I think this is a MARVELOUS idea!  
 
One of the problems I have is in advising students where to go to study cataloging at the doctoral level.  We have a nascent doctoral program but since I am an instructor, I wouldn't feel comfortable enticing someone here to do a cataloging-centered PhD unless they were doing it in the context of school libraries or something else we are strong in.  
 
We have had several openings and have been happy to have filled two senior positions this year with Drs. Kendra Albright and Paul Solomon, but certainly adding a full time tenured or tenure track faculty member in info org/cataloging is attractive.  We will be filling some more this year.  I keep crossing my fingers that one of the folks we identify would strengthen this area for us.  
 
Our last cataloging adjunct quit and I had to be yanked off another course at the last minute to do the descriptive cataloging course because no one else could step in.
 
I was at the OCLC/MOUG joint conference this past weekend and met quite a few folks who adjunct teaching cataloging.  Some of these would be great additions to our cadre if we could recruit them into PhD programs that would build on their knowledge and expertise.
 
Heidi
 


 
[Opinions expressed here are mine alone and not to be attributed to the University of South Carolina.]

HEIDI LEE HOERMAN 
SCHOOL OF LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE 
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA, COLUMBIA, SC 29205 
EMAIL: [log in to unmask] 
URL: www.heidihoerman.com 
PHONE I'M MOST LIKELY TO BE NEAR WITH MOST RELIABLE MACHINE WHEN I'M NOT: (803) 695-2814 
OTHER NUMBERS: (803) 777-0485 (office at the university) CELL: (803) 206-4734
FAX: (803) 777-7938 
    
U.S. Constitution. Article 1. Section 9. The privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it.

--- On Mon, 9/29/08, Allyson Carlyle <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

From: Allyson Carlyle <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: [eduCAT] Doctoral Education in Cataloging
To: [log in to unmask]
Date: Monday, September 29, 2008, 8:01 PM

Hello Gretchen,
Will do, thank you!
Allyson


-----Original Message-----
From: Discussion List for issues related to cataloging & metadata education
& training [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Hoffman, Gretchen
Sent: Wednesday, September 24, 2008 4:29 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [eduCAT] Doctoral Education in Cataloging

Hi Allyson,

This is a fantastic idea. I would be happy to help. Just let me know what I can
do.

Thank you!

Gretchen

Gretchen L. Hoffman, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
School of Library and Information Studies
Texas Woman's University

________________________________

From: Discussion List for issues related to cataloging & metadata education
& training on behalf of Allyson Carlyle
Sent: Wed 9/24/2008 3:05 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [eduCAT] Doctoral Education in Cataloging



Hi everyone,

At ALA I attended a meeting of the ALCTS Committee on Education (Sylvia,
that's the name of it, yes?).  Sylvia Hall-Ellis is the chair. In a small
group discussion, we discussed the shortage of cataloging faculty - full time,
tenure track faculty whose main area of research is cataloging - and how
important it is for schools with LIS programs to have a such a faculty member. 
At the very least, it means that there is someone who is part of the full time
faculty who can fight for cataloging curricula.  I think I don't need to
lecture you all about of the other reasons why it is important :-)

An idea we had was to have an information session at the next ALA annual with a
panel of folks who can speak to why one would want to get a phd with a research
focus in cataloging, where the best places to go to get such a phd might be, how
to apply, etc.  I helped organize an event like this in Anaheim aimed at
encouraging librarians of color to apply for phds in LIS.  It was very
successful, and I would hope that if we advertised widely, we might meet with
some success next year offering one aimed at doctoral education in cataloging.

While it is true that there may be some schools that would not want to hire a
tenure track cataloging faculty member, I believe that there are more than one
might think that would hire if they found someone who knocked their socks off. 
Many faculty postings these days are open - that is, there are no specific areas
of expertise listed.  I am afraid that we are not educating enough doctoral
students to fill these positions, and that as a consequence cataloging courses
either disappear or are marginalized in the curriculum because they are not
associated with a regular tenure track faculty member (this is not to disparage
any of you fabulous practitioners who teach our cataloging courses - far from it
- it is, unfortunately, a reality that when you have full time faculty
associated with courses these courses are viewed as more central to the
curriculum).

If I remember correctly, the group who met to discuss this included me, Sylvia,
Cheryl Boettcher-Tarsala, Elaine Yontz, and Karen Snow.  If anyone else would be
interested in helping me (us) organize and work on this, please let me know.

Finally, I'd like to ask all of you out there who are full-time faculty
members in cataloging and can supervise doctoral students to come to such a
panel session should we be able to organize it.  In Anaheim, we had
representatives from almost every single doctoral granting institution available
to meet with prospective students, and I think it worked very well.

Thanks all,
Allyson

Allyson Carlyle
Associate Professor and Chair, PhD Program
Information School
MGH 370
University of Washington
Seattle, WA  98195-2840
USA

(206) 543-1887