LIBRARY OF CONGRESS PARTNERSHIPS PROVIDE EDUCATION RESOURCES IN
CATALOGING
The Library of Congress has launched a Web-based learning center
to promote core competency curriculum development for 21st century
cataloging practitioners. The Cataloger's Learning Workshop
(www.loc.gov/catworkshop/) is a cataloging and metadata training
resource portal that features a discussion group, links to cataloging
training providers and publishers, online training courses and suggested
readings in bibliographic control. The Cataloger's Learning Workshop
is hosted by the Cataloging Distribution Service (CDS) of the Library of
Congress.
"The Cataloger's Learning Workshop site provides one-stop
access to a growing body of authoritative cataloging education
resources," said Kathryn Mendenhall, chief of CDS. "Cataloging
practitioners as well as training providers will benefit from the easy
access to information about these new courses."
The Cataloger's Learning Workshop grew out of an effort that
began at the 2000 Library of Congress conference "Bibliographic
Control for the New Millennium." Conferees produced an action plan
with several ambitious goals, such as providing appropriate training and
education to improve bibliographic control of Web resources.
A number of groups have been working with the Library of
Congress to bring the Cataloger's Learning Workshop to reality,
including the Association for Library Collections and Technical Services
(ALCTS) - a division of the American Library Association (ALA) - and the
Program for Cooperative Cataloging (PCC).
"Collaborating with the Library of Congress on this project
enables ALCTS to better support the educational needs of its membership
and the library community as a whole," said Charles Wilt, executive
director of ALCTS. "These courses will provide up-to-date information
to practicing professionals and others at both the local and regional
level."
A number of workshops and curricula are being developed to
address Web bibliographic control training and continuing education.
Training materials distribution is handled by CDS, while workshop
organization and support logistics are managed through ALCTS and other
organizations.
As a result of this cooperative effort, Library, PCC and ALCTS
officials expect that there will be more library practitioners who are
better prepared to provide access to Web and other new library
materials. The customer and member focus of these organizations ensures
that high quality training will be provided at reasonable cost.
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