Page 152 - Cataloging and Classification for Library Technicians, 2nd Edition

138 Cataloging and Classification for Library Technicians

9. Library technicians will be hired instead of librarians to do
cataloging, making the library technicians’ job more demanding
and interesting, while keeping the cataloging cost down.
10. Integrated online systems will get more involved with centralized
processing for member libraries.
11. Libraries will outsource the technical services operations, includ-
ing cataloging, particularly cataloging of special collections.
12. Cataloging departments will be merged into the automation or
bibliographic control departments because of the changing nature
of the job.
13. Because library technicians are performing higher levels of cata-
loging, more education and training opportunities for library
technicians will be provided. Continuing education for library
technicians will be an important issue.
14. Libraries will move away from perfect cataloging, adopting full
records from bibliographic utilities without editing or modification.
Au to ma tion in li brar ies be gan in the cat a log ing de part ment and has
had its big gest im pact there. Li brary cat aloging and cat alogs have come
a long way. From hand written cards to typewriters, to du plicating fa cili-
ties, to per sonal com put ers, to com puter net works—li brary tech ni cians
have played, and will con tinue to play, a vi tal part in de veloping the new
and in novative as pects of the library. No mat ter what the fu ture holds,
the es sence of the cataloger’s job, that of creating the link be tween the
information and the user, has not and never will change.

REVIEW QUESTIONS

1. Define recataloging.
2. Define reclassification.
3. Why are many card catalogs closed?
4. Explain retrospective conversion.
5. Explain how automation has changed the cataloging department.
6. What is outsourcing? Why do many libraries outsource their
cataloging activities?
7. List five future trends of the library world that are related to
cataloging.