Emily Schon

Final Interview Assignment

Cataloging Jobs
Part 1: Sample Job Post
Found on: http://mblc.state.ma.us/jobs/find_jobs/
Job: Cataloging Bibliographer
Institution: YBP/EBSCO
Salary: unknown
Hours: unknown
Description: see below

Cataloging Bibliographer
YBP (Yankee Book Peddler)
Location: Contoocook, NH

To apply visit our careers page at http://www.ebscohost.com/careers. (the position will be listed
under YBP.)

Performs subject analysis and classification on a broad range and depth of materials. Materials
analyzed include print, visual, audio and digital resources. Classification and subject headings
assigned by the Cataloging Bibliographer are used to support approval plan profiling and order

fulfillment. Creates metadata records at full level RDA standard to support the provision of
products supplied by Library Technical Services to accompany purchased content.

Primary Responsibilities:
(The following statements describe the general nature of work being performed in this job. They
are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties. Additional duties may be assigned by
Management):
Assigns Library of Congress Subject Headings and appropriate sub-headings following SCM
and LCSH rules.
Assigns Library of Congress Classification and cutter numbers following LCC and CSM
instructions.
Assigns Dewey Decimal Classification using the full current edition.
Assigns Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) and appropriate sub-heading strings.
Assigns National Library of Medicine classification.
Assigns Canadian literature, history and KF modified classification as appropriate.
Assigns library-specific cuttering and shelflisting as required.
Creates full-level cataloging in MARC (or other metadata format) following RDA and Library
of Congress-Program for Cooperative Cataloging Policy Statements.
Searches OCLCs bibliographic utility, LC catalog and authorities, and customer online
catalogs as necessary.
Upgrades LC CIP records and other less-than-full-level records.

Skills

Requirements:
Bachelors degree required.
Masters degree in Library and/or Information Science required OR 2 years Cataloging in a
library or library service provider setting.
1+ year experience with MS Word and Excel

Preferred Qualifications:
KNOWLEDGE
Experience in library technical services or knowledge of library operations preferred.
Experience using LC Classweb, OCLC Connexion, Catalogers Desktop and/or WebDewey.
Experience assigning Library of Congress and/or Dewey classification numbers.
Experience searching authority files
Experience using the Library of Congress Subject Cataloging Manual and performing subject
analysis
Demonstrated proficiency in applying current cataloging guidelines (RDA).
Demonstrated proficiency in applying current MARC 21 Bibliographic standards to
monographs cataloging.
Knowledge of the Library of Congress classification system and subject headings.
Broad knowledge of all the functions of the Cataloging Unit and of the LTS Department.
Knowledge of and compliance with LTS quality assurance standards.
Understands and supports the goals and values of LTS; models and actively communicates
them effectively.
Demonstrates mastery of job duties, requiring no supervisor follow up.

Understands all of the company processes and functions that have an impact upon or are
impacted by the work of the Unit.
Knows and appropriately follows the companys hierarchy.

ABILITIES
Ability to work in a production environment.
Ability to use sound judgment, analyze disparate information, evaluate complex and ambiguous
situations and recommend solutions.
Ability to multitask and demonstrate flexibility in dealing with changing priorities.
Ability to perform with frequent interruptions, distractions and fluctuating workloads.
Ability to participate effectively on teams, commit to meeting agreed-upon goals and objectives,
and support team decisions.
Formulates new and imaginative solutions that reflect careful consideration of company and
department needs and goals.
Recognize and act upon opportunities to improve services and operations.
Transfers learning from one situation to solve a problem in another.
Ability to be open and inclusive so that all relevant parties are kept informed of issues and
changes.

SKILLS
Basic computer competencies, including Microsoft productivity applications and Web browsers.
Exemplary communication skills, both written and oral, to effectively communicate issues,
concerns and ideas internally and externally, to individuals and in group settings.

Strong interpersonal skills to establish effective working relationships among all departments,
with both professional and paraprofessional staff.
Highly developed organizational skills to keep information accessible and work systematically
and efficiently. (MBLC, 2015).

