Activity 1 -Introductions
I was the first person to post my introduction on the class discussion board. The introduction was meant to introduce ourselves, the general who, what, why, where, when and listing your experience and knowledge of cataloging. This was my second library course and I did not have any expectations for this course when I first started out, nor did I have any previous cataloging experience. What became evident to me as the first week progressed was how green all my fellow classroom participants (myself included!) were to the world of cataloging. Most of us had a taste working in the library, but only do the basic tasks to insure that the library doors remained open. Cataloging was a complete unknown and perhaps as I reflect on the latter end of this course a good thing. Little did I know that cataloging is so very complicated.
Part of the activity was to discuss how cataloging occured in our school districts. Cataloging in the district I work in is done through the program Follett. When a new book arrives in the library it is scanned and automatically added into the school collection. This is a new process in the school district I work in. In previous years books were cataloged on site by Teacher Librarians and Library technicians. However as the library jobs have been slashed down to minimal positions this process has been very daunting. Unfortunately it use to take up to weeks for new books to hit the shelves. Now new books can be added to the inventory with the click of the button! Reading through other classmates posts this method of cataloging books seems to be very common in British Columbia.
Activity 2 - Library Websites
For this activity I had to search the web to find more about book cataloging and library standards. I was a tad apprehensive prior to starting this activity. The course readings from the text book I had done had left me feeling very overwhelmed. I was starting to think that perhaps this was not for me, but after activity 2 I had a new sense of optimism that perhaps I could learn.
What stuck me first after searching on the web was the amount of material there is online regarding cataloging. With the click of a button anything can be found in seconds. After browsing a few websites I began to understand what I was unable to grasp in the textbook readings. I saved the links that I found to my blog along with other links that fellow classmates found. I am now glad that I did, some of the sites have proved to be very useful to complete other activities and assignments.
Activity 3 - Basic Cataloging
Had I labeled this post before I did the second assignment I think I would have called this activity cataloging. But after working my way through assignment 2 I have realized this activity was fairly easy even though I did not feel so at the time. Further evidence of my growth in this class!
When I first looked at this activity I was completely perplexed. I had no clue where to begin, in fact I did not even understand what this activity was about. I can't even begin to tell you how elated I was when I saw the activity examples that other students had completed. I am a visual learner, and once I get the hang of something I can do it, but with this activity doing the reading might have been reading French. I used the table that a fellow classmate created to organize the information I found. The table also was a great help as I could see what I needed and what I was missing. I found that the first few items I classified were difficult. Partially because I was navigating through several unfamiliar websites and I was flipping through several websites and Microsoft word. However once I found the websites that broke down the Dewey Decimal Classification numbers and the Library of Congress Classification numbers and found my rhythm the assignment got easier as I went on. What it felt like was learning a new language and seeing and understanding the patterns.
At the time when I initially finished the activity I posted on the discussion board that "I don't really have a preference of either system. The Library of Congress system appears to have more sub categories so books are in specific areas." However know that I have a greater understanding of the system I do have a preference when it comes to which classification system I would want to use in a school library. I prefer the Dewey decimal system.
Reasons I prefer the Dewey Decimal Classification system:
- Numbers are easier to remember then combinations of letters
- I found it easier to classify books as compared to the Library of Congress
Activity 4 - Website Reviews
http://www.scotch.vic.edu.au/Library/Library.htm
http://www.nobl.k12.in.us/media/NorthMedia/index.htm
Byng Secondary Library
For this activity we had to review the above school library websites. I have spent a fair amount of time looking at school library websites. During a previous LIBE course I had to research and comment on two library sites that I enjoyed. I spent about four hours looking at library sites trying to find two that appealed to me. While I can't remember the websites that I found (If I had kept my comments in a blog I would be able to find them easily) I do remember what I found makes a good website.
My top 3 website criteria
1) Layout is appealing - not too many things on the screen, use of colour schemes
2) User friendly - easy to navigate!
3) Current- updates are done on a regular basis and few broken links
As to the why of having a school library website I feel that there are many reasons. First it creates advocacy about the programs and services that are being offered. This was one of the key messages when I took LIBE 461 last fall. It also creates a portal for students, staff and parents to use. Links to programs that students can access from home such as Riverdeep that my school district in particular subscribes to. Websites can be a powerful tool in schools if they are designed in a way that is appealing and user friendly. But most importantly they need to updated frequently!
For my last assignment I have decided to built a school library website blog (see how far I have come!) and I have found that this activity invaluable as I will be able to incorporate the website guidelines.
Activity 5 - Current Issues
For this activity I had to find 3 current articles pertaining to issue of cataloging in school libraries. I found the task of finding an article relatively easy. I had saved a link to the from a fellow student from the first activity so I just looked it up on my blog links! In reading the articles regarding cataloguing I realized that it is a changing job (just when you thought some things stay the same). In the past 15 years libraries have gone from card cataloguing to computer records. Even the types of material processed has evolved from primarily books to include a wide expanse of media. At my own public library the catalog has expanded from solely books to include DVD's, CD's and even video games! The introduction of computer software and the ability to link library catalogs has some to believe that the days of individual libraries cataloguing books is almost over. This is it self has some advantages and disadvantages. The advantages of central cataloging ensure that all books are cataloged the same regardless of the library that you visit. The flip side is that it does not allow individual libraries to catalog books in the way that suits their collections. Personally I think that central cataloging or systems like Follett are invaluable in school libraries. I know of two school libraries in the district that I work in whose library catalogs are a mess. Both schools catalogs are a mixture of the Dewey Decimal Catalog and the Library of Congress Catalog. It makes it very difficult to find the catalogs complete section area of books. Having central processing ensures that this does not happen. As the job of cataloguing books continues to evolve I suspect that we will see even more changes.
Closing Thoughts
Starting this blog in it self was very daunting. I have never had a blog before and have never seen the value in maintaning one. Having this blog has proved invaluable for this course. I am able to access regardless of where I am and I have all the useful links in one easy organized place (normally they are scribbled on bits of paper that I tend to misplace!). I will make use of this blog in future courses or create a new one. This blog has been a way to sum up my thinking through conversations with myself. I can see my growth by reading my old posts. Although it has only been 2 and 1/2 months since the start of the course I feel that my knowledge regarding library cataloging has grown in tremendous. I can walk into any library and find books quickly! Towards the end of the course I have been able to talk to my school librarian in a knowledgeable and confident manner in regarding the library. My knowledge is no where near that I feel I have mastered this knowledge area, but I feel I have the framework now regarding cataloging that I can use if I end up in working as a teacher librarian.
