At the end of 2022, I posted a survey on various listservs to determine how other libraries managed their world language collections, including selection, cataloging, and distribution. The majority of libraries across the U.S. that responded use demographic data from the census as their primary source for determining which non-English languages to provide to their community. Specifically, libraries use the American Community Survey which provides data down to the city level and is updated continuously. School district data, local surveys and need assessments, as well as patron attendance of English learning programs, are additional vital sources.

Diana Miranda-Murillo at the Austin Public Library in Texas says, “something that is not included in the demographic data is how people move in the city. For example, we might know that Spanish speaking people are not living around a certain area of town but they might work there. So, paying attention to data on where customers return materials [is important].”

Miranda-Murillo also suggests partnering with local cultural and refugee organizations for determining languages and types of materials. “For example, when I approached the Association of Ukrainians in Austin, I learned it is a community with families and small children so I added Ukranian materials that matched that profile.”

Once the languages are determined, choosing the materials within each language is challenging. Librarian selectors fluent in the language is ideal but not always possible. Many libraries rely on vendors, such as Tsai Fong Books and Multicultural Books and Videos, to supply a selection of world language materials using specific parameters, patron feedback, and continuous adjustments to get the best for their community.

Lana Harman from the Yolo County Library in Northern California says, “Standing orders were tried in the past but were unsuccessful as vendors are usually located in major cities and a) judge what my community needs by the needs of the community they live in; and b) unload slow-moving books on us.”

More and more libraries are hiring bilingual librarians, especially in the local predominant non-English language, which helps with purchasing as well. Bilingual selectors can also travel to various world book fairs, such as FIL Guadalajara, to get materials from smaller publishers and upcoming titles, as well as assess trends. Long Beach Public Library in California sends staff to Cambodia every 3-5 years to purchase materials in Khmer.

Alternatively, libraries like California’s Arcadia Public Library look at what other libraries in similar community demographics are purchasing. The Hillsboro Public Library in Oregon recently partnered with the library in their sister town in Japan to assess each other’s language collection and make suggestions for improvement.

“Local feedback” and “patron requests” in determining purchases were both common library responses in the survey, including the Benicia Public Library in California, Tigard Public Library in Oregon, Ann Arbor District Library in Michigan. For their smaller world language collections, Tigard Public Library and Long Beach Public Library also rely on donations.

Of course, due to monetary, selection, and staffing restrictions, not all languages can be provided (on location or through outreach). Ann Arbor District Library offers a small amount in 125  languages but only focuses on about 25 and Long Beach Public Library uses a similar methodology. Until receiving a grant from the California State Library, Benicia Public Library was only able to offer Spanish materials as an alternative to English. The grant allowed them to expand their world language collections to seven languages and have, since then, added two more.

Another alternative is limited languages in one area – such as adult materials – so the resources can be used more efficiently elsewhere. Youth materials are often less expensive and bilingual, so resources can go further. Some libraries, like the Multnomah County Library in Oregon, offer a greater number of languages for outreach books since they can be uncatalogued and have very little processing (both huge cost savings).

As our communities develop and diversify further, it is increasingly important for public libraries to provide quality world language collections. Ideally the availability and cost of materials from other countries will improve (as well as funding of course) but it is clear that collaboration is key, between libraries, vendors, and local organizations. Thank you to all of the libraries that responded to my survey for this article – I hope it leads to some amazing world language collection discussions and partnerships.

The post World Language Collections: Growing With Our Communities first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Orlando Guzman, an Advanced Level Library Assistant at Bay Point Branch of CCCL, holds that the way to make libraries more diverse is by “opening [jobs] to people with alternative yet compatible, beneficial skills and experiences for today’s public library world, and serving the public in a more experiential and expansive way.”

This sentiment has been growing for about a decade. In 2013, in a Library Journal editorial, Michael Kelley challenged “can’t we have a fraternal, respected, and smart profession without over-reliance on an expensive and unnecessarily exclusionary credential?[1] Last year our neighbors to the north, the Ontario (Canada) Library Association held a series of three live panel discussions about this very topic, with librarians at a range of career-levels and job descriptions. The first panel was asked the following: “A master’s degree in library science should be required for anyone wanting to be a librarian. True or False? And why?”[2] Three of the four panelists did not consider the MLS to be indispensable to the profession.

Minimum qualifications vary by state, and California has no formal requirement of certification,[3] but Bay Area libraries have had a practice of requiring the MLIS for public librarian positions. The precedent goes back over seventy years.

