Okay, here it goes - my first newbie post to a bunch of people who know a lot. My background: I am a library school student with dreams of cataloging when she finishes next semester. I have had paraprofessional experience as a copy cataloger.
Sarah, I'm assuming you have the Masters degree. If so, I would recommend taking a class in XHTML. XHTML is a hypertext markup language and is the basic building block of the Internet. It will also help you - once you've finished - understand the different metadata systems out there as they are based on hypertext markup languages and (don't worry about what this means) SGML.
After XHTML, look for a metadata course. Apparently there is one self-paced one at the LOC because my metadata instructor keeps referring to it!
RDA is not a huge concern of mine right now as I asked my public library boss what would happen when RDA finally came out. She said "we will adopt it when the Library of Congress adopts it". In the time between now and then, look for different courses on it offered by different organizations such as ALA, etc.
For database structure, have you taken any database software? I am talking as simple as MS Access to a more sophisticated program such as Oracle with SQL, etc. If you are concerned, take Access first, then start looking around.
What other people have said is true also. However, this is the lowest level you can enter the places you have questions about.
Rebecca
> Date: Fri, 16 Apr 2010 10:02:42 -0500
> From: ssimpso_at_TULSALIBRARY.ORG
> Subject: [NGC4LIB] What do I need to know?!
> To: NGC4LIB_at_LISTSERV.ND.EDU
>
> I have to admit, I always hesitate to post a question of this sort to a list, for a variety of reasons. However, as I try to figure out how I'm going to contribute to the cataloging world, honestly, you just seem like the best people to ask.
>
> I'm a very good cataloger (and modest, too, as you can tell). However, I am becoming very aware that in order to remain a good cataloger and make any forward progress, I am going to need to know other things than cataloging. Specifically, technology. I will need to learn more about the workings of our catalogs, what we know and need to tell our customers about the digital resources we have, what is necessary to share our data with the Web, and so on.
>
> So, where do I start? Are there particular things to learn about technology that would be the most useful, particular classes, particular topics? What software do I need to know? I want to learn what I need to know, but just have no idea where to start! I have 3 universities and a community college in my immediate area, but do I need a computer science degree, or can I be more targeted than that?
>
> I want to know why RDA is a good or bad idea, I want to be able to tell my library how big of a project it will be to implement, and to tell the truth, I want the background to be part of the discussion as RDA continues to be modified and improved. ANYTHING you can tell me about how to learn what I need to know and what it is I need to know will be very, very much appreciated.
>
> Sarah Simpson
> Tulsa City-County Library
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Received on Fri Apr 16 2010 - 19:26:41 EDT