Codes, costs, and critiques: The organization of information in Library Quarterly, 1931-2004

Abstract

This article reports the results of a quantitative and thematic content analysis of the organization of information literature in the Library Quarterly (LQ) between its inception in 1931 and 2004. The majority of articles in this category were published in the first half of LQ's run. Prominent themes have included cataloging codes and the influence of authors such as Julia Pettee, Andrew Osborn, and Seymour Lubetzky; costs and other practicalities; technology, information science, and Cranfield; subject access, including subject headings, thesauri, and classification schemes; and historical, international, and research perspectives. Future volumes of LQ can fruitfully build on these themes to address contemporary issues in the organization of information such as the future of catalog code development of "RDA: Resource Description and Access" to replace AACR2 and the Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (FRBR); concerns in digital library development, including metadata; and other innovative matters. © 2006 by The University of Chicago. All rights reserved.