Cataloging for Non-Catalogers: MARC21 for the Rest of Us

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(An Infopeople Online Learning Course)
November 4, 2008 - December 15, 2008

This class will take a Thanksgiving break from November 26 to November 28, 2008. During that three-day period students are free to work on the class but the Instructor will not be available.

  • Does your library catalog look like a foreign language or some sort of secret code?
  • Do you purposefully 'turn off' the MARC display on your library computers but secretly wonder if you are missing some valuable information?
  • Do you pile up materials waiting to be cataloged in the hope that they will catalog themselves?

If you answered yes to these questions, then this course is for you. No previous cataloging education is required; in fact it's better to start with none! This class is also useful if you took cataloging years ago and need a refresher!

Workshop Description: This six-week online learning course will provide an introduction to the methodology and practice of MARC 21 cataloging in the computer age. OCLC cataloging rules and practices will not be covered, as many of these differ from MARC 21 protocols. You will develop a better understanding of why non-catalogers should know MARC and cataloging and how this can help them in their tasks. You will learn about problems and areas to double check when copy cataloging, and you will feel more empowered and comfortable with the inner workings and information contained in the computerized library catalog.

Through individual and group exercises you will learn about each section of a catalog record and how it is created. You will complete a variety of fun exercises and problems to solve. The instructor will provide templates, cheat sheets for each section, and a webliography, as well as practical, useful tips that can be applied immediately.

During the course, you will be doing exercises, working puzzles, and taking quizzes. There will be a comprehensive quiz in Week 6 for additional review and practice. You will also participate in online discussion forums as part of the online learning process.

Preliminary Course Outline: Using your web browser and your Internet connection, you will log in to the Infopeople online learning site and complete the following learning modules:

  • Module One: Introduction to Cataloging
    • Cataloging defined
    • Why understand cataloging if it's not in your job description?
    • General cataloging methods and terminology
  • Module Two: Cataloging in the Computer Age
    • Transfer from a card catalog to computer MARC records
    • Components of a MARC record
    • Common fixed and variable tags
  • Module Three: MARC Formats
    • 8 MARC formats
    • MARC tags for each format
  • Module Four: Copy Cataloging
    • Copy cataloging defined
    • How to recognize problems when copy cataloging a MARC record
    • Copy cataloging resources
  • Module Five: Original Cataloging
    • Original cataloging defined
    • Resources for original cataloging
    • Cataloging for the automation system
  • Module Six: Library of Congress Subjects
    • Library of Congress Subject headings and the SLAM method of determining them
    • Main headings and types of subheadings
    • Library of Congress conventions
    • Review of major course topics

Online Learning Details:
This six-week course will be taught online using the web. When you register, you will receive a registration confirmation that will include the URL to get to the course, as well as a username and password.

Every student proceeds through the online learning modules at his or her own pace. Students should expect to commit to spending a minimum of 2 to 2½ hours per week on this course in order to be successful. You can work on each module at your own pace, at any hour of the day or night. However, you will be expected to log in to the course each week to do that week's assignment. We ask that you log in sometime during the first week of the course to begin the course work.

Your instructor will be available for limited consultation support for two weeks after the official end date of a course, and the course material will stay up for an additional two weeks after that, to give those who have fallen behind time to work independently on the course. However, you will be expected to accomplish the majority of the course in synchronization with your peers during the first six weeks.

Who Should Take This Course: Anyone from the library community with an interest in the mystery and wonder of the library catalog.

Prerequisites:
This course is taught over the web. You must:

  • Have an Internet connection.
  • Be able to save Microsoft Word .doc or Adobe .pdf files to your computer and print them out. (For .doc files, a free Word Viewer is available at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/search.aspx?displaylang=en. Search for "Word Viewer." For .pdf files, a free Adobe Acrobat Reader is available at http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/main.html).
  • Be comfortable navigating on the web and navigating back and forward on a website that uses frames.
  • To be most successful in this course you should be willing to share information with your colleagues and be willing to spend time reading and participating in the weekly discussion boards.
  • It would be convenient, though not required, to have the following materials for Week 6:
    • LCSH Free Floating Subdivisions - or -
    • Classification Web - or -
    • Cataloger's Desktop

System Requirements: The online learning product that Infopeople uses is called Angel. The following are minimum system requirements for using Angel. You will need access to a computer that has at least these specifications to participate in an online course:

  • Windows:
    • Microsoft Windows XP or Microsoft Windows Vista
    • Internet Explorer 7.0 and above, Mozilla Firefox 2.0 and above
    • Phishing Filter disabled (IE 7)
  • Macintosh:
    • OS X and above (OS 9 will NOT work with our online learning product)
    • Mozilla Firefox 2.0 and above, Safari 2.0 and above
  • General

If you are not comfortable with any of the above, please consider taking this course with a colleague who does meet these requirements.

Fee: $75 for those in the California library community and $150 for those out-of-state.

Course Start: This 6-week-long online learning course starts on November 4, 2008.

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Available for contracting: 
No