Teaching bibliographic classification In The 21st Century

Abstract

Cataloguing and classification were at the core of the first librarian training programs In 2011, LIS educators continue to believe in the importance of teaching the basics of the classification process to all future information professionals. Information on classification instruction was collected through a survey of instructors in ALA-accredited LIS masters’ programs. The survey was structured around issues touching several dimensions of any teaching endeavour, with an emphasis on the tools used to help students develop several types of skills involved in the classification process. This article presents quantitative data provided by respondents representing 31 distinct LIS masters’ programs. We hope it can be used as foundation to pursue the examination of classification instruction in an ever changing information world.