Teaching Classification, 1990–2010

KO and classification instruction objectives: Are we keeping up with the transformation of our field?

“…In the past 25 years, cataloging and classification education has been at the core of several research projects. Joudrey (2008), Pattuelli (2010) and Hudon (2010), among others, published extensive reviews of research and literature in the area, covering roughly the period 1985-2010. This period saw the development of the Internet and the implementation of the Web, an exponential increase in the number of digital resources, and the substitution of traditional bibliographic data by various types of metadata.…”

“…Our first project consisted in a review of the literature on cataloging and classification education published between 1990 and 2010. Our analysis of the literature uncovered eight recurrent themes: history, the place of cataloging and classification in the LIS curriculum, the theory versus practice debate, general course content, specific systems and topics, teaching methods and tools, teaching with online tools, and learning outcomes assessment (Hudon 2010). We identified four areas in need of further investigation: the specific objectives of classification education, the two, and potentially three, dimensions of classification education (the analytical, technical, and technological dimensions), the search for more effective ways of evaluating outcomes, the difficulties of teaching with online versions of classification systems.…”

Cataloging Education and Cataloging Futures: An Interview with Allyson Carlyle

“…10 Practical skills can quickly become dated, but too much of a reliance on theory places a pressure on the cataloging community to train graduates in these skills. 11 How do you and your colleagues work to strike a balance between the two?…”

Cresting toward the Sea Change

“…81 Of the many issues that have influenced the teaching of classification, one that stands out particularly is the change brought about by the use of online tools, like Classification Web and WebDewey. Hudon believes a focus on the theory of classification is necessary in library schools so a student can make informed decisions when he or she is applying classification schemes.…”