Title: Behind the Scenes: How Technology Transformed My Cataloguing Work
By Kath
Technology has not only transformed my library career but has also transformed my profession in terms of cataloguing where I have realized a silent revolution. I started my journey with Children and Adult Public Libraries in Port-of-Spain where card catalogs were still used some years ago but have transitioned. I currently work in digital ecosystems in which all books, audiobooks, and resources exist in the form of structured metadata in our Integrated Library System (ILS).
The shift has been profound. What previously needed to be done with handwritten cards and physical shelf lists is now being done via MARC records, RDA standards and cloud based cataloguing modules. This transition gained a lot of momentum after COVID-19, where devices and online access were not only necessary to the patrons but to us, the employees who create knowledge behind the scenes. Remote cataloguing, batch loading, and shared union catalogs now allow me to do more resources than ever before and faster and more accurately.
I am not directly engaged in work with students and families, so I consider my task to be the basis: without the right cataloguing, there is no access. When a child searches and in a few seconds finds a book about sea turtles, or a researcher finds a rare Trinidadian manuscript that she found online, it is because somebody (often someone from the technical services department [we like to say the “Engine Room! of the library”]) had to go through these materials one by one and label them, categorize them, and connect them to the system. This work was not replaced by technology but it increased its reach.
Self-Rating: Knowledge of Technology.
I would score my level of knowledge in technology as intermediate (8/10) leaving room for improvements! I have become familiar with our ILS, OCLC WorldShare, FOLIO (a new software we started last year (still navigating its frequent upgrades) and MARC editing software and digital asset workflows. Where I am growing: how linked data and AI driven metadata tools can further change the cataloguing process and how these structural systems eventually benefit the learner.
Technology can be backstage in my practice, but it still affects every customer that comes through our doors or uses his computer screen.
References.
BibFormats. (2024, March 14). Bibliographic Formats and Standards. OCLC.
https://www.oclc.org/bibformats/en/home.html
Library of Congress. (2019). BIBFRAME - Bibliographic Framework Initiative (Library of Congress). Loc.gov. https://www.loc.gov/bibframe/
LOC. (n.d.). Library of Congress Subject Headings PDF Files. Www.loc.gov. https://www.loc.gov/aba/publications/FreeLCSH/freelcsh.html
OCLC. (2019, December 17). WorldShare: Enable shared
efficiencies and innovation. OCLC. https://www.oclc.org/en/worldshare.html
Kath your blog highlights the critical but often unseen role of cataloguing in supporting access to information. The description of technical services as the library’s “Engine Room” clearly illustrates how technology works behind the scenes to enable learning. From my own experience, users often focus on search tools and interfaces, but accurate metadata and organization are what make meaningful discovery possible.
ReplyDeleteThe shift from card catalogs to MARC records, RDA, and cloud-based ILS platforms reflects what our readings describe as the evolution of knowledge organization in digital environments. In my experience, technology has not replaced professional expertise; instead, it has expanded its reach. The impact of COVID-19 further accelerated this transformation, making remote cataloguing and shared systems essential. Overall, this blog reinforces the idea that effective technology use in libraries depends on skilled professionals who connect resources to learners through thoughtful organization.