Abstract: Weitz, Jay (2004). Cataloger’s Judgment: Music Cataloging Questions and Answers from the Music OCLC Users Group Newsletter

Jay Weitz is one of the most respected catalogers for music, and has been responding to catalogers' questions in the Music OCLC Users Group (MOUG) Newsletter since 1989. Many have noted his ability to communicate ideas succinctly and perspicaciously, tackling complex cataloging conundra, while maintaining an approachable, friendly, often witty tone. The book is designed to provide the cataloger with answers to many of the most persistent dilemmas faced by catalogers of music. It is arranged into topics, with questions on these topics arranged in reverse chronological order. Topics include "When to input a new record", "Sound recordings", "Main and added entries", "Titles", "Notes", "Subject Access", etc., and are further divided into subcategories under each. The editor acknowledges that many references in the questions and answers refer to outdated rules, dead websites, old forms of headings, bib and authority records that have changed, and old practices that have been superceded, but they have been included to provide historical perspective. Often the counsel Weitz gives doesn't change much over time, but other times new practices or rules change his advice. The reverse chronological order of the questions helps the reader find the most current answer quickly.

I met Jay at the last MLA meeting in Memphis. Ralph Papakhian invited me to lunch, and I ate at some greasy diner with Ralph, Jay, Mark Scharff and a few others. He was very nice and unassuming. While at that conference, I sat through my fair share of dry, esoteric presentations on cataloging. It amazes me to read through some of his answers because they explain hard concepts so effortlessly, and never seem stodgy or overly intellectual. I definitely plan on using this and his other work, Music Coding and Tagging: MARC 21 Content Designation for Scores and Sound Recordings, 2nd ed., as ready references in my work as a cataloger.