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2500 BCE
Ebla Library
The oldest known library, tablets were classified, cataloged, and shelved. -
1500 BCE
Hittite Empire Archives
30,000 clay tablets, the catalog included a colophon (short description of contents) -
300 BCE
Royal Library of Alexandria
One of the first attempts at a bibliography happened here, and one of the first instances of alphabetizing by author name. -
Jan 1, 1440
Gutenberg's Printing Press
This created an increase in the amount of information available, and made cataloging and metadata more necessary -
British Museum
Publishes "Rules for the Compilation of the Catalogue" basis for cataloging for the next 150 years -
Dewey Decimal Classification
Created categories to classify books by subject. -
National Union Catalog
An attempt to locate and catalog all important books in the United States. -
Colon Classification
S.R. Ranganathan created facetted classifications -
Card Catalogs
A register of items found in a library, helping patrons to locate materials. -
MARC
Digital format for library catalogs -
Dublin Core
A core set of elements used to create metadata for materials, both print and digital. -
Metadata Today
Metadata is still a widely discussed topic. With the digital age bringing with it an influx of resources and information, librarians are creating metadata entries to make finding resources easier for their patrons.
