A lone cataloger no more : how better communication can help enhance bibliographic description for user discovery

Catalogers often work alone when they create bibliographic records for new resources. The lack of communication between catalogers and end users can sometimes lead to the creation of bibliographic records that prevent effective user discovery. In this presentation, the cataloger will discuss the communications between her cataloging unit and special collections unit about cataloging for rare book special collection materials. She will present her research findings in communications and collaborations between catalogers and end users and how it will affect bibliographic descriptions for user discovery. She will also talk about the challenges catalogers face in order to balance between quality and quantity of work under current budget cuts. In the end, an example will be given to showcase two different approaches to cataloging a special collection material along with an overview of the MARC fields that are used in each type of description to help facilitate user discovery.