Library schools have been training librarians in this country since 1887, most issuing a Bachelor of Science (BS) until a 1923 report by C.C. Williamson, paid for by the Carnegie Corporation, advocated for librarian training to be more theoretical and to follow a foundational four year
education. Colleges increasingly began offering the MLIS and, by 1951, almost all library programs were graduate level when the American Library Association (ALA) Board of Education for Librarianship stipulated the master’s as a professional standard for librarianship.[4]

As the library community begins to look at rolling back the prescriptive MLIS, fresh staff development opportunities and challenges are exposed. Library administrators are tasked to consider what is fundamentally necessary for performing well in this vocation, and what are the ethical responsibilities underlying library services, in which all library
staff should be fluent.

A LOOK AT 3 EAST BAY (CA) LIBRARIES

ALAMEDA COUNTY LIBRARY
ACL is a ten-branch system that spans one of the most racially and culturally diverse counties in the nation. Deputy Director Deb Sica
says that the decision to drop the MLIS requirement developed out of library administrators’ respect for the institutional knowledge of career staff. So they expanded prerequisites to include an alternative of two internal years as a Library Assistant II, which built upon experience as a Library Assistant I. Though the Librarian III position does still require an MLIS, and is reserved for more specialized central roles, like collection management and systemwide coordination of services, Sica believes the requirement may be reconsidered for this classification, as well.

What is new these days at ACL is that they have added a new Library Assistant position, which is for them an intermediate classification between a paraprofessional and a professional, what Sica describes as librarian neutral: “When people walk into the library, they look at everybody as librarians. They actually don’t care what your degree is as long as
you can help them. They do care if you’re reflective of themselves.” This position offers paraprofessionals a significant salary bump and empowers front line staff to assist with either circulation duties or reference, following service needs as they evolve.

At ACL, orientation of all staff, from Library Page to Librarian, is the same. New library employees are onboarded together for hands-on training and an introduction to a shared vision for the organization. The aim of this strategy is to foster cross-classification discussions and mutually supportive cohorts as employees settle into their respective jobs.

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY LIBRARY

CCCL expanded
their definition
of “professional”
qualifications to
encompass exper-ience and education outside of an MLIS, a process that has been in the works for three years, with library board approval granted in September of this year. In this revised classification model, while a Librarian II is considered to have journey-level aptitude, meaning they have fully mastered the knowledge and skills required for the job, and can be a mentor to others. Like at ACL, the Librarian III is considered a specialist position, yet this position no longer requires an MLIS at CCCL. Still in the works is a comprehensive internal training program to prepare librarians who get hired without the MLIS. Library Director Alison McKee says that right now they are gathering information and assessing their internal training program to develop an onboarding strategy. She says, “I think what’s needed in the community and on the job has changed drastically over the last couple of decades whereas what has traditionally been taught
as part of the MLIS program have been skills that aren’t necessarily required anymore, these hard . . .librarian skills . . . as opposed to things you can learn on the job or learn through community education.”

OAKLAND PUBLIC LIBRARY

Oakland Public Library
Not far behind, OPL administrators
are being deliberate in their
approach, observing neighboring
libraries and reaching out to gather
information about how other systems
are moving forward. OPL is an
incorporated urban library system located in the county seat of Alameda County. It is mediumsized, with a Main Library, an African American Museum and Library (AAMLO), and sixteen branches throughout the vibrant city of Oakland.
Nina Lindsay, the Deputy Director at OPL, is particularly interested in the idea of offering entire career ladders that run through all library and management positions for candidates with broader education and experience outside of the MLIS: “We have staff at a lot of different levels of education, all of whom really contribute at a high level in public
service and have real initiative and unique ideas.”

At OPL, Library Assistant positions, for which the requirement is a bachelor’s degree or two years of college in conjunction with two years of library experience, perform basic reference, assist librarians with programming and outreach and, with extra training, they may offer storytime or aid in selection of parts of the collection. Senior Library Assistants have supervisory roles and a lot of independence, as well as pay that is comparable to librarians. However, Library Assistant advancement opportunities have a notable cap because there is no track to management positions from there.[5]

