So, the current state of affairs seems to be that catalogers are still getting mixed messages. On the one hand, we're told that there's exciting and interesting things happening on the Web and that all librarians need to embrace this change and adapt. On the other hand, we're told that cataloging is obsolete. And let's be clear about this, the message we're hearing is that AACR2/ISBD, the MARC format, Library of Congress Subject Headings, and Library of Congress Classification (Dewey also?)--all our structures and standards-- are obsolete and in major need of an overhaul.
This is a hard thing to hear when you've developed your professional skills over a number of years. It's also tough because we thought we were providing a service to the users who rely on us for access to library resources. Most of the catalogers I know have a deep commitment to and passion for their work. In my local catalogers' interest group we've never run out of things to talk about--for years!
I feel like over the last several months I've been rather negative about the cataloging community. I am mostly addressing these criticisms to myself first. I am a traditional cataloger who has great respect for our work. In fact, I am very much a cataloging standards geek. But now working almost exclusively with digital collections and non-MARC metadata I'm being stretched to think and work differently. It's really interesting, but in many ways non-MARC metadata creation and the issues involved are more complex than traditional cataloging. We are trading one set of complexities for another. Now more than ever we need to respect professional catalogers and the contribution they are making and will continue to make to libraries' metadata future.
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