Training Successful Paraprofessional Copy Catalogers

Abstract

This paper argues for an incremental, progressive approach to teaching an inexperienced paraprofessional cataloger the basic skills required for copy cataloging. It demonstrates how to devise a training plan that is logical and progressive and argues that the plan should be based on a thorough analysis of the skills and knowledge required by the job. It then describes a specific approach to teaching the terminology of cataloging, Machine-Readable Cataloging (MARC), and International Standard Bibliographic Description (ISBD) punctuation. These three are the basic skills most copy catalogers will need first, and their mastery should precede training for more complex skills.