Some definitions of words related to cataloging:
AACR2 = Stands for Anglo-American Cataloging Rules, 2nd revision. This is a set of cataloging rules that was used for many years, but is now considered the predecessor to the new rules which are called Resource Description and Access (RDA).
Authority Control = Using authorized forms of names and subject headings in bibliographic records. These are unique and specific, help maintain consistency and make searching for topics easier for patrons because they won’t have to search under multiple terms. For example, the authorized subject heading for cars is “automobiles”, meaning a patron can search on that and find everything and doesn’t have to do one search on “cars” and another on “automobiles”. They are also used to differentiate among people, such as “Michael Jordan” the athlete versus “Michael B. Jordan” the actor. In the record these would be inverted, with the last name first, then the first name, like “Jordan, Michael”.
Bibliographic record = Also called a bib record. A bib record describes a thing, such as a book, video, sound recording, game, kit, etc. It describes the physical object, such as: what the title and subtitle is, what year was it published, if it has illustrations, how many pages it has, does it have an index, is it a revised edition, etc. and it describes what the thing is about with subject headings and sometimes a summary statement. Think of it as an electronic card catalog record.
Copy cataloging = Copy cataloging is when you can buy or otherwise obtain a bibliographic record from a source and bring it into your local cataloging without hand typing all the data. Someone else has figured out the number of pages, whether the book has illustrations, what the book is about, etc. and typed that into a record that is then made available for other libraries to use.
CIP data = CIP stands for Cataloging In Publication. It’s cataloging information that looks like the old catalog cards that used to exist and is created by the Library of Congress before the book is published. Then, this CIP data is usually put on the copyright page of the book for catalogers and librarians to refer to and use for cataloging purposes. It can have standard numbers, series names, subject headings, possible call numbers, etc.
ILS = Stands for Integrated Library System and refers to a computer software program that libraries use that usually has various modules for circulation, interlibrary loan, cataloging, serials, acquisition, reports, etc. Many times it is referred to as the circ system or circulation software.
ISBN = Stands for International Standard Book Number, and is a unique publisher product number assigned to each published book. Oftentimes these are found on the copyright page and hard covers will have a different ISBN than the paperback version. ISBNs can often be found on items other than books, such as DVDs, board games, and other things sold in bookstores. Examples are: 1582433631 and 9781582433639.
ISSN = Stands for International Standard Serial Number and is a unique publisher number assigned to serial titles. An example would be: 0029-2761
Main entry = A main entry is an access point to a bibliographic record that is the author, in most cases. Other headings, like subject headings, would be called added entries. This dates from the card catalog days where the main entry would be the first entry at the top of the catalog card. If there is no author available for a library item, the main entry is the title of the resource.
MARC format = MARC stands for MAchine Readable Cataloging. In order for computers to easily use the bibliographic records we add to our online catalogs, we have to code them in a special computerized format. MARC is a format that a lot of libraries use. Instead of having a field called “title”, we code title information into a computerized language that uses 245 to house the title information. Other fields have different fields, like subject the 100 field, which is used for the author’s name.
OPAC = Stands for Online Public Access Catalog or Online Public Access Computer. An OPAC is the online catalog or modern version of a card catalog. Sometimes also listed as PAC for Public access computer. This is the interface that patrons use to search for library materials.
Original cataloging = Original cataloging is when an already made bibliographic record can’t be obtained and a librarian has to create the bib record from scratch. Original cataloging involves seeing the actual book to measure the height, see if there are illustrations, figure out the subject headings, etc. and hand type the info into a bib record format. This is especially common for things that are locally produced that other libraries may not collect, like a high school yearbook or a cookbook created by a local civic organization.
RDA = Stands for Resource Description and Access. RDA is the newest set of cataloging rules that began being used widely in 2010.
Serial = Serials are titles that come out on a repeating schedule, in successive parts that bear a numeric or chronological designation and are intended to be published indefinitely. This could be a daily frequency, such as the New York Times Newspaper, a weekly magazine or a yearly publication, like the Guinness Book of World Records. Other frequencies could be monthly, bimonthly, biannual, etc. A bib record for a serial is usually a bit more open-ended than a book bibliographic record because the title is ongoing and the record has to reflect that.
Series = A group of titles that have something in common and the publisher has assigned a series statement. An example of a series statement would be: The Hunger Game series.
Statement of responsibility = The person or entity that is responsible for creating the material being cataloged. Usually, it’s the author, but for a wordless book that is strictly illustrations, the statement of responsibility would have the illustrator’s name.
Subject headings = Subject headings are added to bibliographic records so patrons can search on these terms and find the items they are interested in. They are taken from a strict vocabulary (see the “authority control” definition for more info). Bib records can have multiple subject headings, but the first one in the record is usually the most important and is what the item is mainly about.
Technical services = This terminology is what a lot of cataloging departments in the library are called. This was in opposition to “patron services” terminology that some libraries used to indicate departments that directly interacted with patrons, such as reference or circulation departments. Technical services was used to describe departments that dealt with technical and detailed work such as the cataloging, acquisitions and serials departments. It is not the same as the Information Technology (IT) department.
There are more definitions related to cataloging here: https://www.w3.org/2001/sw/wiki/Library_terminology_informally_explained
Many of these resources and programs are funded under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.