Jennifer--
   This was the first semester I had access to AACR2 on Desktop, and 
I'm not sure it's a good substitute for  every student. We certainly 
don't have 32 simultaneous users on CD so I can't have everyone refer 
to it while I'm lecturing. Some students who had problems getting a 
copy of AACR2 used it on Desktop and it was scary for them as the 
first cataloging tool they had to work with. (However, at least they 
had it.) That endless list of tools in folders and learning how to 
navigate is big technical overhead.  However, I do make them use 
Desktop for access to SCM:SH so everybody has to learn how to use it 
at Week 9 anyway.

    With the looseleaf print edition (which they can buy used from 
other students--any reasonably recent version is fine), the students 
can pull out the relevant chapters and transport them easily and have 
them at their desks as we go through it in class. I think it's easier 
to explain the structure of the rules if you have the physical thing 
at hand.

Cheryl


>Cheryl (and everyone),
>
>Your email reminded me that I wanted to ask your
>opinion: I'm a part-time lecturer at Rutgers. We have
>access to Catalogers' Desktop for our students and I
>need to submit my book order for the intro. cataloging
>course I'll be teaching in the spring. I wonder if
>those of you who do have access to it require your
>students to purchase a print copy of AACR2 in addition
>to having online access, or do you just rely on the
>online. I've done it both ways, and I'm still trying
>to decide which worked better.
>
>Thanks.
>
>Jennifer Lang
>

-- 
Cheryl Boettcher Tarsala, Ph.D.

"I teach cataloging."