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

Focus on Deriving a Record, September 21 - October 4, 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.

Cataloging Basics, November 2 - December 13, 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.

Focus on World Language Cataloging, November 2-15, 2026. Register in L2

Has your library been purchasing materials in world languages, and you need help figuring out where to start cataloging these items? Mary Cornell will help walk you through the steps of cataloging world language materials.

Focus on Serials Cataloging, January 11-24, 2027. Register in L2

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

Cataloging Basics, March 1 - April 11, 2027. 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 DDC, March 8-21, 2027. Register in L2

Are you new to the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) system, or would you like to learn more about the beginner technical aspects? Mary Cornell will spend two weeks discussing the basics of DDC, including classes, tables, and more!

Focus on LCC, March 22 - April 4, 2027. Register in L2

Join Eric McKinney for this two-week course on the Library of Congress Classification (LCC). Whether you are new to LCC or just looking for a refresher, this course will cover the historical context, the structure of the classification system, how to build a call number, and more!

Focus on NLM, April 5-18, 2027. Register in L2

Are you interested in learning about the National Library of Medicine (NLM) classification scheme? Ryan Rafferty will guide you through two weeks of learning and discussing the basics of NLM, which covers some history, understanding, and creating call numbers, an introduction to Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), and more!

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 2026-2027

August 13, 2026. In the Right Order: The Sequence of Series Authority Records. Register in L2

Join CMC Cataloger Mary Cornell as they look at the basics of series authority records, including fields in a record, traced/untraced series, and the different kinds of series records.

September 10, 2026. Press Start: Cataloging Games with RDA. Register in L2

Join CMC Cataloging Trainer Eric McKinney and Bibliographic Grant Manager Pamela Thomas as they guide you step by step through the process of cataloging video, outdoor, card, and board games using Resource Description and Access (RDA) guidelines. This session will provide practical insight into applying cataloging standards to games, highlighting key elements, common challenges, and best practices for creating accurate and consistent metadata. Ideal for catalogers, librarians, and information professionals, this webinar will help you build confidence in working with non-traditional materials, such as games.

October 15, 2026. Do You Catch My Drift? Cataloging "Drift" in Your ILS. Register in L2

What is cataloging drift? Join Barb Scoby as she discusses what it is and how you can keep your ILS up to date.

November 12, 2026. MARC-ing My Territory: Adventures in Cataloging. Register in L2

Curious about what catalogers really do and how MARC records work behind the scenes? Join Bibliographic Grant Manager Dr. Pamela Thomas as she shares her cataloging journey and breaks down the anatomy of a MARC record. This session will offer both personal perspective and practical guidance, helping attendees better understand how bibliographic data is structured and why it matters.

December 10, 2026. What's It All About? The Use of Genres and LCSH Subdivisions. Register in L2

Join CMC Cataloger Mary Cornell as they look at when to use LCGFT genre headings vs the $v, what order to string together LCSH subdivisions in subject headings, and some basics about subdivision application.

January 14, 2027. AI and the Library World, Part IV. Register in L2

Join CMC Cataloging Trainer Eric McKinney for our annual foray into the world of Artificial Intelligence (AI). This time, looking at the most popular uses of AI in the library world outside of chatbots. Want to see how libraries (at all levels? of all stripes?) are using AI in their work? Join us to find out.

February 11, 2027. Metadata Basics: MODS. Register in L2

Join Metadata Cataloger Kat Anderberg in this introduction to the Metadata Objects Description Schema (MODS). Topics covered include the history of MODS, elements, 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).