The University of Missouri--Columbia, School of Information Science and
Learning Technologies, recently went that way, too. As of last fall,
cataloging is no longer a required course, having been replaced by a choice
of Indexing or Organization of information. The reason given was that SISLT
has not been able to attract any PhD librarian/faculty that specialize in
technical services or cataloging to spearhead that part of the curriculum.
I think they were trying to avoid telling me they think it's irrelevant :-(

Advanced cataloging has only been offered *very* intermittently over the
last several years. There never seem to be enough students in a single
location--Columbia, Kansas City (extension), St. Louis (extension), etc.--to
"make." I'm very much afraid that the same thing will happen to beginning
cataloging. If it's no longer required, and it's being bad-mouthed by all
and sundry, it may be hard to attract enough students any single semester.

Kathleen A. Nystrom, MLS [formerly adjunct cataloging instructor, SISLT]
Head of Technical Services
Eden-Webster Library System
470 East Lockwood Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63119-3194
(314)968-7151
(314)963-6086 (fax)
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>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: MAURER, MARGARET
> Sent: Friday, July 27, 2007 10:46 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: RE: Martha Yee's comments on LIS education (fwd)
>
> Here at Kent's library school, cataloging is no longer seen as central
> to the curriculum. Instead it is seen as one option among many.
> Cataloging is not a required course and people routinely graduate with
> little understanding of how to best utilize out work.
>