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Winship | 1 Jun 07:06

Daily Typo, "Classifiction", May 31, 2007

Thursday, May 31, 2007

Typo of the Day - Classifiction

   Classifiction for Classification is a case of a missing vowel that
   brings a chuckle, and images of the works of Twain, Hemingway,
   Steinbeck and Faulkner who all wrote classy fiction. Even though it is
   unlikely that this word would be legitimate in any database, we always
   recommend that you check each record individually. If nothing else,
   the word may be followed by a 'sic.' This is found on our D List at
   http://faculty.quinnipiac.edu/libraries/tballard/Sectiond.html,
   meaning that the word has a low probability of being found in an opac.

Extracted, for AUTOCAT, from <http://librarytypos.blogspot.com/>,
by permission of Terry Ballard.  If you have comments about the words
selected, how they are selected, or the way the items are written, please
contact Terry Ballard <terry.ballard@...>.

Douglas Winship  winship@...

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sheila bryant | 1 Jun 14:11
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Re: Finding a job with no experience

I agree with everything that Gordon has written.  However,  I also think it is sad that in a profession where we
talk about equality, diversity, and first amendment rights that we fail to do unto our "own" as we request
be done unto others.  

When I became employed as a cataloger I did not know everything.  Many of my first weekends were spent trying
to find out the information that I did not understand or know.  I actually felt like I was back in graduate
school Whatever my supervisor gave me to do, I did it.  And what I did not know I looked it up.  In fact AUTOCAT
got a few emails from me.  I proved to be very diligent, but that was something that was impressed upon me
while attending grad school.  

I really believe that you reap what you sow.  Someone has to invest in new librarians.  The way the profession
treats it's member base is probably just the way things are, but the issues that have been discussed, like
being able to find a job are really hurting our new librarians.  I see them as disillusioned and if things
don't change we may be looking at three serious issues:  leadership, those that are retiring, and the lack
of new librarians entering the field.  I think we know what the issues are.  What I am not sure of is how to
address the issues as a whole - from the associations to the graduate institutions to the work
environment.  

Not that what I say matters, but that is my 2 cents, Sheila 

 
Sheila BryantInstructor Librarian, SerialsFlorida A & M UniversityTallahassee, FL
32307850.599.8158: work813.469.7259: cell 

> Date: Thu, 31 May 2007 16:18:13 -0400> From: gpew@...>
Subject: [ACAT] Finding a job with no experience> To:
AUTOCAT@...> > A subthread that's emerged from the discussion
of why we all want to be > catalogers ;-) has been calls for help from those who would be > catalogers. The
problem of "Want a job? Get experience. Need experience? > Get a job" can't be unique to cataloging (or any
kind of librarian > employment); but I've been thinking of some reasons why, in reviewing job >
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Bob Mead Donaldson | 1 Jun 14:17

Re: How to attract new catalogers

gratuitous movie quote:

"Without work I'll be dead in a year."           A shock to the system, 
1990  

 (he was!)

bob mead-donaldson
florida international university

Richard Stewart wrote:

>What is this word, indeed.
>____
>  
>
>>>>jhahn@... 05/30/07 9:48 AM >>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>
>  
>
>>What is this word you use, "retire"?
>>    
>>
>
>  
>
>
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Bughdana Hajjar | 1 Jun 11:07
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Re: Z_Portal

It is a Library tool we bought it for our academic library allowing us to
search all our databases through one search interface.

 
-----Original Message-----
From: AUTOCAT [mailto:AUTOCAT@...] On Behalf Of Bughdana Hajjar
Sent: Thursday, May 31, 2007 2:59 PM
To: AUTOCAT@...
Subject: Z_Portal

Dear autocatters,

Thank you all for your precious contributions. 

I have a question not directly related to the topic of our listserv but I
hope somebody can have a satiable answer.

We recently bought Z_portal. In the library instruction course it is defined
as a federated search engine.

Looking at it, the facility strikes me as being more than just a search
engine. It is at least a potential portal.

Do any of you have a feedback concerning the topic? Is it wrong to define it
as federated search engine or this is just what it was meant to do?

Thank you in advance,

Bughdana,
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Poole, Stephanie (Library | 1 Jun 14:34
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Re: AUTOCAT Digest - 30 May 2007 to 31 May 2007 (#2007-34)

>I like the error in the first paragraph (that "it will be the first
>public library in the nation whose entire collection will be
categorized
>without the Dewey Decimal Classification System"-that will come as a
>surprise to Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, et al.)

HA! :-)

The discussion following the article is very interesting indeed. I am
fascinated by the people who think that dewey is the problem. I'd be
willing to bet that some nice, new signs and perhaps some of those nifty
posters from the ALA store with the DDC subjects would solve most
browsing difficulties. 

Stephanie

Stephanie Poole
Cataloger
Nashville Public Library
Nashville, Tennessee

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Vosmek, John J. | 1 Jun 14:51

Re: Finding a job with no experience

#1 - The same advice I continue to give as this topic keeps coming up
here: don't forget to try placement/staffing/professional-temporary
agencies.  (There is a whole other conversation we could have about
whether the growth of outsourcing in its various forms is a good
development, but, if we are merely discussing how to get a first
cataloging job, these kinds of agencies are a great way to get your foot
in the door.)

