Cataloging Futures

The Feral Cataloger blog

One of the newer cataloging blogs I've been reading lately is The Feral Cataloger written by cataloging educator, Cheryl Tarsala. It's thought-provoking and well worth reading!

This blog discusses issues of cataloging and metadata from the perspective of cataloging instruction. My doctoral research explored the intersection of bibliography and cataloging, which I believe is the fertile ground for understanding the future role of “human-crafted” metadata in libraries.

RDA: to teach, or not to teach

When students are just getting into the basics of cataloging--Do you introduce them to AACR2 and RDA, or just AACR2?

I'm sure every teacher of cataloging is asking themselves that question. It's the topic of this post, Teaching cataloguing again, written by Louise Spiteri, director of the School of Information Management, Dalhousie University.

RDA test: training materials and LC policy decisions

Wow, this is really great. The Library of Congress is providing access to all the RDA Test training materials and policy decisions that will be used during the U.S. test period. A cornucopia of RDA goodness!

Why teach cataloging and classification?

Some good cataloging reading to start the new year!

Today (using Google Scholar) I found this interesting essay by Michael Gorman from 2002: A matter of opinion: Why teach cataloguing and classification?

It can be found in this book: Education for cataloging and the organization of information edited by Janet Swan Hill.

More RDA links

Karen Anderson, the RDA librarian at MARS Automation Services, has pulled together another good list of RDA resources. There's some great stuff here like the CLA pre-conference presentations and the German symposium on MARC.

Slides: What is cataloging?

For those who wonder what we do, here's a nice, quick overview:

What Is Cataloging?

View more presentations from Johan Koren.

Via Giddy Librarian

Should you take cataloging in library school?

Some good advice for LIS students. In, If I Could Do Library School Over Again, Karen Glover, Circulation Services Librarian at the Georgia Institute of Technology, writes about the need to take a cataloging class even if you're not planning on being a cataloger.

I would take cataloging. What was I thinking? I’ll tell you. I was thinking that I was never going to need cataloging, that’s what. Boy was I wrong. The cataloging of film is a tricky, tricky thing. In this library, it is inconsistent, and often unexplainable. Current cataloging standards are too restrictive and unwilling to bend. At least I think they are. I wouldn’t really know....

Metadata for Catalogers presentation

Robin Fay, Head, Database Maintenance at the University of Georgia, has shared her presentation on the basics of metadata for catalogers. Great examples.

Metadata For Catalogers (introductions)

View more presentations from robinfay.

Robin also has a version of this presentation for a more general audience.

ALCTS developing an online cataloging class

Over at Nearly There Librarian, Jordan Fields, an intern for the Association of Library Collections & Technical Services at the American Library Association (ALCTS) gives a nice overview of the web courses being offered by ALCTS.

Turns out they are developing a new course, Fundamentals of Cataloging.

So far all of these classes have been very popular, usually filling up. Later this year we will be offering even more frequent sessions of FOA, FCDM, and FERA. There is also a new course, Fundamentals of Cataloging, that is in the works. I’ve read through the first draft of the course, and right now it’s looking to be on par with the cataloging class that I took at Syracuse.

Another positive of these courses is the price. As anyone taking classes from a university knows, education is not cheap. ALCTS classes are a great bargain at $109 for ALCTS members and $129 for non-members.

ALA 2007 preconference: What they don't teach in library school

I've been sick all weekend, but I did finally renew my ALA membership and will be going to the midwinter conference. I'll try to post the meetings I hope to attend. It would be great to meet and have some future of cataloging conversations. (Just look for a lady with very short gray hair looking clueless--I'm not a regular ALA attender.)

This weekend, I watched all but 3 of the webcasts from this ALCTS/CETRC preconference, What They Don't Teach in Library School: Competencies, Education, and Employer Expectations for a Career in Cataloging. These webcasts are great! Definitely take the time to watch them. I took away some excellent cataloging management ideas.

On June 22, 2007, librarians from across the United States and Canada gathered in Washington, D.C. during ALA Annual to discuss the future of cataloging at a preconference (PDF; 23K) sponsored by the Association for Library Collections & Technical Services, Committee on Education, Training & Recruitment for Cataloging (ALCTS/CETRC), the Library of Congress and the Catholic University of America.

• Biographies of the speakers (PDF; 24K)
• Presentation by James F. Brennan, Ph.D., the provost of Catholic University at the beginning of the preconference (PDF; 23K)
• Webcasts and presentations of the speakers:
  • Matthew Beacom: Webcast - PowerPoint
  • Karen Calhoun: Webcast - PowerPoint
  • J. Randolph Call: Webcast - PowerPoint
  • Sylvia D. Hall-Ellis: Webcast - PowerPoint
  • Janet Swan Hill: Webcast - PowerPoint
  • Brian E.C. Schottlaender: Webcast - PowerPoint
  • Beacher Wiggins: Webcast - Preconference Paper (PDF; 141K)