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Sievers, Wolfgang (1913-2007), Card catalogue at Baillieu Library, University of Melbourne, Victoria, 1961, architect John Scarborough, nla.obj-161541984
While the National Library is unable to provide specialist advice on cataloguing, there are a number of online resources you can use.
The best place to find bibliographic details for books, sheet music, CDs, DVDs, and videos is through Trove.
Microsoft Excel is an easily accessible tool you can use to create a catalogue. However, it is not ideal as it involves copying and pasting individual fields from the source catalogue record into the Excel field.
There are several products which allow you to import the entire record. Some examples of free and inexpensive commercial products available online include:
There are also more sophisticated and expensive bibliographic tools available. If you are associated with a university you may be able to download a copy of:
Bibliographic/software and standards information can be found on the wiki OpenOffice.org. For some general tips on cataloguing try a web search for 'cataloging basics', which will provide a number of informative sites. You can also search under the alternative spelling of ‘cataloguing’.
There are also many useful print items available. Try searching the Library’s catalogue with the words cataloging handbooks. If you are unable to visit the Library, Trove can help you find and get items at libraries near you.
