Cataloging, Reception, and the Boundaries of a “Work”

The concept of a “work” is fundamental to cataloging and users, but there is no clear understanding of the point at which one work becomes another. Various factors influence the setting of the boundaries of a work including that of the reception of the work. Brief investigations of the transmission and study of works such as medieval saints’ lives and the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle as well as works conceived in electronic form give insight into the processes involved and provide some clues for how catalogers can cope with these factors.