Catalogers and Directors: At Loggerheads or Mutually Advancing the Profession?

Abstract

Especially in recent years, the future of cataloging as a part of the library profession has become a point of discussion. It seems at times that catalogers and directors are at opposite parts of the spectrum: catalogers holding on to cataloging because “that’s the way it’s always been done”; directors trying to make use of dwindling funds, and deciding that cataloging as we know it is not a major part of the future. So it seems—but is the appearance accurate? Are catalogers and directors simply saying the same thing in different ways and with different focuses, or is there a fundamental disconnect between the two viewpoints? The purpose of this panel was to bring together one cataloger and two directors to discuss precisely that topic.