Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules
library cataloging standard
Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules (AACR) were an international library cataloging standard. First published in 1967 and edited by C. Sumner Spalding, a second edition (AACR2) edited by Michael Gorman and Paul W. Winkler was issued in 1978, with subsequent revisions (AACR2R) appearing in 1988 and 1998; all updates ceased in 2005.
Published jointly by the American Library Association, the Canadian Library Association, and the UK Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, the rules were designed for the construction of library catalogs and similar bibliographic tools. The rules cover the physical description of library resources, as well as the provision of name and title access points.
AACR2 was issued in several print versions, including a concise edition and an online version. Various translations were also available. Principles of AACR included cataloguing based on the item "in hand" rather than inferring information from external sources and the concept of the "chief source of information" which is preferred where conflicts exist.
Initial adoption
Despite the claim to be "Anglo-American", the North American and British first editions of AACR in 1967 differed in content. The second edition of 1978 unified the two sets of rules, adopting the British spelling "cataloguing", and brought them in line with the International Standard Bibliographic Description (ISBD). Libraries wishing to migrate from the previous North American text were obliged to implement "desuperimposition", a substantial change in the form of headings for corporate bodies.
“Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules” enters the record as library cataloging standard. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Anglo-American, Cataloguing and Rules can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Anglo-American, Cataloguing and Rules provides the most credible route into that argument.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 21, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q122638. VIAF identifies the subject as 174616920. The Library of Congress control number is n85047099. 2 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1967, 1978, 1988 and 1998.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules primary sources, Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules archive and Anglo-American research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules”?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.