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 2026

Subject Analysis, January 26 - March 8, 2026. Register in L2

Dr. Pamela Thomas will cover topics such as controlled indexing language, keyword versus controlled vocabulary, the purpose of subject headings, the 20% rule, content analysis, Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH), word-based approaches to retrieval, Sears List of Subject Headings, and MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) in this six-week course.

Focus on Deriving a Record, March 9-22, 2026. 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. Eric McKinney will teach you how to do that.

Focus on Cataloging CDs, April 6-19, 2026. 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.

Cataloging Basics, April 27 - June 7, 2026. 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.

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 2026

January 8, 2026. Shall We Play a Game? Cataloging Games. Register in L2

CMC Cataloging Trainer Eric McKinney and Dr. Pamela Thomas, Bibliographic Grant Manager, discuss how to catalog video games, outdoor games, card games, and board games.

February 12, 2026. Do You Hear What I Hear? Cataloging Audio-enabled Books. Register in L2

Join CMC Training Cataloger Eric McKinney and CMC Cataloger Mary Cornell as they seek out how to catalog audio-enabled books such as Wonderbooks and Vox books, and some tips and tricks for cataloging.

March 12, 2026. Break It Down Again: The Pieces of Subject Headings. Register in L2

Join CMC catalogers Barb Scoby and Mary Cornell as they break down subject headings, looking at the pieces of a subject heading, the rules that govern subfields, and more.

April 9, 2026. Metadata Basics: Dublin Core. Register in L2

Join CMC Metadata Cataloger Kat Anderberg as they explore Dublin Core, a metadata vocabulary commonly used for describing digital resources. Topics covered include the history of Dublin Core, elements, variations, and example 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).