Cataloging Training from the Cataloging Maintenance Center

Training opportunities offered by the Cataloging Maintenance Center are offered for free to library workers in Illinois, thanks to a grant awarded to the Illinois Heartland Library System by the Illinois State Library, a Department of the Office of the Secretary of State, using funds provided by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA).

On This Page

• CMC Multi-Week Moodle Courses
• Online with the CMC Monthly Webinar Series

CMC Multi-Week Moodle Courses

The Cataloging Maintenance Center provides in-depth education on different topics covering metadata and cataloging. Courses are offered asynchronously, so that student may work with course materials as schedules allow.

Registration for these sessions is handled via the Library Directory and Learning Calendar (L2).

Courses for 2024-2025

Focus on Cataloging DVDs, Oct. 14-27, 2024. Register in L2

Do you have a stack of DVDs to catalog but don't know where to start? Eric McKinney will help you learn how to catalog DVDs.

Focus on Serials Cataloging, Nov. 4-17, 2024. Register in L2

Are you new to cataloging serials (continuing resources), or do you need a refresher? Then this is the class for you! Dr. Pamela Thomas will spend two weeks discussing how to fill in the fixed and variable fields of a serials bibliographic MARC record.

Focus on Cataloging Binge Boxes, Jan. 6-19, 2025. Register in L2

Does your library have binge boxes but don't know how to catalog them? Mary Cornell will help guide you through cataloging binge boxes.

Cataloging Basics, Feb. 3, 2025 - Mar. 9, 2025. Register in L2

This six-week crash course in basic cataloging dives into cataloging using RDA, the Resource Description and Access standards, and using MARC, the MAchine-Readable Cataloging standards. Eric McKinney will cover MARC fields 0XX-8XX and fixed-field elements, the most commonly used fields when cataloging library items.

Focus on Deriving a Record, Mar. 10-23, 2025. Register in L2

Have you found records in OCLC that are almost a match, but you need to create a new bibliographic record, or do you? If you find a close match, you can derive a new record. Mary Cornell will teach you how to do that.

Focus on Cataloging CDs, April 7-20, 2025. Register in L2

Cataloging CDs can be challenging—what MARC (MAchine-Readable Cataloging) fields are required, and which ones are optional? How do you fill out the fixed-field elements? Eric McKinney will guide you through the process of creating bibliographic records for CDs.

Online with the CMC Monthly Webinar Series

The Cataloging Maintenance Center provides monthly cataloging training through the Online with the CMC series. Each webinar is led by one of the CMC cataloging experts, and topics may range from timely topics of broad interest, such as promoting accessibility, to nuanced attention to specific MARC tags. Sessions feature a 15 to 20 minute presentation on the topic followed by a 40 minute question and answer session.

Registration for these sessions is handled via the Library Directory and Learning Calendar (L2). Recordings of past sessions are available from the Online with the CMC Archive.

Sessions for 2024-2025

October 17, 2024, AI and the Library World, Part 2. Register in L2

Join Eric McKinney for another foray into using AI in the library, this time, looking at other areas of library work, e.g., Circulation, Acquisitions, and Interlibrary Loan.

November 14, 2024, Solving the Mystery: The Case of Cataloging Kits. Register in L2

Crack the case of cataloging kits such as murder mystery, adventure, educational, and more with cataloger Mary Cornell.

December 12, 2024, Who Are You? Library of Congress Demographic Group Terms (LCDGT). Register in L2

Demographic terms can be the group’s age, occupation, nationality, ethnic background, medical condition, etc. Terms in the vocabulary are used in bibliographic records to describe the characteristics of creators, contributors, or the intended audience of the resource. Dr. Pamela Thomas will help you learn when and how to use LCDGT in bibliographic records.

January 9, 2025, Mapping Our History. Register in L2

Join Barb Scoby and Eric McKinney as they delve into the intricacies of describing cartographic materials through the lens of RDA. 

February 13, 2025, Fabricated Realms: Exploring Textile Realia. Register in L2

Follow Barb Scoby as she weaves her way through the best practices for cataloging textiles.

March 13, 2025, Cataloging Equipment: Gadgets, Gears, and Gallimaufry. Register in L2

Eric McKinney and Barb Scoby will embark on an exploration of cataloging a diverse array of equipment, from cutting-edge gadgets to timeless gears and the delightful mishmash of gallimaufry.

April 10, 2025, Archiving Government Studies: Cataloging Government Documents. Register in L2

Join Barb Scoby as she discusses various studies conducted by state and local governments and how to catalog the documentation of those studies.

May 8, 2025, The Power of a Name: Examining the Importance of Authority Records. Register in L2

Learn about the basics of authority records with cataloger Mary Cornell through the examination of name, title, and subject authority records.

About the Cataloging Maintenance Center

The Cataloging Maintenance Center (CMC) is funded in part by a grant awarded by the Illinois State Library, a Department of the Office of the Secretary of State, using funds provided by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA). The CMC is a division of Illinois Heartland Library System (IHLS).