A Short Praise for Catalogers

When I was in Library School, I was given a lapel pin that said, “Cataloging is a public service.” Having worked for several years in public service, I can attest to the benefit of good cataloging. All of those little details that catalogers love to fuss over do make items more retrievable. I have also experienced the frustration of items that seemed to have disappeared because they were mis-cataloged. In my library, I try to make sure that our catalogers know how important they are. They are not just the bodies hovering over computers in a back room: they are my partners in getting the right information to the right people. I couldn’t do what I do without them.