Cataloging Spirits and the Spirit of Cataloging

Specific rules within the cataloging codes may seem strange and out of step with the times in which the codes are used. This paper examines one such seemingly strange set of rules, those regarding spirit communications, and explores how these rules illuminate both historical developments and current practices in cataloging. Anglo- American cataloging rules regarding author entry for works of spirit communication are particularly illustrative of evolving theories of authorship and bibliographic identity in the library catalog. [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-HAWORTH. E-mail address: Website: © 2005 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.]