Hello,
If you'll be attending the ALA Conference, we invite you to join our discussion groups on Saturday from 4:00-5:00 p.m. in the DuSable C Room at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Hotel. We look forward to engaging conversations on a variety of topics and hope you'll be able to participate.
Our topics are:
The state of formal cataloging education in LIS programs
What is happening to formal cataloging education in LIS programs and what is at risk if it
continues to shrink, shift, or disappear?
This roundtable invites participants to critically examine the current state of cataloging and
metadata education at a moment of significant transition. While the field continues to
expand in scope, incorporating new standards, technologies, and ethical frameworks such
as the Core Competencies for Cataloging & Metadata Professional Librarians and the
Cataloguing Code of Ethics, the space for formal cataloging instruction within LIS curricula
is often constrained by institutional priorities, enrollment pressures, and shifting
definitions of workforce readiness.
Additionally, broader pressures in higher education, including program optimization efforts,
enrollment fluctuations, financial barriers for graduate students (such as impending loan
caps), and increasing scrutiny of DEI-related content, are likely to shape how and whether
cataloging is taught. These dynamics raise important questions about curriculum design,
instructional priorities, and the long-term sustainability of cataloging education within LIS
programs.
This discussion will bring together educators, practitioners, and students to share
perspectives on current challenges, identify emerging trends, and consider strategies for
sustaining robust, relevant cataloging education in a rapidly changing environment.
Cataloging Electronic Resources
Electronic resources are becoming the majority of many library collections. However, many
librarians become "accidental" e-resource catalogers and administrators. Additionally, e-
resource cataloging often straddles multiple departments and can involve a lot of
automation. I'm curious if e-resources are gaining prominence in library school curricula,
how people are learning the skills they need, and how practitioners perceive e-resource
cataloging compared to print and other formats.
Polyglot Cataloging
Large academic and public libraries often have holdings in languages other than English.
Even smaller libraries are looking to reflect their local community and incorporating
multiple languages in their collection. When an institution does not have specialized
catalogers, how do they know that resources are being represented correctly in the
catalog? How can they optimize discovery?
Teaching about AI in Cataloging
As individuals and institutions start experimenting with different ways to use various forms
of artificial intelligence in cataloging and other technical services responsibilities, is there a
way to begin teaching about the applications in cataloging and other technical services
courses?
Best,
Nincy George
Co vice-chair
Nincy George
Cataloging Services Manager
Reaching Across Illinois Library System
office: 630.734.5128
email: nincy.george_at_railslibraries.org
web: railslibraries.org
address: 125 Tower Drive, Burr Ridge, IL 60527
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Received on Thu Jun 25 2026 - 08:05:33 EDT