*Apologies in advance for duplicate postings.*

ALCTS Web Course: Fundamentals of Cataloging

Session 1: February 23 - April 3, 2015

Six-week online course that is a basic primer for library cataloging concepts and practices.The course was written and developed by Vicki Sipe, Catalog Librarian, University of Maryland, Baltimore County. It covers:

principles underlying cataloging practice,
examples illustrating the principles in practice,
tools used in cataloging practice such as AACR2, RDA, Library of Congress Subject Headings, Library of Congress Classification, MARC, OCLC, BIBFRAME, and
processes used by catalogers in creating bibliographic records.

Fundamentals of Cataloging (FOC) begins with a discussion of how cataloging assists users in finding resources and of the value of standardization of practice. These foundations are then given practical grounding in the work of creating bibliographic descriptions, the process of subject analysis, and summarizing content utilizing classification. Standards such as MARC bibliographic and authority formats, Library of Congress Subject Headings and Library of Congress Classification are discussed. The shift in focus from format-based cataloging to entity-relationship model cataloging is taken from the FRBR foundation to the RDA practical application, with a final look at RDF triples and BIBFRAME. In all areas, the value of standards is illustrated and discussed. There is a heavy reliance on examples from actual practice throughout the course content.

Who Should Attend?

As a fundamentals course, FOC is tailored for librarians and library support staff new to cataloging, librarians and library support staff from other units who want to know more about cataloging, and experienced cataloging librarians and library support staff seeking continuing education and networking opportunities.

Cataloging librarians in countries other than the U.S. and library school students or graduates developing skills to help get a job or identify areas of interest in library work may also benefit from this course.

Course Level & Prerequisites

This is a fundamentals course with no prerequisites.

Course Syllabus

Instructors

Vicki Sipe is Catalog Librarian at University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

Teressa Keenan is Head of Bibliographic Management Services at University of Montana, Missoula.

Credits

8 contact hours.

Certificates of completion are sent upon successful completion (passing score of 70% or higher) of the course.

This course is one-third of the Collection Management elective course approved by the Library Support Staff Certification Program (LSSCP). Collection Management Elective FAQ

Fee

$109 ALCTS members; $139 nonmembers

Technical Requirements

A Moodle-developed site is composed of self-paced modules with facilitated interaction led by the instructors. There are predetermined start and end dates and a suggested pace which include interaction with the instructors and your classmates. Students regularly use the forum and chat room functions to facilitate their class participation. Section quizzes are offered and feedback given, but there is no final class grade.

The course web site will be open for one week prior to the start date for students to have access to Moodle instructions and set their browser correctly. The course site will remain open one week after the end date for students to complete any sections and submit the course evaluation survey.

How to Register

To register, complete the online form or register by mail.

Registration Deadline

Registration for each course is limited to 20 people. For courses that are not sold out, online and fax registration ends at 12 noon CDT on the Monday before the course begins. Mailed registration forms must be postmarked by two Mondays prior to the course start date.

Cancellation & Change Policy

Any requests for cancellation or changes to registration must be received in writing by ALCTS or the ALA registration department (MACS) no later than 7 days prior to the start of the course and are subject to a $40 processing fee.

Contact

For questions about registration, contact ALA Registration by calling 1-800-545-2433 and press 5 or email registration@ala.org.

Posted on behalf of the ALCTS Continuing Education Committee.