Cataloging and Metadata Education: Asserting a Central Role in Information Organization

This paper describes challenges in organizing digital resources, the role of cataloging in such an effort, forces that threaten the future of cataloging, and responses from the field. It identifies ten issues for consideration when one designs a future cataloging education program. A model program providing four levels of expertise is presented to illustrate that future cataloging education will have a broader scope, incorporating metadata and various aspects of information organization. The program shows that LIS programs can meet different market demands to cover cataloging and metadata topics adequately to help students and ensure the central role of the profession in future information organization. [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: