fun with cataloging

Like I've probably said before, catalogers are a strange breed. It takes a certain type of person to savor the challenge of categorizing the whole of human knowledge, one Library of Congress Subject Heading at a time. I think you need to be either completely humorless, or find a wry, twisted humor in nearly everything. Mostly I'm guessing it's the latter.

My latest discovery involves the graphic novel series Noble Causes, which features a very dysfunctional family of superheroes. First I was entertained to see that one of its headings is
Problem families -- Comic books, strips, etc. Often times catalogers will get specific to the point that the category is no longer helpful- after all, if every book has its own unique subject heading, what's the point? For example, Germany -- History -- Night of the Long Knives, 1934 -- Drama. I have no idea what the Night of the Long Knives was, but it doesn't surprise me that we only have one drama about it. But I digress. Just as I was about to scoff and add Noble Causes' Problem families -- Comic books, strips, etc. to the useless list, I noticed that my library actually has 17 items in that category. Huh. I guess lots of comic book authors/artists have been putting the 'fun' back in 'dysfunction' lately.

Then of course, there are categories in which less is more: Deviant behavior -- Handbooks, manuals, etc.

Just one entry there. And that's probably okay.