catalogers

Catalogers are information professionals who create and maintain bibliographic records and metadata for items in libraries, archives, museums, and digital repositories. Their work supports discovery and access by describing items, determining access points such as author, title, subject, and language, and by applying classification schemes and standardized identifiers.

Cataloging tasks include original cataloging when no record exists, and copy cataloging when a suitable record is available elsewhere. They perform authority control to standardize names and subjects, attach identifiers (ISBN, ISSN, DOI), link related records, and ensure data quality. They may also perform subject analysis, genre/form tagging, and metadata normalization to support retrieval and interoperability.

Typical settings include academic libraries, public libraries, special libraries, archives, museums, and digital repositories, as well as corporate catalogs and e-commerce product catalogs. Catalogers work with cataloging tools and library management systems and adhere to standards such as MARC 21, Dublin Core, and the evolving BIBFRAME model, along with cataloging rules like RDA and traditional classification schemes (DDC, LCC). Authority files (LCSH, FAST, NAF) and identifiers (OCLC numbers) support consistency across records.

Education and skills: a Master of Library and Information Science or equivalent is common, with training in cataloging, metadata, and authority control. Strong attention to detail, analytical skills, and sometimes multilingual capabilities are valuable. The resulting records facilitate discovery, interlibrary loan, data sharing, and long-term preservation.