Confessions of a Cataloger

I love cataloging. I know that may sound odd, but I still admit it. I think catalogers are special people who love the art and science of cataloging and care very much about getting accurate information into the online Library Catalog so that users can find the resources and information they need. It really is all about access to information.

I am a cataloger for University Libraries. I am Head of the Cataloging Unit for Serials and Electronic Resources, one of the departments within Technical Services. I work with many people who all do their part – ordering, receiving, checking in, paying invoices, putting labels on books, binding journals, and much more than can be described here. I am one of several catalogers, each of whom catalogs by type of material or language, sometimes in more than one area of expertise or format.

What exactly is cataloging? My definition is that cataloging is the process of describing a resource (book, journal, e-book, video, etc.) and putting that description into the Library Catalog so that the information can be found and the item located within the library. It sounds simple, but the cataloging process is complex, time consuming, even painstaking, and always detail-oriented. There are local, state, and national standards to follow. We catalogers care about dotting every “i” and crossing every “t” and must be able to see every comma, semicolon, an extra space, or a missing symbol. We know what MARC (MAchine Readable Cataloging) is, why it is important and how to use it. We can easily recite Library of Congress call numbers and subject headings. And, perhaps most of all, as catalogers, we understand how the indexing of information we input into the Library Catalog affects retrieval of resources by the user.

How is a title cataloged? First, a bibliographic record is needed for input into the Library Catalog database, which usually comes from OCLC (Online Computer Library Center), an international supplier of shared bibliographic records. If a record does not already exist, a bibloiographic record is created and added to the OCLC database for other catalogers to utilize. Every item in the bibliographic record is scrutinized to ensure accuracy. For example, if the title being cataloged is also available online, a URL and other edits need to be added. I edit the record as needed, attach an item record, print the spine label, and send it to be end-processed before it is shelved. That, in a nutshell, is a very simplistic version of the process of cataloging.

I must confess, though, that at times being a cataloger can be overwhelming. I feel like Lucy in the chocolate factory when production speeds up, but I can’t very well stuff bibliographic records in my mouth. When we buy 5,000 e-books and the records needed to be in the database yesterday with all edits and links completed, I wish I could cross my arms, nod my head, blink really hard and magically get the work done.

Why do I love cataloging? I know I am bringing some semblance of order and organization to the chaotic universe of information. I bring together the library item and its description in the Library Catalog so that users will know where to locate that resource.

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