Cataloging 4-1-1 or How I learned that Catalogers are not trying to make my Life Difficult!

Date: Thursday, August 4, 2011

Subject Analysis 4-1-1 (or What Is It About and Where Do I Put It?)
Date: Thursday, August 18, 2011

Testimonials from previous workshops taught by Maggie Horn and John Myers:

I wish I could take you both home with me so I can be molded into the great cataloger I am meant to be!

Thank you, Maggie; thank you, John; thank you, Melvil!

While cataloging can be a dry subject, Maggie and John made cataloging fun.

Times for each class: 9:30 am — 4:30 pm (registration begins at 9:00 am)
Location: SENYLRC Conference Room
Directions: http://www.senylrc.org/about/directions.htm
Online registration: http://www.senylrc.org/reg/

Target audience: Librarians, paraprofessionals and all library staff interested in cataloging. These classes are especially useful for people participating in SENYLRC’s Special Library Catalog Project.

About Cataloging 4-1-1: This basic introduction to cataloging covers four elements: content (AACR2), communication (MARC), classification (DDC/LCC), and presentation (the catalog). The workshop will be a mix of presentation and hands-on exercises, with a focus on monographic cataloging. Participants will learn to be more comfortable in the cataloging environment. Those who are not catalogers will learn how their catalogs work and why the catalog works the way it does. This program is appropriate for anyone looking to refresh or acquire basic cataloging skills. After this workshop participants will have an overview of
1) How to apply the cataloging rules to a book in hand.
2) What the MARC format is and what it does and why MARC isn’t cataloging.
3) Classification and subject analysis. 4) How the combination of cataloging rules (content) and MARC format coding (communication) play out in the creation of online catalogs.

About Subject Analysis 4-1-1: This workshop is designed to give you the low-down on subjects and classification. An overview of the different strengths that subject assignment and classification offer, the benefits subject assignment afford in a keyword environment, and the difference between subjects and genres will be presented. Use of key resources and how to use them as well as useful tips and techniques for the novice and/or underfunded cataloger will be covered. After this workshop participants will have a clearer understanding of
1) how subjects are assigned to cataloging records
2) the need for subject authority/analysis within a keyword searching universe
3) how and why classification is used to organize collections 4) the art (rather than the science) of subject analysis and classification In addition, for each class, participants should feel more comfortable in evaluating existing or assigning new values to bibliographic records.

Small-group exercises will be used in each class to give practice and reinforce the presentation. Computers will not be used for the exercises.

About the Speakers:

Marguerite “Maggie” Horn is Library Data and Systems Analyst at SUNY OLIS where she has worked since 2000. She has developed and/or presented training in cataloging, serials, indexing, and data checking. Prior to her OLIS stint, she held cataloging positions at UAlbany, Northern Arizona University, University of California, Davis, and Brown University. She holds a BA in history from UMass (Amherst) and the M.S. in L.S. from UNC (Chapel Hill).

John Myers is Catalog Librarian at Union College. He has transitioned from public to technical services and from public to academic libraries. His MLIS is from the University of South Carolina. John has provided regional training in cataloging and serves on ALA/ALCTS’s Cataloging Committee: Description and Access. Lunch is included.

You will receive 6 contact hours for attending each program.


Workshop fees for each class:
$25 SENYLRC Governing Members
$35 SENYLRC HRVH Members
$45 All others

Attendance is limited to 30 people for each class.

The workshops are partially subsidized by LSTA and Regional Bibliographic Data Base funds.

Please call Southeastern (845) 883-9065 if you have any questions about these programs.