English abstract
The main aim of the study is to explore the reality of cataloging of photographs in Omani libraries by defining these libraries and their photographic collections, and the followed procedures in organizing photographs and the bibliographic control, especially descriptive cataloging for them. Another aim is to introduce photographs' cataloging rules included in the most popular international.cataloging standards, to compare between them with what is implemented in Omani libraries. The descriptive analytical method was used for conducting this study.
Eleven photographs libraries or libraries were visited in Muscat Area. Six of them are photographs' libraries and five libraries contain photographs in addition of containing other information resources. Checklist was used to collect data about systems wield for organizing and cataloging photographs. In addition several interviews were executed with employers who hold the responsibility of organizing photographs in libraries of the study.
Results showed the importance of photographs in Sultanate of Oman. That appears from a number of libraries containing huge numbers of photographs that could be used by so many institutions to enhance their services provided, and by researchers. A very important result was shown also in this study that all Omani libraries are following local methods in organizing and cataloging their consistency. These systems do not rely on international cataloging standards. What really subordinated are mostly very simple methods helps employers to retrieve photographs so fast and in easy ways.
