Primary Research Group Inc. has published The Survey of Academic Library Cataloging Practices, 2013 Edition, ISBN 978-157440-234-6. This 230+ page study is based on data from 80 academic libraries predominantly in the United States and Canada and gives a detailed picture of how libraries are responding to the challenging changes in the environment for academic library cataloguing. Among the many issues covered are: new resource description cataloguing rules, perceptions of the future of cataloguing and the prestige of the profession, productivity enhancement measures, use of outsourcing for many different kinds of materials, views on the preparedness of library science grads in various facets of cataloging. The report also covers developments in personnel, salaries, use of technology and more. Questionnaire development assistance for this report was provided by Michael A. Cerbo. Mr. Cerbo is the Bibliographic Access and Resource Management Librarian at the University of ! Rhode Island.
Just a few of the many findings in the report are: • The majority of survey participants (60.49 percent) say the new Resources Description and Access cataloging rules will “not really enhance” the cataloger’s role in future library decisions. • Just 7.41 percent of libraries in the sample have marketed the new RDA cataloging rules outside the library. • The survey participants spent a mean of 49.09 hours of staff time in the past year in viewing webinars, videos, online tutorials, conferences, formal classroom training, and on other aids for cataloging education. • At least 50 percent of all those participants at schools with an annual tuition less than $18,000 say copy cataloging is performed mostly by paraprofessional support staff, while only 23.08 percent of those at schools where the tuition is more than $18,000 say the same. • 26.67 percent of research libraries and 23.53 percent of colleges with more than 20,000 students report that bibliographic upgrades in OCLC are handled by both paraprofessionals and professional librarians who work at the library. • Over the last five years, the libraries in the sample gained a mean of 0.42 positions in cataloging library support staff. • More than half (56.79 percent) of all survey participants say the cataloger’s pay rate has increased by less than 2.5 percent over the last four years. • 53.33% of research universities in the sample say that they outsource the updating of headings in bibliographic records. • 28.4% of survey participants outsource eJournal catalouing. • More than 23% of librarians at colleges with an annual tuition of more than $18,000 per year spot check all vendor supplied records. For further information view our website at www.PrimaryResearch.com.
