Negotiating normative institutional pressures and maintaining legitimacy in a complex work environment: A multiple case study of three academic cataloging units

Abstract

The user-centered approach to understanding information use and users has shaped research in library and information science (LIS). User-centered research has contributed to work in libraries, including work in reference, youth services, adult services, and management. Usercentered research that contributes to cataloging work, on the other hand, has been minimal. Cataloging is specialized work that focuses on providing access to library materials using standards developed by the library profession. Catalogers follow standards in order to be efficient in their jobs. In a user-centered environment, however, catalogers also are told to focus on users and adapt standards to meet users' needs.

Applying the User-Centered Paradigm to Cataloging Standards in Theory and Practice: Problems and Prospects

“…Yet despite these hindrances to customization, Hoffman (2008) suggests that catalogers at these libraries want to be a part of the user-centered paradigm and focus on users. Catalogers believe strongly that users are the ultimate purpose of cataloging.…”

“…It assumes that catalogers can objectively determine their users' needs and will know how to adapt the standards to meet those needs. Dissertation research by Hoffman (2008) suggests that catalogers in academic libraries are hindered in their ability to meet users' needs, because they do not know who their users are and cannot articulate their local users' information needs. To catalogers in this study, standards represent users and catalogers believe that users' needs will be met by following standards.…”

“…However, meeting users' needs in practice has been challenging, because the job of catalogers is to apply standards, not necessarily to meet the needs of local users. There also are limits on the ability of catalogers to customize bibliographic records in practice, such as catalogers' lack of knowledge of local users and their needs, and library administrators who discourage customization in favor of fast production and efficient cataloging processes (Hoffman, 2008).…”

“…Instead, the responsibility to meet users' needs has been placed on cataloging practitioners, who are encouraged to customize bibliographic records to meet their local users' needs. Dissertation research by Hoffman (2008) suggests that catalogers are limited in their ability to customize bibliographic records, because catalogers do not know who their users are and cannot identify their users' needs. In addition, library administrators discourage customization in favor of efficient cataloging processes.…”