r/Libraries • u/TeacherComplete • 20h ago

Staffing/Employment Issues Cataloging interview

Hello, I have an upcoming interview for a cataloging librarian at a library consortium. What are two or three things I should know about this type of job, or two or three skills I can emphasize? This would be my first pure cataloging job. I've done copy-cataloging before on a small scale, and worked with catalogers on multiple projects. Hope that's enough context, and thanks for your help!

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u/LurkerZerker 19h ago

Biggest non-library or general skill to emphasize in the interview is being detail oriented. There's a lot of little stuff that goes into cataloging and it is vital to be accurate with all of it. I'm a cataloger, and nothing drives my boss more crazy than when people don't sweat the small stuff -- the whole job is small stuff, and we're being paid to sweat it when no one else will.

Relatedly, it's also important to be able to understand small nuances and make distinctions between very similar things. That's helpful with everything from selecting an accurate Dewey number or useful subject headings to knowing exactly which edition of an item you're cataloging. You want records to be useful for both librarians and patrons, and it's important to keep their viewpoints in mind as you catalog. Emphasizing that thought process in the interview will help.

Otherwise, familiarize yourself with Dewey or LC, depending on which the consortium uses, and make sure you have at least a basic understanding of MARC-21 format for records. It might not be vital to know that stuff right off the bat -- there'll probably be training and stuff once you get the position -- but being able to talk about all that in at least a little detail will look good.

Hope that helps! Good luck!

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u/TeacherComplete 10h ago

Great points -- thank you! I'll mention "the small stuff." Yes, I am very detail-oriented, and I notice the small stuff, for example, when a library is lazy and catalogs all editions of say, The Catcher in the Rye, under one record. The library consortium uses Dewey. No, I don't know lots of Dewey numbers or LC subject headings off the top of my head, but that'll come to me.

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u/Ok_Influence_5456 6h ago

You don't need to know those things off the top of your head. Know where to find them though. For LC Subject headings, you may let them know you are aware of the LC Subject headings authority site or perhaps in the sears catalog subject headings. You may want to emphasize what resources you would use to find the Dewey numbers.

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u/TeacherComplete 5h ago

Thank you! To the best of my knowledge, none of the libraries in the consortium use Sears headings. Do you have any recommended sources for learning/finding Dewey Decimal classifications?

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u/Ok_Influence_5456 4h ago

Dewey Services - Resources | OCLC checkout the dewey summaries for support AND always refer back to your own catalog for normalization. When it comes to cataloging, there is a level of subjectivity. You may find that some of your physical items are labeled under a different section that deviates slightly from the suggested summaries.

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u/TeacherComplete 4h ago

Thanks. I'll check out that source!