WORKFORCE DIVERSITY AND PUBLIC SERVICE

Workforce diversity initiatives and concrete equity goals are propelling this transformation. As library leaders recognize the importance of cultivating teams of library staff that better reflect the communities they serve, they are investing resources and energy into attracting capable local candidates who bring knowledge not attainable through the MLIS. In a profession that is still overwhelmingly white, female, and middle-class,6 the focus is shifting to hiring librarians who have cultural competency and shared backgrounds with library patrons and the greater community. Another objective is to be able to recruit and promote from within an organization and mitigate the attrition of valued employees. Often public libraries have seen excellent staff come and go when they bump up against the barrier of
the MLIS. Patrick Remer describes this frustrating situation: “We’re seeing so much talent within our organization, folks who are in that paraprofessional class . . . they’re capable and skilled at doing the work and they could be working at a professional level, but they’re not permitted to do the work because of strict rules around what tasks are appropriate for which classifications, and that’s a shame. We want to see folks moving up internally.”

Although going back to school to obtain the MLIS works out for some library support staff, obstacles to pursuing an advanced degree are many.
The Bay Area has one of the highest costs of living in the country, with average pay for nonprofessional workers not even remotely approaching a living wage. Most full-time Bay Area Library Assistants and Library Technicians earn somewhere in the range of $5,000 per month.7 Considering that average rent is $2,365 per month for an 826 square
foot apartment in the East Bay, [8]which would not suffice for, say, a family of four, the added expense and time away from work and family to further one’s education is not in reach for many library workers. A master’s degree at the iSchool program at San Jose State University (SJSU), which is the local, relatively economical, online option, costs more than $20,000 in tuition and fees and takes two years of full-time participation to complete.[9]

A central principle of equity work is that individuals must have unhindered access to opportunities. [10] Though many public library systems support
paraprofessional employees in pursuing an MLIS through time off and tuition reimbursement, and there are scholarships, grants, and student loans available, pursuing the MLIS can be a hardship for some and extraneous for others. Hiring managers have observed that getting the degree is at times merely a formality that has little to do with a staff member’s capacity or the needs of library patrons. Nina Lindsay puts it this way: “The money and the time that they would have to invest might be asking too much from people who are already very qualified and need some very specific and targeted training. Can we look at a path where we identify where the gaps are for this one person and then how do we train to fill those gaps?”

As well, the public library community is questioning what benefit the MLIS is bringing to new librarians,[11] compared to competencies and transferable skills that are not taught in library school. In Deb Sica’s view, “Having a community outreach librarian that knows the community is much more important to me than having a fresh MLIS graduate coming in to try to figure out what’s going on in acommunity . . . if there’s dissonance because of [the MLIS] within the service model then I think it can
be destructive and not constructive.”

While there are undoubtedly graduate-level course offerings that are relevant and applicable to the modern-day public library setting, most courses are elective, so an MLIS graduate applying to be, for example, a children’s librarian could conceivably come having had no coursework or practical experience at all that deals with children’s literature, literacy,
programming, education, or early childhood development.

Consider the potential applicant from another field, who could bring those skills, may already have an advanced degree in another field, is ready to bring their talents to public libraries, but thinks better of it after seeing the compulsory hurdles. From Nina’s perspective, “there’s significant value in master’s level education in various fields that is really important and informative to librarianship as a whole. There are people who come with a master’s in social work or education or public administration, attracted to work in libraries.” Broadening the view of what qualifies someone for librarianship and how candidates can illustrate these aptitudes to get through the screening and ranking processes, brings more quality candidates to the table. It gives hiring teams the discretion to address the needs of specific positions regardless of classification levels.

THE FUTURE OF THE MLIS
Looming over this discussion in the library community are important considerations, including concerns over delegitimization of the library profession, as well as salary degradation.[12] Some wonder, does expanding the possible minimum qualifications devalue an already misunderstood profession? Will library institutions’ funding be further threatened if it seems anyone can do what library professionals do? Further, without the nationally codified set of competencies conveyed by the possession of an
MLIS, is the bar on professional aptitude in fact being lowered?

For many librarians, the traditional linear MLIS career path has opened the door to fulfilling careers, providing a robust scholarly foundation, as well as hands-on practicum opportunities. In the academic environment one builds a professional network,creating relationships and finding lifelong mentors. The hiring managers at ACL, CCCL, and OPL recognize the merit of an MLIS. Patrick Remer emphasizes that acceptable alternative credentials “would have to be compelling; there has to be some real experience and even commensurate education to meet with that.”

Imagine that libraries can promote their most qualified and talented paraprofessional employees, and now they are in satisfying positions at pay grades that might make the MLIS more attainable. Says Patrick, “if we can basically put a steppingstone so that we can accelerate that development
then we all win, right?”

