Sylvia Hall-Ellis, PhD Library & Information Science Program

1. Employers’ Expectation for Entry-Level Catalog Librarians: What Position Announcement Data Indicate

2. Sylvia Hall-Ellis, PhD Library & Information Science Program

3. Reasons for the study • Preparing entry-level catalogers (part of my research agenda) • Teaching cataloging course sequence • Beginning Cataloging & Classification • Descriptive Cataloging • Subject Cataloging • Managing Electronic Records • Special Topic: Technical Services Administration

4. Basis for the study • New LIS Program • Accredited June 2004 • Significant investment in cataloging courses • Align course content & learning experiences with employers’ expectations • Ensure that employers were hiring entry-level catalog librarians

5. Background research study #1 • The Cooperative Cataloging Council (CCC) suggested that library school faculty who are responsible for teaching basic organization and cataloging courses would prepare new catalog librarians with a list of overall skills to meet students’ and perspective employers’ expectations.

6. Background research study #2 • Association for Library Collections & Technical Services (ALCTS) issued an educational policy statement, June 1995. • Theoretical framework of knowledge and skills for new library school graduates • intellectual access and information organization; • preserving access; • identification, selection, and acquisition of information resources; • management skills; • and, research analysis and interpretation skills.

7. Background research study #3 • Kellogg-ALISE Information Professions and Education Reform Project (KALIPER).

8. Stages of cataloger education • Formal graduate program • On-the-job training • Continuing education experiences throughout a career

9. Research Question #1 • Which academic preparation, technical skills and competencies do employers expect entry-level catalog librarians to possess?

10. Research Question #2 • Do employers’ expectations regarding the academic degrees and cataloging course work, technical skills and competencies differ among types of libraries (academic, special, public and school)?

11. Research Question #3 • What are the academic preparation, technical skills and competencies included in a “typical” position announcement for an entry-level catalog librarian?

12. Methodology • Descriptive content analysis • Review of 495 position announcements for catalog librarians • September 1, 2000 through August 31, 2003 • American Libraries(print & online versions) • AutoCAT • Colorado State Library Jobline

13. Raw data set • 151 positions • Academic • University – 90 • 4-year College – 12 • Community college – 6 • Public – 22 • Special – 20 • School – 1

14. 61 variables in 6 categories • General employer description • Academic preparation • Cataloging, classification, authority control • Related technical services or bibliographic control tasks • Assignments outside domain • Communication competencies and work-based relationships

15. Definition of entry-level • ALA-accredited MLIS (or foreign equivalent) • Fewer than 2 years of post-MLIS experience

16. Position description components • academic preparation • required qualifications • preferred competencies and skills • primary work assignment functions • institutional information • specific resources available through Web sites and hyperlinks

17. What do the data indicate?

18. Summary observations

19. Observation #1 • Employers expect entry-level catalogers to have knowledge & competency with cataloging tools • Anglo-American Cataloging Rules (96%) • Library of Congress Rule Interpretations (58.6%) • “Other standard cataloging tools” (59.8%)

20. Observation #2 • Employers expect entry-level catalogers to have knowledge about authority work • MARC 21 authority format • Authority records (94.7%) • Authority files (59.3%) • Contributing • Maintaining • Relationship of authority records, files and integrated library systems (59.1%)

21. Observation #3 • Employers expect entry-level catalogers to have knowledge & competency with MARC 21 • Each MARC 21 bibliographic format • Specified formats • Electronic resources (30.7%) • Continuing resources (23.3%) • Archival resources (12%)

22. Observation #4 • Employers expect entry-level catalogers to have knowledge & competency with classification schemes • Library of Congress Classification (30.7%) • Dewey Decimal Classification (94.7%) • Superintendent of Documents (59.3%)

23. Observation #5 • Employers expect entry-level catalogers to have knowledge & competency with subject headings • Library of Congress Subject Headings (91.4%)

24. Observation #6 • Employers expect entry-level catalogers to have knowledge & competency with at least one bibliographic utility • “General use of bibliographic utility” (83.7%) • OCLC (71.3%) • RLIN (8%) • OCLC & RLIN (4.5%)

25. Observation #7 • Employers expect entry-level catalogers to be able to • handle routine maintenance (69.3%) and policy development (18%) for bibliographic (69.3%) and metadata (25.3%) databases • acquisitions (5.3%) and subscriptions (10%) to databases and electronic journals and serials management (23.3%) • support an ILS (12%)

26. work regular shifts (frequently during evening and week-end hours) on a reference desk (26%) • handle collection development responsibilities (39.3%) • as a liaison to faculty members (28%) in academic institutions

27. Observation #8 • Employers expect entry-level catalogers to • Be flexible regarding assignments (26.7%) • Maintain committee participation (34.7%) • Assume responsibilities for special projects (40.6%) • Possess effective verbal (59.4%) and written (59.4%) communication skills

31. Final thoughts • Employers expect entry-level catalogers to possess broad-based theoretical knowledge, extensive hands-on experience, mastery of computer-based tools and system-specific familiarity that appear to exceed the requirements and preferences stated in position announcements and the content of beginning cataloging courses

32. “Descriptive Impressions of Entry-Level Cataloger Positions as Reflected in American Libraries, AutoCAT, and the Colorado State Library Jobline, 2000-2003.” Cataloging & Classification Quarterly 40, no. 2 (2005).

33. Questions?