Catalogue card size

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Catalogue card size

Catalogue Card Size

A catalogue card is a physical card used in traditional library cataloging systems to store bibliographic information about library materials. The size of the catalogue card is standardized to ensure consistency and usability across various libraries. The typical size of a catalogue card is:

  • 3 inches x 5 inches (7.6 cm x 12.7 cm)

This standard size was adopted to fit comfortably into the drawers of card catalogs, which were used to store and organize the cards in alphabetical order by author, title, or subject.

Reasons for the Standard Size:

  1. Uniformity: A standard size ensured that cards from different libraries could be used in a uniform cataloging system and fit into the same size drawers.

  2. Space Efficiency: The 3 x 5 inch card size was large enough to hold the necessary bibliographic information but small enough to save space in library catalog cabinets.

  3. Convenience for Handwriting and Printing: This size was convenient for both handwritten entries and printing, especially in the early days when typewriters and later printing machines were used to create catalogue cards.


Other Dimensions for Specific Purposes

While the 3 x 5 inches size is the most common for library catalogue cards, there are other variations in size used for specialized purposes:

  • 4 inches x 6 inches (10.16 cm x 15.24 cm): Sometimes used for larger items, or when more space is needed for information like annotations, notes, or large volumes.

  • 2.5 inches x 4.25 inches (6.35 cm x 10.8 cm): Less common, but occasionally used for smaller, more compact cataloging systems or specialized library collections.


Catalogue Card Size Diagram

-------------------------------------------------
|                                               |
|                  3 inches (7.6 cm)            |
|                -----------------              |
|                |               |              |
|                |               |              |
|                |   CATALOGUE   |              |
|                |     CARD      |              |
|                |               |              |
|                |               |              |
|                -----------------              |
|                                               |
|                  5 inches (12.7 cm)           |
|                                               |
-------------------------------------------------

Catalogue Card Dimensions

  • Length: 5 inches (12.7 cm)

  • Width: 3 inches (7.6 cm)

Explanation:

  • Length: The longer side of the card (5 inches) allows enough space to write or print the bibliographic information about the library item.

  • Width: The shorter side (3 inches) ensures that the card fits into the standard catalog drawers.

This size is used to ensure that cards are organized in a consistent manner and can fit into drawers designed to house them in libraries.


Example of How a Catalogue Card Might Look

While I can't provide an image directly in this format, here's an example layout for a typical catalogue card with relevant bibliographic information:

-------------------------------------------------
| Author:                Austen, Jane            |
| Title:                 Pride and Prejudice     |
| Publisher:             London: Everyman, 1994  |
| Physical Description:  xvi, 453 p. ; 22 cm     |
| Call Number:           PR4034 .P7 1994         |
| Subjects:              English fiction,         |
|                        Love stories            |
-------------------------------------------------

This text layout would be printed on the 3 x 5 inch card, with appropriate spaces to allow legible writing or printing for each field of information.


Conclusion

The standard catalogue card size of 3 inches x 5 inches (7.6 cm x 12.7 cm) has been widely used in libraries due to its compactness and practicality for organizing bibliographic information. This size made it easy to store the cards in catalog drawers while allowing enough space to include key details about each resource. While digital systems have largely replaced the card catalog, understanding the size and structure of these cards is valuable for understanding the history of library cataloging.

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