So, if an advanced degree will no longer be considered the only qualifying credential nor even necessarily the best credential for public service and outreach librarian roles, foremost in the minds of library leaders will be what additional training new librarians will need. Deb Sica is clear that all library staff need the library fundamentals: “I think that theoretical pedagogy that comes with the MLIS is what people are worried about forfeiting and I agree with that. I wouldn’t want to forfeit those
principles.”

ONBOARDING NON-MLIS LIBRARIANS
Administrators at ACL, CCCL, and OPL have ready ideas about areas they are planning to provide extra training and fill in knowledge deficits, whether a new librarian hire has an MLIS, experience working in a library, or expertise from another field or life experience altogether.[13] These include early childhood development, trauma-informed services, restorative justice practices, and library ethics and principles, such as topics of access and the user experience, privacy, intellectual freedom, and development and maintenance of library collections.[14] Additionally, a thorough training program would include curriculum around tangible skillsets, like cataloging. This could encompass the practical, such as Resource Description & Access (RDA) data elements for creating library resource metadata, as well as consideration of larger theoretical questions around the purpose of cataloging information, what the impacts are of choosing one way versus another, and deciding which fields are used for what information in the catalog, or Integrated Library System (ILS).[15]

Training can come through internal channels and resident experts, with libraries developing their own training programs and sharing them throughout the library community. What’s more, the library learning universe is abundant, by way of undergraduate, graduate, and post-degree coursework and ongoing professional development available in all
areas of librarianship.

For example, Infopeople is a project of the CalifaGroup, which is a nonprofit consortium of more than 230 California libraries, that offers one model of training available to California libraries. Continuing education opportunities are tailored to library needs, with custom course design available to individual libraries.[16 ]In addition, the Public Library Association offers a robust menu of learning selections.

Perhaps most useful of all, applied skills will be taught on the job. “Historically, people have mostly learned by doing,” writes Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, a professor of business psychology at
University College London and at Columbia University, “and there is a big difference between communicating the theoretical experience of something and actually going through that experience.”[17]

EMBRACING THE CHANGE
There is a shift happening in East Bay Libraries, and in libraries throughout the country. Its increasing tremors seem to be crumbling the staid certainties once conferred by an MLIS degree. The ambiguity of not having one clear track can be uncomfortable in a profession that has a long history of categorized and certified expertise, as well as a troubling record of exclusion.[18] Although unraveling the MLIS constraint is unlikely to solve the complex dilemma of libraries’ problematic lack of representation,
it brings the profession another step closer to reaching Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) ideals.[19] With each step, libraries will continue to do
what they have always done best: They will adapt and evolve.

READ MORE

Knowledge Justice: Disrupting Library and Information Studies through Critical Race Theory edited by Sofia Y. Leung and Jorge R. López-
McKnight. The MIT Press, 2021

Ask, Listen, Empower: Grounding Your Library Work in Community Engagement by Mary Davis Fournier and Sarah Ostman. ALA Editions. 2020

Library Professionals: Facts, Figures, and Union Membership by the Department for Professional Employees. AFL-CIO, June 10, 2021. https://www.dpeaflcio.org/factsheets/library-professionals
-facts-and-figures.

