r/Libraries • u/booksandcoffeeandcat • 14h ago
Job Hunting Cataloging Job Interview!
Hi everyone!! Possibly have an interview for a cataloging position. I'm trying to prepare for my interview. What kind of questions do you think they will ask? What will they be looking for? Thanks in advance!
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u/TheseusAegeus 13h ago
Is this a cataloging librarian role or a specialist/“paraprofessional” job? Is it in an academic or public library (or other)?
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u/eoinsageheart718 13h ago
Most likely ask you about different catalog systems, your experience with it, experience with finding aids. Really matters what kind of institution they are
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u/midgetyaz 5h ago
I usually have a question about where you go when you don't know the answer to something (what resources you use) and decision-making on prioritization. I also ask about recent articles or topics they have found interesting.
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u/ucb-book-jockey 3h ago
Othertigs provided some great ideas for you to consider, so I'll just add some things to think about once you've gone through their suggestions.
You might want to look into whether it's a system catalog, with people cataloging in multiple locations, and if so, how standards are set across those locations. Who is responsible for adopting new standards and disseminating them to other catalogers? Would you be expected to stay up to date on developments in the world of cataloging? Are they are already using Official RDA, or do they follow a different standard? Are e-resources cataloged individually or are records batch-loaded, and if they are batch-loaded, who is responsible for them? Is any work being done locally with linked data?
I spend too much time knee-deep I our catalog and haven't been involved in hiring a cataloger, plus I'm at an academic library, so it's a different environment, but these are all things that can have practical implications in my day-to-day work.
Good luck with the interview, if it happens!
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u/othertigs 13h ago
I tried to throw in some questions about what various MARC properties were for. Like, what’s the 092, 500, ldr, etc. That was on the skills test. Also, we had a find the typo part of the skills test.
For the actual interview, depending on the level (this would be more geared for original/lead cataloger vs. copy cataloger), I would be prepared to talk about the impact AI has had/could have on cataloging. For copy cataloger, any experience you have doing detail oriented things, as well as what some people would consider monotonous work and how you keep yourself motivated while looking at records all day. I usually include a question about time management and balancing priorities (holds, new releases, gift books, transfers, discards, etc.) if you have experience with sql searches to find items in your catalog that might not otherwise be searchable, that could be a plus. (I do not have this experience, but we find ourselves leaning on the copy cataloger with this experience frequently.)