Cataloging is Suddenly... Cool?

Diane Shaw's post for the Smithsonian Institution Research Information System blog titled What It's Like to be a Cataloger has been getting a great deal of traction in the online library world. I think it's great - especially when a specialization in cataloging and metadata generation has been under attack in this era of shrinking staff and budget cuts. It's also nice to read the thoughts of other professionals about why they love cataloging (as I do). Here's a lovely quote from Ms. Shaw's post:

I think being a cataloger is one of the best jobs ever, but, generally speaking, cataloging has traditionally enjoyed a mixed reputation, even among other librarians and archivists. Catalogers are sometimes stereotyped as rules-obsessed and not particularly social, hidden away at the back of the office, in contrast to the friendly, outgoing image associated with reference staff. A good way to make someone's eyes glaze over at a party is to tell them that you write and edit the information that appears in online catalog records --but you should tell people this with a twinkle in your eye, because you know that as an archival or special collections cataloger, you get to work directly with the coolest of the cool materials. You're often among the first at your archives or library to have the privilege of looking through the new acquisitions, and you're also the one who examines the old treasures when it comes time to upgrade their catalog records.

Being a cataloger is a very important job, because your concise, expertly-informed, and accurately-crafted record makes it possible for your institution's reference staff, researchers, and others to find the materials they are interested in that are tucked away out of sight in the closed stacks.

I really don't know if I could say it any better. And, instead of my trying to reinvent the wheel, allow me to share with you another quote about cataloging by Richard A. Murray, titled The Whimsy of Cataloging (don't care too much for the title - sounds like something you would get sent to you along with Cat Fancy):

Unlike what you may think about cataloging, it’s not a tedious, never-ending life of rote application of rules and punctuation. Catalogers get to see the library’s most interesting materials and have to figure out a) what this thing is, b) who might find it useful, and c) how to make sure they find it. Yes, you need to know the rules, but the trick is in knowing which rule to use when and how to apply them to the thoroughly bizarre item that’s sitting on your desk. There’s a lot more thought involved than deciding whether to use a colon or a semicolon, and being a good cataloger actually involves a lot of creativity.

Though most catalogers don’t have the luxury of reading everything that comes across their desks, it’s amazing how much you learn through osmosis while figuring out what a book’s about and how to treat it. I often feel like I get paid to learn every day. There’s a lot of detective work involved, too, especially when you’re trying to decide whether the John Smith who wrote your piece is one of the hundred John Smiths who have written other things or a totally different one. One of my favorite parts of my job is running across these sorts of problems and then using the library’s resources to find the solutions. In some ways it’s like being a reference librarian, only you’re finding answers to questions you yourself have created rather than ones from a patron who’s just wandered up to the desk.

What interactions have you had with catalogers if you are not one. If you are a cataloger, how would you describe your job? I might take a stab at that description myself - check back next week. In the meantime, have a great weekend!