Counting cataloging : moving beyond statistics to measure the value of cataloging

• Main Authors: Fino, Melissa De, Wang, Jianrong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2021
• Subjects: Library and information science
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/154211
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Given the budgetary and technological changes facing academic libraries, it has become necessary for librarians to become self-advocates, describing and defending the work they do. Most research in this area is dedicated to public services, with little focus on technical services. A survey conducted in the fall of 2009 found that catalogers in the sample state of New Jersey collect detailed productivity statistics to illustrate their value. This paper analyzes the statistics-gathering process and makes suggestions for developing these methods into a strong assessment model. Quality control assessment is the tool catalogers need to describe their worth to library stakeholders.