HIGH SCHOOL LIBRARY DATABASE: AN EXAMINATION OF BIBLIOGRAPHIC DATA ELEMENTS (RETROSPECTIVE CONVERSION, BUILDING, CATALOGING)

This ex post facto/case study was conducted in an effort to determine the level of completeness and collection overlap in the descriptive cataloging for monographs and media in selected Pennsylvania high school libraries.;Three methods of retrospective conversion were used to create machine readable records. The records were converted through OCLC, Bibliofile, and MARC Entry. The levels of completeness of cataloging in post-conversion records were compared.;Collection overlap in selected Dewey Decimal classes was measured using a checklist of titles selected from High School Catalog, Public Library Catalog, and the Pittsburgh Public Schools. Additional titles which the libraries owned in the same classes were recorded and analyzed. The collection overlap was no greater than 30 per cent among the high school libraries.;The following two research questions were answered: (1) Is enough information contained on the shelflist cards in high school libraries to search for specific items by main entry, title, or standard number (either the Library of Congress card number or the International Standard Book Number)? (2) Is the amount of information contained on the shelflist cards in high school libraries to describe monographs and media equally complete?;The data elements contained in a sample of 115 shelflist and main entry cards in 31 high school libraries were recorded. Using a data element collection form, the differing levels of completeness between the source documents was determined. The shelflist card was used to convert retrospectively the sample records.;An adequate number of main entry and title data elements were present in the bibliographic records; the frequency of occurrence of standard numbers was five per cent. The level of completeness for media was less than that of monographs. From the data collected, one may conclude that the shelflist can be used to generate machine readable records for monographs using the main entry and title as search keys. The title is the search key to use for media records.