A Survey of Cataloger Perspectives on Practicum Experiences

The issue of integrating both theory and practice into the graduate cataloging curriculum has been widely recognized as a longstanding obstacle for educators and practitioners alike. One way students can gain practical cataloging experience is through a practicum. In order to gauge cataloger attitudes about practica, an online survey was distributed to entry-level catalogers with less than ten years of experience and who were currently employed at an Association of Research Libraries (ARL) member institution. Although the experiences ranged widely, the majority of respondents felt the practicum was a valuable experience that should be formally required within the library science curriculum