The activity of obtaining information resources relevant to an information need from a collection of information resources. It is a part of information science which activities relating to the retrieval of information.
ISR
The science of searching for documents, for information within documents, as well as that of searching relational databases and WWW.
Examples of ISR systems/methods
Catalog
Index
Abstract
Bibliography
Authority file
Cataloging
Requires a consistent and standardized approach to ensure that all items are described and organized in the same way
Deciding which access points to include in the catalog record can be challenging
Authority control in cataloging
Catalogers must maintain consistency in the way names and subjects are used in the catalog and ensure that they are linked to the correct authority records
Cataloging non-traditional resources
Catalogers must determine how to describe and classify these materials in a way that is useful to users
Cataloging multilingual materials
Catalogers must ensure that all users can access and understand the descriptions and access points in the catalog
Error in cataloging (usually done by intern students), will lead to backlog of work in cataloging department
