#1 7. December 2008, 9:50 am o'clock
I am a recent graduate from a Library Degree Science program where cataloging is actually very much in vogue. I saw two distinct approaches to teaching cataloging while I was there. One was very encompassing but managed to question why there was a need to organize information and how that need is becoming ever so prominent given the growth of original material (in particular that in non-print formats). The other method focused on books and print materials with some brief overview of the other chapters in AACR2. This course did not question procedure or even the more traditional methods of cataloging. Instead it tried to encourage students to think of cataloging as almost a timeless and unchanging activity. This course even encouraged a certain type of individual fit for cataloging. It was a common thought that catalogers had to be introspective, much too detailed oriented, and obsessive in strange ways in order to be a cataloger. I would agree that this type of stifled teaching does not help the profession or catalogers in any way. Quite the contrary, it prepares professionals who are not as ready as they could be to question their profession, to be more proactive in terms of stepping out of the confines of their daily tasks to take on more innovation duties, and to be flexible. I believe that cataloging is important. However, the information resources have changed as well as what users need and how they find these resources. In this respect, catalogers in training need to be more aware of this and thus have a broader understanding of how information is organized, sought, used, and transformed into knowledge.
#2 8. December 2008, 6:52 am o'clock
The one participant who mentioned that at her place of work, it’s the reference staff on the desk who are the most resistant to changes in the catalogue and who demand that some changes be removed (or simply not instituted in the first place) — is most certainly not alone. These are not uncommon criticisms, and they can unfortunately result in any number of constraints on both the appearance and functionality of the catalogue.
#3 9. December 2008, 9:28 am o'clock
I’m glad to see that you’re continuing to push cataloging to move in the direction I think it needs to.
I completely understand the reluctance you often run into - I work in a library system with a lot of member libraries, and many of the catalogers are terrified of what kind of change RDA will mean. Some of them are planning to retire rather than change what they do. It’s kind of become my job to introduce them to what’s coming down the road and hopefully, allay some of their fears.
There are fortunately a few younger catalogers that are genuinely interested and ready to learn more. I sometimes wish I had something more concrete for them, though. As long as RDA is just a draft with a possibly uncertain future - and without knowing for certain whether things will actually move in the way you’re advocating (and which I think is the way we need to be going) - I feel like I’m just giving them a lot of abstraction, and many of them are only interested in what effect it will have directly on them.
#4 9. December 2008, 9:35 am o'clock
I am so psyched to join this online community!
I attended Diane’s session Friday (Nelinet 12/5/2008) and was really energized by it. I am perfectly poised to sponge any and all of what came out it as someone who began cataloging on an OCLC screen (non-windows!)
I knew realized I had not looked at developments in the cataloging world since I had last checked out the discussion around the JSC re: development of AACR2. I have been missing a lot, and will keep our staff more informed of the developments with RDA going forward… thank you for your hard work Diane!!
#5 12. December 2008, 5:17 pm o'clock
I am also very concerned about training for RDA. I work as a trainer, and have trained cataloging standards in the past. At the last ALA, I gave my card to someone working on the group that’s concentrating on training the new rules, and offered to volunteer time and resources to assist with the effort. I believe that training, and the quality of that training, will have a significant impact on the success of RDA.
I have not heard anything back from the RDA folks about the training effort since ALA Annual. They may already have folks onboard to develop the training and conduct it however, so I don’t want to imply that nothing is being done is this area. I simply do not know.
Thanks for bringing up this topic–I’m sorry I missed your talk at NELINET.
#6 11. January 2010, 4:37 am o'clock
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