ABSTRACT
Some libraries have merged the cataloging department with acquisitions and serials, along with computer technology, into a department of automation and bibliographic control. Always keep in mind that overlapping functions occur in some areas, depending on the organizational culture and policies of individual libraries. The professional librarian requires a master’s degree in Library Science. The supportive category includes the library associate, the library technician, and the clerks. Cataloging is the process of organizing library materials and making them accessible to library users. The challenge the cataloger faces is accommodating the many diverse approaches people use in retrieving library materials. A modern-day library technician accomplishes almost every task in the cataloging department, usually working at a computer terminal connected to nationwide or area databases. The library technician’s job is to retrieve bibliographic information from print sources or computer databases to match the locally acquired materials, and to input local collections into the database.
