A Study of the Perception of Cataloging Quality Among

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A Study of the Perception of Cataloging Quality Among A STUDY OF THE PERCEPTION OF CATALOGING QUALITY AMONG CATALOGERS IN ACADEMIC LIBRARIES Karen Snow, B.A., M.S. Dissertation Prepared for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS December 2011 APPROVED: Shawne D. Miksa, Major Professor William E. Moen, Committee Member Sylvia D. Hall-Ellis, Committee Member Suliman Hawamdeh, Chair of the Department of Library and Information Sciences Linda Schamber, Dean of the College of Information James D. Meernik, Acting Dean of the Toulouse Graduate School Snow, Karen. A study of the perception of cataloging quality among catalogers in academic libraries. Doctor of Philosophy (Information Science), December 2011, 246 pp., 38 tables, 16 figures, references, 113 titles. This study explores the concept of "quality" in library cataloging and examines the perception of quality cataloging among catalogers who work in academic libraries. An examination of the concept of "quality cataloging" in library science literature revealed that even though there is some general agreement on how this concept is defined, the level of detail and focus of these definitions often vary. These various perceptions were dissected in order to develop a framework for evaluating quality cataloging definitions; this framework was used to evaluate study participants' definitions of quality cataloging. Studying cataloger perceptions of quality cataloging is important because it is catalogers (particularly original catalogers) who are largely responsible for what is included in bibliographic records. Survey participants (n = 296) provided their personal definition of quality cataloging as well as their opinions on their department's cataloging, their influence upon their department's policies and procedures, and the specific data that should be included in a quality bibliographic record. Interview participants (n = 20) provided insight on how their opinions of quality cataloging were formed and the influences that shaped these opinions. Copyright 2011 by Karen Snow ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS So many people have guided and encouraged me as I worked on my doctoral degree. I would first like to thank my wonderful dissertation committee. Bill, thank you for keeping me honest in my research and challenging me to do better. Your frank feedback and advice made my work stronger and helped me become a better researcher. Sylvia, thank you for taking me under your wing many years ago. I am truly in awe of and grateful for your cataloging knowledge and love of teaching. Shawne, it is hard to find the words to express how much you have done for me over the years and how much I admire and respect your knowledge, your tireless support of your students and colleagues, and your ability to stand up for your opinions and be yourself in the face of opposition. The opportunities you provided allowed me to grow professionally and personally and I can never thank you enough for that. Abby Dover - our countless hours of meandering discussions impacted my thinking and the course of this dissertation research more than you know. Barbara Schultz-Jones, thank you for providing me the opportunity to work with you on what was my first big research project. It really helped me to learn more about the research process and made my dissertation research go much smoother as a result. Thank you UNT catalogers, particularly Cathy Sassen, Judy Johnston, and Kathryn Loafman. A big 'thank you' to my parents, Robert and Jeanne Snow. Your optimism and encouragement helped to keep me going and find the right path. And finally, I would like to thank my husband Robby who has literally been there for me since day one of my doctoral journey. You are my rock and have always been there for me over the years. Thank you for your love and patience and I am excited to begin a brand new journey together with our new addition to the family. I love you always. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................... iii LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................................ vii LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................................................................................... vii Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................... 1 Problem Statement and Context .................................................................................................. 1 Background of the Problem ........................................................................................................ 2 Cataloger's Judgment .................................................................................................................. 4 Research Questions ..................................................................................................................... 5 Delimitations and Limitations..................................................................................................... 6 Purpose and Significance of the Study ....................................................................................... 6 Definitions................................................................................................................................... 8 2. LITERATURE REVIEW ......................................................................................................... 10 The Rise of Cooperative Cataloging and the Dominance of the Library of Congress ............. 12 A “Crisis” Emerges ................................................................................................................... 15 Cooperative Cataloging Networks ............................................................................................ 17 The Automation of the Cataloging Process .............................................................................. 26 The Adoption of Minimal Level Cataloging (MLC) ................................................................ 28 The Library of Congress in the 1990s....................................................................................... 31 Cataloging Quality in the 1990s and 2000s .............................................................................. 37 Quality Dimensions .................................................................................................................. 44 Increased Focus on User & Cataloging Process ....................................................................... 48 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 54 3. METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................................... 55 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 55 Research Approach/Design ....................................................................................................... 55 Population ................................................................................................................................. 66 Data Collection ......................................................................................................................... 68 Survey ................................................................................................................................... 68 Interviews .............................................................................................................................. 71 Data Analysis ............................................................................................................................ 74 Demographics ....................................................................................................................... 76 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 89 iv 4. DATA ANALYSIS ................................................................................................................... 91 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 91 Survey ....................................................................................................................................... 91 Attributes of a Quality Bibliographic Record ....................................................................... 92 Personal Definitions of Quality Cataloging .......................................................................... 95 Institution Definitions of Quality Cataloging ..................................................................... 105 Influence Upon Cataloging Department Policies & Procedures ......................................... 107 The Quality of the Respondent's & Cataloging Department's Cataloging .......................... 109 MARC Fields/Subfields in a Quality Bibliographic Record .............................................. 113 Quality Cataloging Attributes ............................................................................................. 116 Impact of RDA Implementation Upon Quality Cataloging Definitions ............................. 122 Interviews ...............................................................................................................................
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