Cataloging Futures

IT competencies for metadata librarians

There's been some great blogging going on over at the Metadata Blog. One recent post discussed a topic near and dear to this blog: IT competencies for metadata librarians. Here's the list:

• Metadata librarians should know XML.

• Relational database design: may not have to be an Oracle programmer, but should understand the structure, and be able to form queries

• Be able to do data modeling

• Have traditional cataloging skills as well as database, XML, XSLT skills

• Maybe cannot do all of the computer programming, but should be able to read programs and know what they do. Basically, have the ability to speak the language.

• Perl scripting

• Cataloging background no longer as important, but need to help catalogers move from the MARC environment to the non-MARC environment

ALA 2008: There's no catalog like no catalog

I definitely don't write enough about the future of the library catalog. There are several reasons for this--one is that so many other people are working hard in this area.

Well here's an ALA/LITA program,There’s No Catalog Like No Catalog: The Ultimate Debate on the future of the Library Catalog that tackles this issue head on. The panelists were: Karen Coyle, Karen Schneider, Steven Abram, and Joe Janes. The moderator was Roy Tennant. The complete program is available as a podcast. It's well worth listening to if your interested in the future of the library catalog (and cataloging).

One good thing I took away from this debate is a rediscovery of Patrick Wilson, librarian and philosopher. Joe Janes mentioned how forward-looking his thought was. So, I went back to my library school cataloging notebook (yes, I still have it) to find one of his essays. I'm reading it now and hope to write some more about his ideas soon.