"People Skills" and Technological Mastery: What U.S. Academic Libraries Require of Catalogers in These Areas

This study describes the responsibilities and requirements for professional catalog librarians in U.S. academic libraries, as specified in job advertisements in American Libraries from October 1999 through October 2000. The study focused on qualifications pertaining to "people skills" - also known as "personal skills" - and information technology. The content analysis of 77 advertisements found that 68 percent of the postings listed knowledge and skills in MARC (Machine-Readable Cataloging). A newer information technology area that academic libraries are requesting is metadata, which appeared in 30 percent of the advertisements. The study also indicated that catalog librarians were expected to have management skills, as well as strong communication abilities. It would benefit cataloging job applicants to have a background in information technology, in addition to management, communication, and interpersonal skills