Cataloging Futures

Cataloging Futures takes a new direction

Those of you who've been reading this blog know that it's focus has been the future of cataloging and metadata in libraries. I started the blog in April 2007 when this was a "hot topic" and also a personal passion. At the time I was the head cataloger of a small cataloging department with a strong background in cataloging and RDA. When I first started Cataloging Futures there weren't many catalogers blogging (that's really changed!), so it seemed to fill a much-needed niche.

For the past four years, I've been the metadata librarian on our gradually growing digital collections team. And last month I started a new job: XML Database Administrator. Our team works with a production mindset in a agile environment. We work in focused two-week sprints. Both work and learning my new job don't afford me the luxury of keep up with the trends and issues of cataloging and metadata with the intensity that blogging requires.

So, while the blog is still called "Cataloging Futures," the focus with now be primarily using XQuery (and MarkLogic Server) for digital collections development in libraries. I hope that some of my current readers stay on board, but totally understand in the busy work-a-day world of cataloging that you might have other things to focus on. I am truly grateful for all the Cataloging Futures readers who've encouraged and challenged me over the last several years. Thank you!

Interesting post: CodeYear Catalogers

If you're interested in learning programming, check out Shana L. McDanold's blog post: CodeYear Catalogers.

CodeAcademy is offering an excellent opportunity for anyone interested in getting started with coding: Code Year. Each week they'll be emailing out to anyone that signs up an interactive lesson on coding. Code Academy offers some fantastic interactive courses, so you learn in a supportive environment.

Naturally this has piqued the interest of a number of catalogers that have been interested in learning to code or want to brush up or learn new code languages, myself included. Catalogers work with massive amounts of curated bibliographic data, and being able to manipulate it in new and different ways and in ever increasing amounts is key as we move forward into the bibliographic future and the world of linked data and the semantic web.