Training for cataloguing

I've been off-air for a little while as I've been busy with lots of things: Busy? I think I mean overwhelmed! Something that might be of interest to cataloguers out there is the work I've been doing to help some of our library staff achieve the NVQ level 3 Unit 5 Organising Information.


Now, don't get me wrong, people from the team have been involved in this before, but the training hasn't been documented, other than in the NVQ candidate's portfolio of evidence. So, me being me, and being very fond of written procedures etc., I've set out to compile some, what I hope will be, helpful notes.


I'm a great believer in having things written down (which doesn't necessarily mean printed out on bits of paper and put in a ring binder!) for several reasons:

• It's an opportunity to compile a record of everything that needs to be shared with the learner 

• It acts as an aide-memoir just in case I forget to mention something

• It's a record of what information has been shared

• It's a record of a programme that can be used again, or adapted

• It's an aide-memoir for the learner too

• It's a easy way of sharing useful web links

Having decided what information, skills, and knowledge needs to be shared it makes it so much easier to devise a timetable and to allocate specific staff to specific training sessions, especially when experts can be identified.


I'd like to share some of what I've done with you, but it's a bit lengthy for a blog post, so pop over to my cataloguers' wiki where you can see some of the documentation in full. Be warned, however, it is very basic, and may well miss whole swathes of stuff that you think is important!