Abstract: Tutorials for Cataloger's Desktop and Classification Web

I'm not one for tutorials, but I thought I would give these two a try to possibly discover some of the less-obvious features available in these two cataloging utilities. Cataloger's Desktop is an online computer database produced by the Library of Congress Cataloging Distribution Service. It includes most of the resources needed for cataloging most media types. It includes online (and searchable) versions of AACR2, LCRI, LC Subject Cataloging Manuals, NACO Participant's Manual, MARC Standards, and more, including links to other important cataloging references online. I was already fairly familiar with Desktop, having used it extensively throughout my internship, and in my other jobs in cataloging. The tutorial was most helpful in creating bookmarks and notes for future reference, and for tailoring the desktop to include only the resources I frequently need in the rather long list of resources available.

As for the Classification Web tutorial, I found that there are many features of this site that I imagine I will never need to use. The tutorials weren't really helpful because they laid the jargon on pretty thick, forcing the novice cataloger to chew on thick syntax just to understand what the classification web site was tell you it was capable of doing. For seasoned catalogers, this would be less of a problem, but for those who do not have as much exposure to the lingo, it has proved off-putting, at least in my case. I use Classification Web mainly as a means of understanding the LC Classification schedule for M, ML, and MT. I check the LCC in an existing bib record I find in OCLC against the schedule to make sure I want to class an item in the same place or not. The other features of this resource could be important to others, however.