Hi Michael and all -- I would concur on Krina's suggestions to give instruction followed by carefully going over the new cataloger's work for a certain period of time. I would recommend a month or two rather than a week or two of reviewing their work. Also, I would recommend that the instructor or supervisor encourage the student/new hire to start off with some copy cataloging where they examine field-by-field the work from certain libraries that do quality cataloging. That could be part of the instruction process, where you select particular maps that have quality cataloging to the current standard for the student to examine along with the map. In the hiring process, if you can determine applicants who have in the past demonstrated good attention to detail, so much the better. (But then of course you can run into the problem of people -- maybe like me -- who are obsessive about details and spend too much time on their records!) Though every situation is different, it sometimes seems easier to teach someone with successful cataloging experience to catalog maps, than to teach someone with map and geographic knowledge to be a good map cataloger. I think I've heard other map catalogers say this before. It's definitely a balancing act in many ways. With best wishes, Nancy -- Nancy A. Kandoian Librarian Lionel Pincus and Princess Firyal Map Division The New York Public Library Stephen A. Schwarzman Building 476 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10018 212.930.0586 | x20586 nypl.org On Thu, Jan 14, 2021 at 12:09 PM Krina Doekes <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Michael shalom, > > Thank you for this interesting question. I would like to share my own > experience. > I was hired as a map librarian (responsible for everything from hiring > students to work for me, to reference work to cataloging to ordering maps, > etc.) about 6 years ago, after the last map librarian was already retired > for half a year. She did come by to teach me, about once a week, but she > did not do computer cataloging herself and so I had to learn cataloging > maps on my own. I bought Paige's "Cataloging sheet maps" and tried to wrap > my head around it. > Till then maps were cataloged in the cataloging department by staff who > had not seen the maps for themselves. Most of the collection was not yet > cataloged. > As soon as I thought I had enough experience I taught the three students > who worked for me to catalog maps. > I tried to check their work in the beginning, but it was impossible to > keep that up. > Add the transition to RDA to the mix. > I still see many records in the catalog, both the ones I did myself and > those of my students, that are less than perfect (much less). Of the ones > that were done before my time, with no viewing of the maps themselves, many > are quite bad. > Nowadays I try to teach my (most every year changing) students cataloging > as well as I know how. I also learned a lot myself. I always encourage > them to ask anything they did not understand. Some do, some do less. > Neither my work, not theirs, is flawless. But I don't have the manpower to > check their every record. I check here and there. > > My point is: if you hire somebody, make sure they get extensive > instruction on map cataloging (unless they already cataloged maps in the > past of course). In the beginning, I would check everything they cataloged, > and give them feedback. After a week or two - depending on their > performance of course) I would hope that they 'got' it and insist on being > always available for any question or doubt or hesitation. Nobody can do it > perfect, but the right person with the right education and the right > attitude will make a valiant effort... And hopefully you will have the > working relationship that allows for sharing and learning from each other. > > My two cents > > Krina > > > > Krina Doekes Brandt > Map Librarian, Librarian for Geography and Urban Studies > Bloomfield library for Humanities and Social Sciences > Hebrew University > Mount Scopus > Jerusalem > tel. 02-5883422 > [log in to unmask] > ------------------------------ > *From:* Maps-L: Map Librarians, etc. <[log in to unmask]> on behalf > of Fry, Michael <[log in to unmask]> > *Sent:* Thursday, January 14, 2021 5:27 PM > *To:* [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]> > *Subject:* Evaluating the quality of your map cataloging/cataloger > > Hello, > Question for those of you who are (or who supervise) map catalogers: > > If you were going to hire a map cataloger, how would you manage that > person's work and keep him/her accountable for producing quality work, > etc.? > > I presume the answer lies somewhere between "do nothing and assume that > the work is error-free and consistent with current standards as well as > local and best practices" (negligent) and "review every record down to the > last punctuation mark" (unrealistic) but would like to hear about your > experience and suggestions. Where's your middle ground? > > (BTW, I understand that map cataloging is both art and science, so there's > not going to be a one-size-fits-all solution.) > > Thank you. > mf > > -- > *Michael Fry* > Collections Manager | Map Library Manager > National Geographic Society Library > 202.807.3139 > [log in to unmask] > > [image: Nat Geo Logo Yellow_Black.png] <http://www.nationalgeographic.org> > > 1145 17th St., NW, Washington, DC 20036 > > <https://www.nationalgeographic.org> > >