REFERENCES

1. Michael Kelley, “Can We Talk About the MLS?” Library Journal,
   April 29, 2013.
2. “Librarians Need an MLIS: True or False?” Open Shelf (blog),
   Ontario Library Association, March 9, 2020.
3. “State/Regional Certifications (Primarily for Public Library
   Staff ),” ALA-APA, 2014, https://ala-apa.org/certification-news
   /stateregional-certifications/.
4. Grace Butkowski, “History of LIS Education,” Hack Library
   School (blog), April 27, 2016, https://hacklibraryschool.com
   /2016/04/27/history-of-lis-education/.
5. “Library and Information Studies and Human Resource Utilization
   Policy Statement,” American Library Association, December
   14, 2011, http://www.ala.org/educationcareers/careers
   /paths/policy.
6. “Diversity Counts,” American Library Association, July 9, 2019,
   https://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/diversity/diversity
   counts/divcounts.
7. “25-4031 Library Technicians,” US Bureau of Labor Statistics,
   March 31, 2021, https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes254031
   .htm. “43-4121 Library Assistants, Clerical,” US Bureau of Labor
   Statistics, March 31, 2021. https://www.bls.gov/oes/current
   /oes434121.htm. “Library Technicians and Assistants: Occupational
   Outlook Handbook,” US Bureau of Labor Statistics,
   September 8, 2021. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/education-train
   ing-and-library/library-technicians-and-assistants.htm.
8. “East Bay, CA Rental Market Trends,” Apartments for rent—
   RENTCafé, 2021, https://www.rentcafe.com/average-rent
   -market-trends/us/ca/east-bay/.
9. “Fees—SJSU: School of Information,” SJSU, October 5, 2020,
   https://ischool.sjsu.edu/ischool-fees#regular.
10. Urban Libraries Council, “Leadership Brief: Anti-Racist Executive
    Leadership for Public Libraries,” https://www.urbanlibrar
    ies.org/files/ULC-Leadership-Brief_Anti-Racist-Executive
    -Leadership.pdf.
11. Siobhan Stevenson, “What Is the ‘VALUE-ADD’ of the MLIS in
    Public LIBRARIES? Perspectives From Today’s Library Leaders
    and Their Rank and File,” Library Quarterly 90, no. 1 (January
    2020): 38–55, https://doi.org/10.1086/706307.
12. Meredith Farkas, “‘Devaluing’ the MLS vs. Respect for All
    Library Workers,” Information Wants to Be Free (blog), June 28,
    2018e, https://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/2018/06/28
    /devaluing-the-mls-vs-respect-for-all-library-workers/.
13. Shorlette Ammons-Stephens et al., “Building Core Competencies
    for Library Staff,” Faculty Publications, UNL Libraries
    (Spring 2009): 63–74.
14. “Core Values of Librarianship,” American Library Association,
    September 28, 2020, https://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom
    /corevalues.
15. “What Librarians Need to Know,” American Library Association,
    December 14, 2011, https://www.ala.org/educationcareers
    /careers/librarycareerssite/whatyouneedlibrarian.
16. “All Upcoming Training,” Infopeople, The Califa Group,
    accessed October 2, 2021, https://infopeople.org/training.
17. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, “Should You Go to Graduate
    School?” Harvard Business Review, accessed September 28, https://hbr.org/2020/01/should-you-go-to-graduate -school.
18. Chris Bourg, “The Unbearable Whiteness of Librarianship,”
    Feral Librarian (blog), March 3, 2014, https://chrisbourg.word
    press.com/2014/03/03/the-unbearable-whiteness-of-librarian
    ship/.
19. “ALA and Affiliate Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Statements,”
    American Library Association, September 15, 2020, https://
    www.ala.org/advocacy/ala-and-affiliate%C2%A0equity
    -diversity-and-inclusion-statements.
    PL Online

The post We All Win — Training and Advancement for Non-MLS Library Workers first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Some estimates say that one quarter of American jobs are at a high risk for automation.  However, that is not a precise, or fair, picture of the reality.  While it is likely that the number of jobs will be reduced, automation replaces specific tasks. Most of these tasks are done by rote: physical labor, information collecting, and similar routine job activities. Tasks that require skills like abstract thinking will still need to be done by humans. This presents new opportunities. Automation can bring lower costs and more efficiency, which can be a benefit for workers. This can lead to shorter working hours and higher wages. We’re moving towards working alongside machines rather than being replaced by them.

For librarians, automation may not bring about many big changes. Many of the skills public librarians use are similar to those possessed by teachers and social workers, jobs with a low risk of automation. This is because jobs like these are often made up of non-routine tasks, and require creative problem-solving or multitasking. Patron interaction is another area difficult for AI to master. Helping a patron with low tech literacy complete their resume and navigate an online job application, for instance, would be difficult for a machine to do effectively, and would likely frustrate the patron.

Automation is not new for libraries, either.  In the past, everything was done by humans. We had to catalog each item, maintain the card catalog, and record all circulation transactions. Cataloging was extremely time consuming, and the creation of MARC and copy-cataloging proved to be an innovation that cut costs and increased productivity.  Making records available and readable by machine allowed libraries to exchange bibliographic information and later allowed patrons to search the catalog for themselves.  

