The cataloging fiend

is what I have become. I learned how to catalog DVDs on Friday and have so far cataloged 50, which I think is pretty good. It takes me about an hour to completely catalog 8 books, but DVDs take longer, I think. DVDs are a lot tougher, too because they have so many more steps (well, it feels like they do). Finding the Dewey numbers sometimes takes forever! I have about 50 more DVDs sitting on my desk, ready to be cataloged, and I will tackle them tomorrow - unless we have a snow day...again. I'm still that kid who gets excited about snow days, but really, all I'm thinking about now is that I'm the dork thinking about all the work I need to do and how a stupid snow day would totally throw off my plan of finishing the DVD cataloging tomorrow.
        
        Cataloging a DVD is very boring, would you like me to tell you? Ok non-existent people reading my blog, here it is. First you have to find the call number. Easier said than done. Some you find on OCLC (Online Computer Library Catalog (or Center, depends on who you ask)), or on the internets somewhere, or compare it to your catalog, or create it using the DDS (Dewey Decimal System, for those of you not in the know). Then you find the MARC record on OCLC (basically, the universal book/media record for that item). Some DVDs have ISBNs that you can search and find a record. Some don't. Those that don't - and even some that do - must then be searched by title, year, material blah blah blah. Oh wait, sometimes you get hundreds of search results, too. Then you scream and your head spins around, and when it comes back around to the front and your eyes focus, you see the correct choice and click it... or you search for a while, give up and ask Maryanne for help (that's usually what I end up doing, she's so good at this stuff!)
         Ok, so you've found your MARC record. You put in the call number and take out several fields of junk and useless information. You click some buttons to make it official, create a card (::sigh::, yes, my library still prints cards for the card catalog that sits in our office and does nothing except look cool)... You print your labels (one for the side, one for...the same side, because in our library DVD labels both face out), making sure to add DVD before the call number. You label the disc TML (for Taylor Memorial Library, where I work....duh) and you put a TML sticker on the back of the case and a copyright infringement sticker on the front. You put a barcode on the back (which is actually really fun, love those barcodes) and then you import all the records into Workflows. We use a version of Workflows that came out around the same time that fire started becoming popular, but it's what we have and it's gray, so I like it.
        Add the labels to the DVD case, putting plastic protective stickers over the labels. Import the records into Workflows and add the barcode and put DVD in front of the call number....again. Make a list of each DVD you catalog, including title, year, time, and call number to give to Carol. Then, line up all the DVDs you've just cataloged and pat yourself on the back. That was hard work. You deserve an ice cream cone. Get me one too, while you're at it.

Wendi