CATALOGERS IN THE MIDST OF DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT : CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

PAARL

National Summer

Conference 2015

April 22-24

Cagayan de Oro City

catalogers

in the midst of digital

development:

challenges & opportunities

Transcending Roles of

Information Professionals:

Going Beyond Concepts,

Exceeding Expectations

presented by Annabelle P Acedera

changing cataloging landscape(last 12-15 years)

late 1990’s – push to get internet

resources into the library catalog

early 2000 – FRBR became buzzword

2003 (or later) – AACR3 or RDA

2007 – decision to organize RDA

according to FRBR

LoC transitioning away from MARC

2012 – Linked data?

getting internet resources into the catalog

FRBR –entity relationship model

FRBR user tasks:

• to find;

• to identify;

• to select;

• to acquire or

obtain access

FRBRized WorldCat

BFL Resolution no.

04, series of 2012

Now, therefore, the

Board resolves, as it

hereby resolved, to

prescribe and adopt

the “International

Cataloging Principles”

… and the “Resource

Description and

Access”…

http://pcsweeney.com/2014/01/07/meh/

linked data

how is this brave new data recorded?

• No “hand-hewn” records

• No “entry screen” in

BIBFRAME

• BIBFRAME experiments

to date use existing

MARC data, and dumping

it in

likewise …

emergence of institutional

repositories

metadata goes

mainstream

Metadata goes mainstream

Digital library collections

Digitized text

• Books, newspapers, journals …

Digitized images

• Photos, drawings, posters …

• Sheet music

• Maps

Sound and moving images

• Recordings, oral histories

• Film

Born digital material

Scholarly preprints, data sets, dissertations

Archived Web sites

emerging …

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/cataloguing-made-easy-scan-your-media-books-

more-into-your-library-with-your-iphone/

cataloging apps with your iPhone

online survey

• March 15 – April 12

• 63 responses out of 100 sent

• Challenges & opportunities of catalogers

in the digital environment

as to challenges …

• To what extent has technology usurped

the need for catalogers and the catalog

• How do you view catalogers in today’s

digital environment

• What are the most useful new technologies

(hardware and software, etc.) in cataloging

and metadata today.

• What are the challenges associated with

cataloging electronic/digital resources.

Extent to which technology has usurped

the need for catalogers & the catalog

0% 10% 20% 30% 40%

No extent at all

Less extent

Some extent

Great extent

A very great extent

0%

17%

17%

25%

38%

How (Philippine) catalogers are viewed in

the digital environment

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Not needed

Somewhat needed

Needed

Essential

0%

0%

6%

94%

Challenges associated with cataloging

electronic/digital resources

0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

Unstable power supply/electricity

Other

Inadequate workflow

Lack of adequate physical/bibliographic…

Copyright challenge

Lack of basic infrastructures

License agreement

Insufficient number of professional catalogers

Lack of adequate ICT skills on the part of the…

Web resources difficult to catalog

Lack of understanding of computer language

0%

11%

24%

27%

27%

29%

30%

44%

44%

51%

67%

Preparedness of cataloger in

metadata competencies and practices

•Not at all prepared or minimally

prepared

• Metadata standards

• Java and PERL script applications

• Computer languages

• Cataloging digital/online/electronic

resources

How catalogers acquire skills that help

in cataloging electronic/digital resources

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

Institution allows short term trainings both inand out of the country

Institution grants permission to obtain degreesin related courses

Library engages in personnel sharing withother libraries

Library organizes in-house trainings forcatalogers

Prefer to learn on the job

Interacting with other catalogers from otherinstitutions

Engage in self development by reading relatedliterature and constant practice

Attending seminars, workshops andconferences regularly

25%

25%

51%

52%

52%

54%

56%

63%

about RDA

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

Yes, using RDA Toolkit online

Yes, using the RDA Toolkit print

Use documentation taken…

No, haven't yet

61%

9%

27%

9%

48%

53%

13%

Is your library implementing RDA

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

No, haven't seen

Yes, in other libraries

Yes, my library creates records

0%

33%

67%

Have you seen RDA records

Is cataloger using RDA Toolkit

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

Yes, but unable to understand somecontent

Yes, but unable to use at certaintimes because of power failure

No, haven't yet

Yes, using the RDA Toolkit print

Use documentation taken online orfrom semianrs

Use PAARL's RDA Handbook

Yes, using RDA Toolkit online

9%

9%

13%

27%

48%

53%

61%

“analog people for digital dreams”

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://eandt.theiet.org/magazine/2014/08/images/640_cataloging-the-

world.jpg&imgrefurl=http://eandt.theiet.org/magazine/2014/08/books.cfm&h=427&w=640&tbnid=AQilQOV6Rvw

GzM:&zoom=1&docid=jT27J0kdDONy5M&ei=KjkmVbPvDMG4uATryoGACQ&tbm=isch&ved=0CFsQMyhTMFM4y

AE

putting an end to a long discourse…

http://s8.photobucket.com/user/chicwit/media/MadHattersTeaParty.jpg.html#

References

Cerbo, Michael A. (2011). “Is there a future for library catalogers,”

Technical Services Department Faculty Publications, paper 41.

http://digitalcommons.uri.edu/lib_tspubs/41

Chesler, Adam (2006). “Meeting the challenges of change,”

Against the grain. v. 10, issue 2, article 10.

Mitchell, Anne M., Thompson, J. Michael & Wu, Annie (2010).

“Agile cataloging,” Cataloging & Classification Quarterly, 48:6-7,

506-524.

Rose, Mary Z. (2012). “The ship has sailed and we aren’t on it:

how catalogers could support user tasks and why we won’t,”

Journal of Library Metadata, 12:127-139.

The Survey of Academic Library Cataloging Practices, 2013

edition. Primary Research Group, 2013. 226 pages.

some questions to ponder on

1. Is it possible that increasingly powerful search and browsing tools, automated indexing tools, and "intelligent agents" will obviate the need for catalogs?

2. What sort of digital materials should be cataloged? 3. How will digital catalogs differ from those we have

today? Will these catalogs be based on existing standards such as MARC and RDA?

4. Will digital catalogs be maintained by professional catalogers or by laypeople? What skills will be needed to create these new catalogs? How will such skills be acquired?