The Online Catalog Another Source of Frustration or

The Online Catalog Another Source of Frustration, or An Opportunity for Collaboration? ALCTS Role of the Professional … ALA Midwinter Meeting San Diego, January 11, 2004 Patricia M. Dragon East Carolina University dragonp@mail. ecu. edu

Cataloging or Display? Author Adler, David J. Title Susanna Imprint Cam Jansen and the mystery of the Babe Ruth baseball / David A. Adler ; illustrated by Natti. New York : Puffin Books, 1991. Description 57 p. : ill. ; 20 cm. Notes Cam uses her photographic memory to identify the person who stole a valuable autographed baseball. Subjects January 11. 2004 Detective and mystery stories. Baseball – Juvenile fiction. 2

What is “Cataloging”? “I have observed that it is a commonly held misconception inside and outside the profession that catalogers create records; instead, I think we would be much better off if we all conceived of the task of the cataloger as being that of creating a catalog. ” Martha Yee, to AUTOCAT, 1999 January 11. 2004 3

The Card Catalog n n Prescribed format Certain limited number of cards Prescribed places in drawers Predictable functioning January 11. 2004 4

The Online Catalog n n n Prescribed format (but plenty of space) Many indexes Browse access and keyword access Navigation Customizable January 11. 2004 5

Customizing Questions n n n Kinds of searches? What are you searching? Display of results? Methods of navigation? Display of individual records? January 11. 2004 6

The Whole Picture MARC record January 11. 2004 User needs 7

Example: Electronic Resources n n n 256 516 530 538 856 January 11. 2004 Computer File Characteristics Type of Computer File or Data Additional Physical Form Available System Details Electronic Location and Access 8

Cataloger Concerns n n n Public display not reflecting developing cataloging practice Public is not getting the information Wasted cataloger time January 11. 2004 9

Public Services Concerns n n n Length of record Complexity of description Repetitive information Outdated information Misleading language 256 Electronic text and image data. Don’t need foron extensive description 530 see Alsoaavailable microfiche. 516 January 11. 2004 Text and image (PDF). 10

Advantages of Collaboration n Realize we have the same goal Users get benefit of two areas of expertise Each group does its job better January 11. 2004 11

Need to Change “What we do” “To the informed librarian, cataloging is seen to be at the heart of librarianship; the central core of everything librarians do. A reference librarian without an understanding of bibliographic control cannot function. ” Michael Gorman. “The Corruption of Cataloging. ” Library Journal 120, no. 15 (Sept. 15, 1995): 32 -34. January 11. 2004 12

An Opportunity for Collaboration “The rift between catalogers and reference librarians (technical and public services) has been one of the more damaging aspects of modern librarianship. The time has come for mutual respect and mutual recognition of interdependence. ” Ibid. January 11. 2004 13

Thank You Patricia M. Dragon East Carolina University dragonp@mail. ecu. edu