LIBS 6120 Feb. 25 2012

There comes a point during a semester where everything kind of clicks. The “aha” moment, I believe Oprah calls it. I think I’ve finally achieved that clarity in cataloging. I guess it has something to do with the way I learn. I almost need to see the bigger picture before I can start to understand the details – or appreciate why they matter. Approached the other way around and I get hung up on little things, not understanding how it all fits. Now I see the bigger picture. And, thank the library gods because I was starting to go a little bonkers. I’m still hitting snags with the details – I’m not sure how great I did on the access points quiz I just took- and I foresee having to tote along my AACR guide when cataloging, but at least I understand how it all fits together.
Now I’m starting to think more about cataloging in the library world. What does it mean to be a cataloger? Are they simply recorders of bibliographic information - preoccupied with spelling, punctuation, and Dewey’s decimals? Are they concerned with how the user searches a catalog? With what questions they might have? How much time is spent thinking about how a patron with use a record? I anticipate finding answers to at least a few of these questions as we move on to MARC.

Comments

Kathy said…
Once you have mastered the dreary rules of cataloging, you will always create the record with the user in mind. That's the 'art'. When you add notes, added entries, and subject headings, you are think about the user's needs. Why do you think you add the Cast to the AE? so that a user who only remembers the actor and not the title can find the item with a name search. Until the basics are in place, you can't deal with the variations from the basic record. There was a big debate about the LOC subject headings a few years ago; Hennepin county in MN created a list of headings for its catalog. That list is used to create the LOC list http://www.loc.gov/aba/cyac/childsubjhead.html WE haven't started on subject headings yet, but the list for children's materials was created because of user need. So, yes, catalogers work for the user...in a beginner's class it just seems like we are rote catalogers.
March 5, 2012 at 2:26 PM
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