Technical Services &

Cataloging and Classification

Jennifer Anielski and Christina TracyIS 554 Public Library Management

Choose and define topic:

Our topic is Technical Services,

specifically the acquisition, cataloging and classification

of materials.

Culturally inclusive classification and cataloging:

• Helps library users be more self sufficient in searching for materials to meet their needs

• Allows users to find materials more efficiently

• Must meet the needs of all library patrons, not just the vocal audience

Library automation:

• Falls under the umbrella of technical services

• Maintain the library’s catalog

• Investing and implementing enhancements to better serve the community and its needs

Describe the topic:

• Items are selected for purchase

• Upon arrival, items are entered into the catalog• Subject heading assignments

• Classification decisions• Location

• Foreign language title translations• Records are uploaded to WorldCat

Outline the scope of the topic:

• Purchase materials that will benefit the diverse cultures served by the library

• Assign subject headings that are understandable to the end user

• Assign location codes

• Are there areas in the library designated for culturally specific books (i.e an ESL area)

Outline the scope of the topic:

• Include information on books that are in a foreign language

• 041, 241 and 500 note fields in MARC

• Investigate the need for multiple records for one item that targets a specific group• i.e. multiple records in the catalog for one Spanish book,

one in English, one in Spanish

Identify goals of the project:

To explain the process of preparing cultural-specific materials

for circulation in a small public library. This includes ordering, classifying and cataloging these materials in a way that they can be found in the library

by a culturally diverse patron group.

Technical services and small library settings aspects:

• Outsourced cataloging (OCLC, Booklist, LC)- saves time and increases access

• Lack of an online catalog system / funding to update system

• Funding for acquisitions may be skewed based on demands

• Selective cataloging

• Staff trained to catalog and classify books

Technical services and cultural aspects in another culture:

• Cataloging foreign language materials

• Creating/using subject headings that are culturally appropriate

• Books, videos and audio recordings are costly when purchasing the same materials in multiple languages (DVDs can fix part of this problem)

• Standardization of physical processing of nonwestern materials

• Evaluating materials to ensure they meet the library’s policies for cultural sensitive circulation

Technical services and digitization:

• Creating the metadata so that the information is accessible to patrons

• Funding to digitize

• Priority of cataloging/classifying material vs. digitizing it

• Preservation issues

• The debate of whether to fully catalog materials that may not be apart of the library’s permanent collection

American case study

www.chesapeake.lib.va.us

Chesapeake Public Library System

• Serves city of Chesapeake, VA • 353 square miles in southeastern

Virginia• 207,199 citizens

• Consists of a central library , 5 branches and a bookmobile• Wallace Room• Public Law Library• Gates Lab

Library Services:

• Computer training

• Literacy training

• Tutoring

• Select federal and state government repository

• Programming for children and adults

• Multicultural reading lists

Technical Services @ CPL

• Ensures accurate input into catalog

• Works to decrease time between when books arrive and when they are available to the public

• Coordinates with IT dept. to maintain catalog and databases

• Quickly and accurately catalogs popular reading materials to maximize availability to patrons

Strategic Action Plan

• Goals • To improve service to a culturally

diverse local population• Increase speed at which locally relevant

materials are processed• Materials for learning labs are

processed quickly and accurately

• Displays for cultural events relevant to local population

• Library as a learning center

Links:

http://www.librarysupportstaff.com/jobhelp8.html#techstaff1 

"The Cyberlibrary" hosts this annotated bibliography of links for librarians involved with cataloging, Interlibrary Loan, and

Serials.

http://www.ala.org/ala/lama/lamapublications/smalllibspubs/videoothernonprint.htm

The ALA provides this resource for handling non print resources in small public libraries.

http://www.ala.org/ala/lama/lamapublications/smalllibspubs/referenceservice.htm

Reference services are simplified for small public libraries in this digital resources by the ALA.