bibliografisten

Bibliografisten refers to a professional who specializes in bibliography, the systematic description and organization of sources. The term denotes someone who compiles bibliographies, conducts bibliographic research, and creates and maintains bibliographic records that enable discovery and citation of printed, digital, and other materials.

Typical responsibilities include identifying relevant sources in a given subject area, evaluating and selecting materials for inclusion, writing annotations, and arranging items according to a chosen system. Bibliografisten often contribute to the creation and maintenance of library catalogs, national bibliographies, and scholarly reference works. They may also participate in digitization projects, metadata standardization, and authority control to ensure consistency across catalogs.

Professional practice relies on bibliographic standards and metadata schemas such as MARC, Dublin Core, RDA, and BIBFRAME, as well as authority files and subject headings. They use identifiers (ISBN, ISSN, DOI) and authority records to connect related items and reduce duplication. Knowledge of languages, bibliographic research methods, and information retrieval are essential.

Education and career paths typically include studies in library and information science, archives, or a related field. Many work in libraries, archives, museums, publishing houses, or research institutions, supporting scholars, students, and readers by providing curated and well-documented lists of sources.

Historically, bibliographers have produced comprehensive bibliographies, cataloged collections, and helped map the growth of literature in particular languages or disciplines. The role overlaps with cataloging and information science, but its focus remains on the description, organization, and accessibility of sources.