Comments on: The Future(?) of Cataloging

By: Britt McGowan

Britt McGowan — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 20:10:16 +0000

I’m currently an MLIS student at FSU and have learned about FRBR in 2-3 of my courses (one being mandatory) and RDA in 2 of my courses. Having a strong Circ background and leaning toward cataloging, I agree that practical application is necessary. Both my Metadata and Cataloging courses have been able to bring practical projects into the classroom, which has been helpful. I hope to then intern in my Cataloging Dept. here to gain some broader experience.

By: Library Attack » Blog Archive » Branch out from Cataloging

Library Attack » Blog Archive » Branch out from Cataloging — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 21:06:43 +0000

[...] Landis, who rocks, recently blogged about the future of cataloging and the disconnect from library school. Many schools don’t teach about recent advances in [...]

By: Kate

Kate — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 17:58:16 +0000

I’m in my fourth quarter at Drexel (almost second year? I started halfway through last year) and am taking Cataloging and Classification I-although I have yet to find a listing for Cataloging and Classification II. I’m excited to learn the material, even though I don’t plan on going into the field.

On the topic of internships however I have to comment. I recently discussed the prospect of an internship with one of my professors, and it was determined that I would not be able to do one since I work full-time 9-5. Maybe it’s just because it was an archival internship, and repository hours might be more limited, but there is a fairly good possibility I will graduate without doing one. I’m not completely without experience, but being a page for a year probably doesn’t count for too much. What happens to students like me? I’m only a couple of years past undergrad, with no kids, but living on my own I can’t afford not to work full-time. Volunteering is in the cards, and I’m looking for other job opportunities, but not everyone realistically has the opportunity.

I just hope that I can get enough quasi-experience by the time I graduate, or prove in any job interviews that I do learn very quickly and will make a good employee.

By: AmyD

AmyD — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 19:44:11 +0000

Cliff,
I loved your post and all the comments. I especially like to see all this passion surrounding our profession! I just graduated with my MLIS from the University of Denver in May, where there is actually a concentration in Resource Description and Access (cataloging, etc.). It was fantastic and I wouldn’t trade it for the world, but the some of the other comments have been dead-on: you cannot learn this entirely from books. You must start with a solid theoretical foundation, but ultimately you must find and create your own experiences. There simply isn’t enough time in a two-year program to fit in the required coursework and all the experience needed to prepare you for that first job. I looked for cataloging opportunities on campus while I was in school, and was fortunate enough to work under an amazing mentor on two original cataloging projects. I also did my practicum in music cataloging. These experiences showed me how much I needed to learn and the value of a good cataloging mentor. I am now the only professional cataloger in a tiny cataloging department that serves 50 public schools. The responsibility can be overwhelming, but I rely on what I learned in school and I try to keep up on the professional literature. I also get together with other school catalogers to exchange ideas. It is refreshing to hear that what we do matters on the front line; it makes me even more diligent in my effort to create good metadata. As far as RDA and FRBR–I definitely heard about them in several classes, not just cataloging.

By: Cliff

Cliff — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 13:55:44 +0000

Hi Wendy, thanks for commenting! I haven't decried that cataloging is not being taught. I am, in fact, very lucky to count a cataloging professor as one of my mentors. However, I have begun to wonder (as Dorothea has) about the core curriculum. In the case of this student, she was leaving library school without having ever heard the nameof a forthcoming standard that will impact all librarians. I wonder how many students might be leaving library school without knowledge of what a reference interview is, or (in my case) how to read an LCC call number? After all, I focused on reference while in library school, so that skill was missed. But thanks to my internship (and the patience of practiced librarians), I learned how to read call numbers very quickly. :)

By: Wendy Dou

Wendy Dou — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 15:49:53 +0000

I just finished my online MSLIS at FSU in 2007. You *can* complete a degree program that requires no cataloging classes, but I chose not to do that. Yes, we did cover RDA and FRBR and Dublin Core. And though I’m not a cataloger, I realized the importance of cataloging enough to do an internship with one. Bottom line here: cataloging is too complex to be taught in library school, so learn it from a real cataloger. Whether you do it as your everyday job or not, what goes on in cataloging affects all records, so it’s worth learning. Additionally, I think it’s unfounded to meet with one person who didn’t know what these standards are about and decry that no one is teaching cataloging. It’s out there–many people just think they don’t need to learn it.

By: I’m not alone: a post tagged “user-centric service” « From the catalogs of babes

Sat, 10 Jan 2009 00:51:21 +0000

[...] I’m not alone: a post tagged “user-centric service” I encountered this great post by Cliff Landis through this Wednesday’s workroom read-aloud rendition of American Libraries [...]

By: Ivy

Ivy — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 00:44:05 +0000

I just wanted to thank you for not only promoting the importance of cataloging, but also emphasizing how to integrate cataloging into the larger overall principles of librarianship. I especially appreciate the tie-in to reference: while the “stereotypical cataloger” is often viewed as an anti-social position with little to no patron contact, the truth is that performing reference service only strengthens my cataloging, because I can see firsthand exactly what the patrons are searching for, and how they are searching for it. I advocate for more of this type of crossover all the time and would love to see that reflected both in education and professionally.

By: Shawne Miksa

Shawne Miksa — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 20:17:39 +0000

The whole issue of RDA adoption and implementation across libraries affects greatly the issue of when to start teaching RDA in cataloging or information organization classes. We don’t know yet, but we do know that at the very least we will have to teach both AACR2 and RDA. The transition will not be overnight, in other words. At UNT we introduce students to FRBR in the core IO class and then those who go on to take cataloging courses will get some introduction to RDA, but for the most part we focus on AACR2. Current MLS students who study both will be, IMHO, well positioned to help libraries make the transition.

Keep in mind that we just got access the full draft of RDA this past November and there have been changes from previous drafts–so at best we can only do summary introductions in cataloging classes. I do feel strongly, however, that no MLS student should graduate without having browsed/studied/read cover-to-cover FRBR, and now FRAD. As for RDA—well, now is a good time to start reviewing it. Lastly, it’s always the right time to understand AACR2, and how cataloging will change as we move into 2009 and beyond.

By: Cliff

Cliff — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 01:10:53 +0000

Hi Leila, thanks for responding! Although the student has an interest in cataloging, and will be doing an internship in that area, she has not expressed to me that she desires a career as a cataloger.

Instead, I was troubled by the fact that she was preparing to leave the program at Florida State having never heard of FRBR and RDA (regardless of her intended career path). Since these tools have the potential to have a dramatic, far-reaching and long-standing impact on the way that information is described (and therefore organized and accessed), I think that all future librarians should be aware of them. Again, I am not picking on FSU here (in fact, I was the person that originally recommend that she attend FSU!). I think that this is just part of a larger problem--how do we give library school students the knowledge and the skills that they need to become professional librarians?

I sure don't have all the answers, but I have been delighted to have sparked the conversation around this topic again!