It’s exciting to imagine what future innovations might change library service. Rather than worrying about the changes automation will bring, librarians should be ready to adapt to their new roles, providing information and resources to our patrons. The first steps towards “library robots” have already been taken. In Mountain View, California, a bookbot created by Google’s Area 120 will come to a select range of homes near the public library to pick up library materials and save you a trip. This is only a test. Pick-ups must be scheduled in advance, and for the first six months bookbot will be accompanied by a human. In Singapore, the robot librarian AuRoSS is helping to automate shelf reading. The robot uses RFID to scan the shelves to help locate books that have been put in the wrong place. In a test at the Singapore public library, AuRoSS performed its tasks of navigating around the shelves and finding misplaced books with ninety-nine percent accuracy. While the robot cannot put the books back where they belong, it does its work at night and can report to librarians so that they can go, find the errant books, and reshelve them. This can improve library service by making materials easier to find for patrons, and also take over a tedious task for the librarians.

While neither the bookbot nor AuRoSS are ready to be fully integrated into library operations, they do give us a good idea of the direction library automation may be headed.  Librarians will still be necessary for a long time to provide assistance and perform tasks AI can’t, but it will not be long before they may be working alongside machines. Just as copy cataloging and online were nothing to be worried about, these new changes are only the next evolution of library service.  Libraries have changed and will continue changing, and as librarians we must be ready for our new roles in the libraries of the future – working alongside robots or not.

The post Working Alongside Robots at the Library first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

During my career as a librarian and, in particular, as a supervisor, I interviewed many candidates for the position of cataloging librarian. Few were prepared to answer the question, “What are the essential qualities of a successful cataloging librarian?” The most popular response given was “detail oriented.” While the very nature of working as a cataloging librarian requires comfort in managing detailed tasks, there exist many more qualities essential to an effective and efficient cataloging librarian. The following ten qualities will help you achieve success in cataloging.

1. Competence

There is nothing more important in cataloging than professional knowledge; this includes theoretical background as well as technical skills for cataloging. Knowledge of cataloging tools is a must-have. Basic cataloging tools include the following:

• Anglo-American Cataloging Rules, 2nd edition (AACR2) and/or Resource Description & Access (RDA)
• MARC 21 Formats for Bibliographic Data
• WebDewey and/or printed Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC)
• Library of Congress Classification (LCC)
• Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH)
• Library of Congress Subject Cataloging Manual (LCSCM)
• OCLC Bibliographic Formats and Standards
• Library of Congress-Program for Cooperative Cataloging Policy Statements (LC-PCC PSs)
• Library of Congress Name Authorities
• CONSER Cataloging Manual (for Serials)

A cataloging librarian must not only know how to use these tools and this knowledge, but also how to keep abreast of the latest changes and updates. Cataloging tools and rules change regularly to reflect or accommodate changes or new developments. Reading professional publications is helpful for learning about updates and changes in cataloging tools and building plans to keep up with them.

Understanding whole functions of the integrated library system (ILS)—that is, relationships between cataloging, serials control, circulation, online public access catalog (OPAC), and acquisition functions—is necessary to create the most useful records for catalog users. Understanding the cataloging module inside and out is a key requirement. Does the cataloging module provide effective authority control? Does the cataloging module allow input of detailed holdings and status information? Does the cataloging module provide for indexing on any bibliographic fields or subfields for searching? The answers to these questions are helpful in learning and mastering the cataloging module.

Knowing how to use one national bibliographic utility (e.g., OCLC or Skyriver), including the authority file, is another requisite skill. Understanding the relationship between AACR2/RDA and MARC coding is important for creating original bibliographic records in the bibliographic utility. Also important is being familiar with the criteria for deciding when to contribute a new record to the bibliographic utility to avoid duplicate records and unnecessary efforts.

2. Accuracy

In the Internet Age, searching the library catalog is essential. Accurate inputting of item descriptions and access points in the record that can accurately represent an item is necessary for effective retrieval by catalog users.

Typos and MARC coding mistakes in the bibliographic record affect searching results in the OPAC. Some mistakes in the item record affect an item’s loan period or location information. Typos in call numbers affect patrons’ browsing and staff’s shelving. It often requires relabeling spine labels. Inaccuracies from typos and other mistakes in the bibliographic or item records create extra work for the staff to fix them. Correcting mistakes is very expensive but will be avoided if the job is done correctly the first time. Furthermore, while the staff is correcting the mistakes, patrons are inconvenienced by the unavailability of an item. Accurate keyboarding skills are necessary for inputting information in the records correctly. Every effort should be made to avoid mistakes in editing or inputting information in the records.

