A perennial discussion is the future of cataloging in the library profession. Are catalogers going the way of the blacksmith because computers and automation are changing what is expected (and what is capable of being achieved) in this area of library work? Are catalogers clinging to methods and expectations that are disappearing? Are directors simply waiting for catalogers to retire so that they can replace them by someone who isn't such a Luddite? Are catalogers continuing doing the things they are doing because "it's the way we've always done them" or because it provides needed access to library materials? Are directors expecting a guaranteed future or one that remains elusive because technology doesn't have all the answers to providing the access librarians would like to see? Are catalogers and directors moving in irreconcilable opposite directions? This panel presentation by two directors and a cataloger will consider these hot-button issues, trying to throw more light and less heat on the discussion, attempting to find a middle ground between perceptions and realities that will enable us all, catalogers and directors, to move our profession forward.
