oriya • Ottoman Turkish • Persian • Polish • Portuguese • Provençal • Punjabi • Romanian • Russian • Sanskrit • Scots • Serbo-Croatian • Slavic • Spanish (and Bilindex headings) • Swedish • Tamil • Telugu • Thai • Turkic • Turkish • Ukrainian • Urdu • Welsh •

For languages not on this list, contact us, and we'll source a language specialist just for your project.

Physical Processing

Need your materials processed shelf-ready? From barcodes and spine labels to security strips and book covers, Backstage can apply your physical processing specifications to any material cataloged. DVDs, music, serials, and books are all linked to their MARC records and ready to be shelved when you open the box.

To discuss the details of your project or to request pricing information, call us at 1-800-288-1265 or drop us a note.