3. Efficiency

No library has an unlimited budget. Most libraries are nonprofit organizations and are responsible for spending money effectively and efficiently instead of focusing on generating revenues. Accordingly, cost-effectiveness in cataloging should be pursued; a cataloging librarian should have a strong sense of economy in cataloging and provide the best quality record for the least cost. A cataloging librarian needs to be cognizant of increasing efficiency while cataloging as well as of the factors that can affect the achievement of these goals.

The method for editing records matters. These days, to save cataloging time and cost, most cataloging librarians utilize the records from a bibliographic utility by editing its records according to the institution’s needs. As an editing method, screen editing (editing live) should be used instead of paper editing (writing out copy to be edited later) because paper editing is very costly and inefficient (see the article “Increasing Technical Services Efficiency to Eliminate Cataloging Backlogs”).¹ Utilizing macro functions and shortcuts not only eliminates the repetition of steps, but also reduces the amount of time typing entries. The method for editing records should be reassessed periodically. The editing method that minimizes costs and maximizes efficiency should be utilized.

Workflow and procedures also affect efficiency. Materials should not be handled more than once. The cataloging tasks should be prioritized by urgency and record availability from a bibliographic utility. Creating and utilizing reference cheat sheets for repeatedly used classification numbers helps expedite the process of classifying without always having to use the classification tool. It is necessary to constantly assess workflow, eliminate redundant or unnecessary procedures or steps, and maintain an efficient workflow for expediting the process of cataloging to deliver materials to patrons in a timely manner.

Time-management and organizing skills affect efficiency. In addition to the regular cataloging workload, a cataloging librarian handles projects. These include reclassification, record maintenance, and elimination of backlog. To complete the project by the deadline, effective management of the workload and working hours based on priority is highly valuable. Serious planning and effort should be made to develop strong time-management and organizational skills.

4. Consistency

Consistency is a key factor in organizing the library collection. The cataloging rules and standards should be applied consistently to provide a consistent level of cataloging quality. The classification numbers and subject headings should be assigned while considering the collection as a whole to provide and maintain subject consistency and uniformity throughout the library collection. Standardization of descriptions and construction of access points should be done consistently as far as possible to increase the ability to share bibliographic and authority data.
When national cataloging rules, tools, and standards cannot accommodate all the needs of your specific community, a cataloging librarian needs to establish local policies or practices. These local policies, rules, and procedures need to be well documented for consistency and continuity within the library collection from current to future processes.

Consistency comes from the cataloging librarian’s logical and consistent mind-set. Cultivating and strengthening the logical and consistent mind-set is necessary because it affects the integrity and organization of the whole library collection.

5. Adaptability

The library world is changing more rapidly than ever, especially in terms of technology and workflow. Libraries often will implement a new ILS or upgrade it. This usually provides new features and enhancements and often requires changes in the existing workflow. A cataloging librarian should be flexible enough to quickly unlearn the old ways and learn how to use the new features and enhancements of the system while being flexible enough to adopt new workflows for better productivity.

What counts as a sufficient reason to do something in one setting may not count in another setting. Decisions need to be revisited and reviewed as needed. Cataloging procedures and policies can be changed to reflect new decisions or to provide better service for patrons. The amount of materials ordered fluctuates throughout the fiscal year according to availability and library budgets. The formats of library materials ordered change according to the demands and needs of the community and demographic changes. All these changes affect the cataloging librarian’s workflow and workload. Being aware of, and understanding, these changes in the department and library help the cataloging librarian adapt to the new workflows and workload easily.

6. Judgment

In assigning subject headings and classification numbers, applying cataloging rules, and inputting information into the ILS using MARC format, many issues arise causing uncertainty and ambiguity. These issues are not always easily dealt with and require good judgment.

Cataloging rules and standards are precoordinated. In original cataloging, there is a great deal of interpretation in trying to fit actual contents within the scope of existing subject headings, classification, and cataloging rules. AACR2 and MARC were established a long time ago when we did not have online and digital materials. Even though they were revised many times, they do not cover every possible scenario. Cataloging judgment is needed where “if in doubt,” “if appropriate” or “supply” is presented in the cataloging rules and standards. A cataloging librarian should be comfortable making good judgments in handling gray areas and differences in interpretation of cataloging rules and standards. Good judgment based on logical reasoning and cataloging principles is necessary.

There are many resources that provide good examples and explanations to help support making good judgments in cataloging—LC-PCC PSs, LCSCM, Cataloger’s Judgment,² and Maxwell’s Handbook for AACR2,3 for example. Also, other cataloging librarians’ wisdom or judgments can be obtained by joining electronic discussion lists such as OLAC-L and the AUTOCAT electronic discussion list.