Part 2: Interview Questions and Transcript

Interview with Sam, a Middle School Librarian. This interview was conducted through email the
week of May 15-22nd. The interviewer works closely with the interviewee, since the interviewer
is the schools Library Assistant. She was an interesting choice of candidates for this assignment
since her primary focus at her job is the middle school librarian and teacher, but she is also the
only person who has been at the schools library long enough and consistently enough over the
past decade to be in charge of cataloging (three out of the four members of the library staff are
new this year!). Over the years of her time at the school, she has assumed sole responsibility for
cataloging at the schools library, whereas the schools library director (referred to throughout
the interview as Steph) is in charge of the classification. Processing of materials is done by
the library assistant before they reach the interviewee, and the library assistant occasionally
assists with copy cataloging (she is only beginning to learn this year to learn how the schools
cataloging practices work and how the computer system works).

Questions
1) What jobs did you hold previously that prepared you for your current position?
This is my first full-time library job, but every job I held previously prepared me for my
current position in some way: building organizational skills, tech skills, customer service skills...

2) What skills have you found you need that were not listed as required for the job?
Honestly, I don't remember what the job description said when I applied; that was 10
years ago! This job -- and, I imagine, most school library jobs -- is what I've made of it. It's less
about needed skills and more about what I could bring to the position. For instance, I know a lot
of Excel and HTML/web design from past jobs; that's come in handy. I've read kids' books my

whole life; maintaining an encyclopedic knowledge of middle grade & YA fiction is also pretty
handy.

3) What coursework helped you with your job responsibilities the most?
My cataloging class, of course, and my class connecting the MA Curriculum
Frameworks to library curriculum. Otherwise, just reading academic literature in the library
field and talking with adjunct professors who were working librarians -- generally steeping
myself in the problems and current issues of librarianship.

4) How did you find out about this job when you first applied for it, and where do you suggest
looking for this type of job (where you can do more than one single role in a library)?
The best place to look for library jobs in MA is the MBLC website.

5) Did you find that coursework or on-the-job job experience was more useful in mastering your
current job responsibilities?
Honestly, I needed both. Coursework framed what being a librarian is and how
librarians talk to each other; it taught me to ask the important questions of librarianship. And of
course I learn every day on the job.

6) How big a part does cataloging and classification play in your job compared to your other job
responsibilities?
As little as possible...

7) What cataloging/classification standards do you use regularly? Which do you use

infrequently? To what extent?
Almost everything I do is copy cataloging from major libraries like BPL or Seattle Public
Library or LOC. I use whatever standard they're using for that record. I know a little about the
new standards, but my general feeling is that for a small library like the schools, good
searchable keywords in each record is way more important than physical description fields that
use the most up-to-date standard. It just isn't worth my time to focus on that.
For music CDs, we use ANSCR for classification. Otherwise it's LC; Steph does that
part. Our records are MARC, of course.

8) What resources (such as RSS feeds, newswires, blogs, books, videos, publications, and
conferences) do you use to stay current in the field? Do any resources in particular help with
cataloging?
I read School Library Journal every month. I'm friends with lots of other librarians and
educators in real life and on Facebook, so I read what they post. I think that keeps me pretty
updated. Like I said, I'm definitely less up-to-date on cataloging than a real cataloger would be;
that isn't my focus.

9) What was the last major problem that you were confronted with? What action did you take on
it?
I haven't had a cataloging problem in a long time... I guess the most recent one was how
to teach you guys how to do all this stuff I've been doing in my sleep for a decade! I've made up
a lot of Dana's cataloging best practices, just based on what it seemed like our library needed,
and I didn't write them all down while I was making those decisions. Always write this stuff

down! Consistency is super-important in a catalog, so now I'm having to go back and figure out
what I do, and how to write it down in a way that makes sense to other people.

10) What parts of your job do you find the most satisfying, and the least satisfying?
Most satisfying: teaching, hands-down. The more kid time and less computer time I have,
the better my day is. Least satisfying: original cataloging. When I do it, it's almost always some
self-published donation from an alum that no one's ever going to look at, and it's so timeconsuming compared to copy cataloging. I totally put those off.

11) How do you balance your time as a librarian, teacher, and mentor with the nonstop flow of
materials that need to be cataloged and classified?
I don't do the classification (except for music CDs); that's Steph's job. Cataloging is what
I do when I need something mindless, or when I'm at the desk. I can be interrupted constantly
and it's fine; each book only takes a couple of minutes and it's pretty robotic for me at this point.
Everybody has times when they aren't at the top of their game at work, so at least if I catalog a
shelf of books I can feel productive!