#2 - Sheila Bryant talked about the "way the profession treats it's
member base" as though the lack of opportunities for all the new
librarians (given this list as the context, I assume we're mostly
talking about catalogers) entering the field has reached epidemic
proportions.  Has it?  Are there statistics to support this?  I know
there are some sad stories of people that have had a hard time finding a
first job, but are these stories the norm?  Maybe so, but I'd like to
see more than a few people who say "I had a hard time finding a job"
before we decry the state of widespread unfair hiring.

#3 - Looking at #2 from the other side, what are the experiences of
those of you who actually hire catalogers?  When you post a position is
there a flood of resumes and you get to pick and choose to the point
where you would ignore anybody without several years of experience?
I've been lucky to find some good people for the positions I've had to
fill, but I've not been buried in applications, to say the least.  I'll
stick to my previous statement that I've perceived neither a dearth nor
a surfeit of new catalogers in relation to the number of jobs available.
That is an anecdotal observation, of course, and I'm ready to be
enlightened by some statistics if somebody can provide them.

-John
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sheila bryant | 1 Jun 15:17
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Re: Finding a job with no experience

John, I have to be honest. I really can't speak for everyone.  I can only speak to the people that  graduate one
year before me and those that graduated with me.  And I found the same issues with the people I spoke with that
were looking for cataloging, reference, or systems librarianship.  I believe that there are a lot of
opportunities out there, which is why I am not understanding why people are having difficulty finding
employment.  I graduated Dec 2005 and was employed four months later.  In Tampa, where I lived at the time of
my graduation, I applied for a public library position and I was hired, but the rule was they would only hire
you part-time and should a full-time position come open they would consider you - key word consider.  This
was an additionally wait of - from what I could judge of about 6 months or more.  I was given no explanation for
the new procedure so I could only speculate, but I guess it is better to have a piece of a job than no job at all. 
I was just hoping for more.  I accepted the position feeling like I really had no choice, then I received a
call from FAMU for a full time position.  I felt bad, but the opportunity to have a full-time job was so
important to me, that I had to resign from a position that I had not even started.  

And I really do not think this experience is unique to libraries.  I spoke to a woman yesterday who lost her job
and went through the State of Florida for more job training and became a phlebotomist, but she found the
market so flooded that she was unable to find work.  She decided to work at Mickey D's because she has to work
somewhere.  

I think I am up to 4 cents now, SheilaSheila BryantInstructor Librarian, SerialsFlorida A & M
UniversityTallahassee, FL 32307850.599.8158: work813.469.7259: cell 

> Date: Fri, 1 Jun 2007 08:51:18 -0400> From: JJVosmek@...>
Subject: Re: [ACAT] Finding a job with no experience> To:
AUTOCAT@...> > #1 - The same advice I continue to give as this
topic keeps coming up> here: don't forget to try placement/staffing/professional-temporary>
agencies. (There is a whole other conversation we could have about> whether the growth of outsourcing in
its various forms is a good> development, but, if we are merely discussing how to get a first> cataloging
job, these kinds of agencies are a great way to get your foot> in the door.)> > #2 - Sheila Bryant talked about
the "way the profession treats it's> member base" as though the lack of opportunities for all the new>
librarians (given this list as the context, I assume we're mostly> talking about catalogers) entering
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Tom Sanders | 1 Jun 15:38
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Re: Finding a job with no experience

My perception is that increasingly there are fewer entry-level positions
for MLS holders.  Libraries want to hire someone with an MLS and
experience to manage locally trained non-MLS catalogers and processors
of shelf-ready materials, but there seem fewer openings than in the past
for MLS holders to simply catalog on a day-to-day basis.  However I have
not done a study to make sure this is true.  Research, anyone? :-)

Thomas R. Sanders
Cataloging Dept.
Auburn University Libraries
231 Mell St.
Auburn, AL 36849-5606

sandetr@...

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Scott Piepenburg | 1 Jun 15:43
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IFLA site

I was working on some material for a class I'll be teaching this fall
and discovered that the IFLA site is "blocked" by our District's
software due to "content and location."

Is anyone else having this problem?

Scott Piepenburg
Library Systems Administrator
Dallas Independent School District
972.925.4829

"If your patrons know how to use a library, thank a school librarian."

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Shirley Richardson | 1 Jun 16:04
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Re: Why are you a cataloger?

OK, I held off for as long as I could, but after all, it's Friday...

I started haunting the local public library at about 7 years of age, 
and continued to haul out armloads of books until I finished college 
and moved away to start working as a public school teacher. In high 
school, I spent every study hall period that I possibly could in the 
school library. While in college, I worked in the library. Since it 
was/is a small school, I did a little of everything *except* 
cataloging. That was considered far too complex and mysterious a 
subject for a mere student to handle.

After five years of teaching English and art at the secondary level, 
I decided to go to graduate school, but what subject? Take a wild 
guess. I liked libraries, I enjoyed the quiet atmosphere, and of 
course, I loved books, so it was pretty much a no-brainer. I was 
fortunate enough to receive a fellowship and also worked at the 
university library at Texas Woman's U.

Since I'd had no bachelor's-level library courses, I had to take 
"baby Cat" and a ref course in the summer session, and that was it! I 
fell in love with cataloging immediately. Suddenly it didn't seem so 
complex or mysterious any more. I went on to take regular cataloging 
(a required course then, I don't know if it still is) and Library of 
Congress Classification. The only thing I regretted was that there 
were so few courses about cataloging available even then (1969-70). I 
could really have used courses in cataloging and technical services 
management, but I took the management courses available and hoped 
they'd have some relevance to cataloging. (Most didn't.)

One thing that hasn't been mentioned a lot is that, IMO, different
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Gmane