7. Problem Solving

In implementing cataloging rules and standards, a cataloging librarian faces many issues with practicality or causing inconvenience to patrons. Cataloging rules and classification are evolving systems, so there are always periodic updates. A cataloging librarian should be comfortable in deciding what or how much to implement from the updates for his or her library. He or she also should be comfortable in deciding how to achieve the optimal balance both between quality and quantity and between consistency and flexibility.

Problem-solving skills based on logical reasoning are necessary to resolve small and big issues of practicality in cataloging. A cataloging librarian needs to be able to see the big picture of a collection to find long-term solutions, not just quick fixes. The solutions should be cost effective, realistic, practical to implement, and convenient and easy for patrons. If a library is a part of a consortium, the consortium’s cataloging policies and rules should be considered in finding solutions. Sometimes some exceptions to cataloging rules need to be considered to provide convenience for library patrons.

Once the solutions are found and decisions are made to implement them, following through with them is important. It is also important to have the professional courage to fix or change course right away if there are mistakes in the solutions or decisions made.

8. Commitment

Supervisors want a cataloging librarian who seeks a challenge and tries to exceed expectations. He or she should be willing to find answers to a question about cataloging or to find a solution to a problem. A strong sense of responsibility to perform at the highest level should be cultivated. Striving to be known for excellence brings not only success on the job but also satisfaction and fulfillment.

A cataloging librarian should periodically review the job description and technical requirements and work to improve or enhance his or her abilities. A continuing commitment to do the best job is necessary for more productive cataloging.

A cataloging librarian needs to have a good understanding of the documented local procedures, policies, and practices in cataloging to provide consistency throughout the collection and for future use. However, documentation alone does not result in productive cataloging. Memory plays an important role in increasing productivity in cataloging. A cataloging librarian should make a continuing commitment to remember local procedures, policies, practices, and cataloging rules until they become automatic, allowing him or her to be more productive in cataloging.

9. Research Ability

The growth and development of the library profession depends on extensive research. Research is an important tool for advancing knowledge. A cataloging librarian deals with and organizes a variety of subject areas. He or she needs to systematically research the subjects, terminologies, and languages that he or she is not familiar with. The ability to find the information necessary to solve problems and make decisions is useful. Being familiar with research guides and reference resources, whether printed or online, and having research skills are helpful for doing authority work or classification and subject analysis.

10. Self-Discipline

The honor system is the best system. Self-control is the best control. Self-monitoring one’s own work ethics and habits and inspecting one’s own work is the best quality control. A cataloging librarian should have ownership of his or her work.

The self-motivated plan is the best plan. A cataloging librarian should develop his or her own daily, weekly, and monthly plans to increase cataloging productivity. He or she should set up his or her own short- and long-term professional career development plans or programs to improve and maintain professional knowledge in cataloging. Investing for the future is crucial to success in any career.

The work of the cataloging librarian is to examine physical items or electronic resources to be cataloged. It involves repetitiveness of scanning or typing and sitting and reading a computer screen for extended periods. Sometimes this can cause health problems. It is important to take care of one’s health to avoid carpal tunnel syndrome, back pain, or eye problems. To be more productive, the workstation should be configured to support neutral body positioning and facilitate a comfortable posture.

A cataloging librarian has coworkers, but most of the time works alone and independently. He or she needs to be comfortable working alone independently, not easily distracted by background noise, and able to concentrate on his or her own work. Conclusion Success as a cataloging librarian requires a commitment to acquire and maintain professional knowledge in cataloging and maintain high productivity in both quality and quantity. The roles and duties of the cataloging librarian are important because circulation and reference staff and patrons rely on and use the information that a cataloging librarian inputs into the ILS. He or she needs to make diligent and systematic efforts to input the data in the ILS accurately so it can be easily searchable by catalog users. Periodically ask yourself, “Do I have the essential qualities for this position?” and commit to doing all the things that would enable you to answer yes. Good luck on your cataloging librarian position!

REFERENCES

1. Myung Gi Sung, “Increasing Technical Services Efficiency to Eliminate Cataloging Backlogs,” Public Libraries 43, no. 6 (Nov./Dec. 2004): 347.
2. Jay Weitz, Cataloger’s Judgment (Westport, Conn.: Libraries Unlimited, 2004).
3. Robert L. Maxwell, Maxwell’s Handbook for AACR2 (Chicago: ALA, 2004).

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