The Survey of Academic Library Cataloging Practices, 2011-12 Edition

Primary Research Group
August 1, 2011
160 Pages - SKU: PF6487907
License type:
The study looks closely at how academic libraries deploy their cataloging personnel, how they use librarians and how they use cataloging technicians, and how large are cataloging and technical services departments. It helps library administrators to answer questions such as: What kind of work is performed by cataloging librarians and paraprofessionals in different types or organizations? How much cataloging work is outsourced? How are special collections handled? Are cataloging staff's growing or shrinking? How does administration assess work quality? What are considered reasonable measures of excellence? To what extent is cataloging of eBooks or AV materials outsourced and how does this compare to other types of materials?

Just a few of this 160-page report's many findings are that:
  • Copy cataloging was routinely performed by paraprofessionals in 81.43% of libraries in the sample, and by librarians in 58.57% of them.
  • Master bibliographic record enhancement in OCLC was performed by paraprofessional support staff in 30% of academic libraries, and by professional librarians in 75.71% of academic libraries.
  • On average, the libraries in the sample anticipated the retirement of 0.50 professional librarians performing cataloging functions within the next five years, with community colleges anticipating the fewest, a mean of 0.10.
  • 28.57% of private colleges and 17.95% of public colleges considered turn-around time very useful as an indicator of cataloging work quality, including 33.33% of community colleges and 25% of 4-year degree granting programs.
  • 45.71% of academic libraries outsourced authority control in the form of obtaining new and updated authority records. This outsourcing occurred most often in private colleges and in higher level academic institutions, as in level 1 and level 2 Carnegie Class research universities, 73.33% of which had outsourced this work.


 

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