Consistency versus Inconsistency: Issues in Chinese Cataloging in OCLC

This article addresses some unresolved cataloging issues related to pinyin romanization, vernacular application, field coding, and other aspects of Chinese cataloging in OCLC. These issues lead to inconsistencies in the way Chinese materials are cataloged, though cataloging standards and romanization rules are made and the processes of the projects like Pinyin Conversion, Manual Review, and Pinyin Clean- Up have been completed. In this article, eight of the most commonly encountered issues and inconsistent practices in Chinese cataloging are discussed. Examples from Chinese records created with OCLC CJK software in WorldCat are used to demonstrate the problems they raise. With the discussion, it is hoped that these inconsistent practices can be recognized and avoided in the future. [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-HAWORTH. E-mail address: Website: © 2004 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.]