Buckland and the Catalog

The classic definition of the purpose of a library catalog is that of C. A. Cutter, who stated that the "objects" of a catalog were:
To enable a person to find a book of which either

• the author )
• the title ) is known
• the subject )
• To show what the library has
  • by a given author
  • on a given subject
  • in a given kind of literature [poetry, drama, fiction].
• To assist in the choice of a work
  • as to its edition (bibliographically)
  • as to its character (literary or topical) (Endnote 5).