Cataloging as a Public Service? I Think So!
January 8-9, 2014
Hosted by John Sandstrom and Beth Thomsett-Scott
Please join us for an e-forum discussion. It’s free and open to everyone!
Registration information is at the end of the message.
Each day, discussion begins and ends at:
Pacific: 7am – 3pm
Mountain: 8am – 4pm
Central: 9am – 5pm
Eastern: 10am – 6pm
The essence of public service is the ability for patrons to discover the
item, AKA “discoverability.” Catalogers and technical services staff are
the ones who make this happen. There are many questions associated with
these two statements. Does your organization value your work as a
cataloger in terms of making items discoverable? Do your public service
colleagues see these statements as true? Today we are in a period of
rapid change in cataloging. There are many pressures on cataloging
units, including outsourcing, decreasing resources, increasing costs,
and changes to the very foundations of the work we do. With the
implementation of RDA, the expansion of discovery services, and the
changing needs of library patrons, it is time for us to take a look at
how Cataloging as Public Service is changing to make use of new tools
and meet the needs of new, or, changing users.
In this e-forum, we want to discuss the changes we are seeing in how
cataloging acts as a public service, what future trends are developing,
and share the way we are using new tools and services to better serve
our patrons.
Some of the questions that may be included are:
How does cataloging support public services (reference) and the goals of
discoverability and accessibility of information?
What is the value of having catalogers serve as reference librarians
and/or liaison librarians?
Have discovery systems reduced the need for thorough cataloging of
records from a public services (findability) view point?
How do current rules detract from user needs?
Is there tension between national standards and local needs? How might
these be overcome?
John Sandstrom started his career in libraries as a copy-cataloger at
the University of Tulsa while working on his MLIS at the University
Oklahoma. Since graduating in the late ‘80’s, he has bounced around the
country working in Technical Services, Public Services, Collection
Development/Acquisitions, and Library Management. He is currently
managing the Acquisitions Unit at New Mexico State University, teaching
cataloging in the Library Science Associates Degree program at Dona Ana
Community College, and working on a doctorate in Educational Leadership
and Development. When not working or going to school (HA!), he weaves,
spins, and is an active member of the Society for Creative Anachronism
(SCA).
Beth Thomsett-Scott is Interim Head of the Discovery Park Library at the
University of North Texas (UNT) in Denton, Texas. She is currently
serving as liaison to the College of the Engineering, and has had
responsibilities for the physical and life sciences departments as well
during her 12 year tenure with UNT. Beth's professional passions include
high quality customer service, web site usability, user satisfaction,
and emerging technologies. When not working, Beth enjoys crime dramas,
action and horror movies, and spending time with her daughter, cats, and
dog.
*What is an e-forum?*
An ALCTS e-forum provides an opportunity for librarians to discuss
matters of interest, led by a moderator, through the e-forum discussion
list. The e-forum discussion list works like an email listserv: register
your email address with the list, and then you will receive messages and
communicate with other participants through an email discussion. Most
e-forums last two to three days. Registration is necessary to
participate, but it's free. See a list of upcoming e-forums at:
http://www.ala.org/alcts/confevents/upcoming/e-forum.
*To register:*
Instructions for registration are available at:
http://www.ala.org/alcts/confevents/upcoming/e-forum/sympa. Once you
have registered for one e-forum, you do not need to register again,
unless you choose to leave the email list. Participation is free and
open to anyone. If you have any problems, please contact
alcts-eforum-request_at_ala.org.
Posted on behalf of the ALCTS Continuing Education Committee
_______________________________________________
ACQNET-L mailing list
ACQNET-L_at_lists.ibiblio.org
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/acqnet-l
Received on Thu Jan 02 2014 - 14:26:17 EST