Library Advocacy in the Age of Viral Videos

With budget cuts threatening library systems across the country, librarians and administrators have had to take their campaigning to the next level. And their creativity and resourcefulness in this endeavor is awe-inspiring.

The prime example of this at present is New York Public Library’s “Don’t Close the Book on Libraries” campaign. Facing a $37 million cut, the quest for new users and public support is more important than ever.

To spread the message, NYPL worked with Improv Everywhere to create a viral advocacy video. The result: a Ghostbusters parody that is clever, funny, and ends with the plea “Don’t Close the Book on the New York Public Library.”

Countless libraries are in desperate need of support. Let’s hope that such advocacy measures generate support–and ultimately revenue–for these vital institutions.

Preservation Week: May 9-15, 2010

I was very pleased this morning to open my inbox and discover a message promoting Preservation Week. Upon following the link to ALCTS’s page, I found a wealth of information regarding one of my favorite topics: preservation.

One of the best features of the site is Find a Preservation Week event near you. This Google Maps application lists Preservation Week events in the U.S.–complete with the date, time, and location of each. Clicking on an individual event will generate a pop-up on the map with the full address and an option to plot directions. Fantastic!

The page also offers background information on Preservation Week, as well as an Event Toolkit. The toolkit page offers program ideas, handy checklists, and downloadable logos.

Finally, for those who want to learn even more about preservation, there are some interesting webinars being offered during Preservation Week. These include “Archival 101,” “Disaster Preparedness and Planning,” and “Mold Prevention and Remediation.” (Registration information is available on the webpage.)

Whether you are a librarian, archivist, cultural heritage professional, or a preserver of your own family history, you will likely find useful information on the ALCTS Preservation Week page. (I already have!)

I wish you a happy and successful Preservation Week!

Archival 101: Dealing with Suppliers of Archival Products

Considering Cataloging

Thinking back to the final days of graduate school–a time when soon-to-be-librarians discuss their goals and job prospects–I recall many leaning toward public service positions out of a desire to “really help people.” Their objective was noble: in order to serve the needs of their communities, they would be on the frontlines providing research assistance, public programming, and readers’ advisory.

I don’t recollect anyone voicing the same rationale for choosing a career in technical services. However, that compelling desire to provide a necessary service can be met and cultivated in the cataloging field, as well. Although they work behind the scenes in most libraries, catalogers are often the unsung heroes who make information and materials accessible to those who need them. It can be a fulfilling career choice that truly benefits the community.

Imagine a library in which all of the materials are arbitrarily shelved as they are pulled out of the boxes–an alphabet book, for example, tucked between an ASVAB study guide and a Cajun cookbook. It would be a nightmare for both casual browsers and goal-oriented researchers. Throngs of people would stand huddled together among the stacks, visually scanning each title in the hopes of finding their desired materials. Okay, that’s a worst case scenario, but it’s enough to illustrate the value of cataloging. In the broadest terms, catalogers bring order to chaos.

Granted, I may be somewhat biased. I love cataloging. My personal DVDs are sorted by genre (and alphabetized), my books are shelved by subject, and my spices are arranged by complementary flavors. It may seem excessive to an outsider, but it allows for quick reference, easy navigation, and improved accessibility. Translation: this system makes life simpler.

That is what cataloging is all about. For starters, catalogers assign call numbers, allowing similar items to be physically grouped together. A patron can be fairly certain when approaching the stacks that there will be no ASVAB books mingling with the culinary manuals. Each has its own place and, thanks to the handy labels on the spine, will be shelved and easily found in that place. That Cajun cookbook, therefore, should be sitting next to other cooking and food-related titles.

Along the same lines, catalogers add subject headings, so patrons and public services staff can identify related materials. Finding an appropriate title in the catalog can open the door to dozens more just by following the subject heading trail. By adding relevant, accurate, and specific headings, catalogers can help individuals find that one perfect resource that can really make a difference–whether it’s in their scholarly research, recreational pursuits, or personal lives.

In the past, catalogers were required to type (or handwrite) catalog cards for each item, making sure to abide by proper formatting and generate multiple entries representing the title, author, and subject. Today, they create, edit, and upload bibliographic records into online catalogs, which benefit on-site users, as well as those accessing the catalogs remotely. This means that, in addition to knowing the cataloging rules (think AACR) and the classification schemas, catalogers must also be able to walk the MARC walk and talk the MARC talk. They need to pay attention to the details and follow the prescribed rules in order to create searchable records.

With library statistics showing a significant and continual rise in remote access, it is important to accommodate those individuals who will be flying solo as they navigate the catalog. Catalogers help make it possible for patrons to conduct research and search for materials at their convenience. By creating the best possible records, these vital staff members can boost the efficiency and quality of those searches, leading to favorable outcomes.

All in all, cataloging is an excellent option for those who want to help others. They may be out of sight in many (or most) libraries, but catalogers provide an invaluable service to the public. By organizing information, structuring records, and maintaining the catalog, they make the search process more manageable for patrons. So, the next time you search the catalog and find that perfect book and then easily locate it among the stacks, remember that a cataloger made that possible. Now doesn’t that sound like a fulfilling career choice after all?