Cataloging the University of Kansas’ Rare Materials Collections with a Public Service Lens

With an endless amount of material waiting to be cataloged, cataloging departments in libraries with Special or Distinctive Collections often focus on clearing away backlogs as a primary goal. These departments aren't typically considered public-facing, but consider "public access" a defining value. What if we shifted the way we view the work of these departments and more directly used criteria from public services to reevaluate and advocate for the work they do? From a management and leadership perspective, this article will focus on the work that cataloging departments do beyond creating a catalog record and suggests changes to the ways that we characterize that work. For example, moving away from a purely statistical view of work completed in a specific timeframe, to prioritizing DEI collections, supporting reference requests and instruction, and working with communities to provide human-centered approach to analysis and description. With a change in emphasis, we can develop a more holistic, human-centered approach to cataloging work and find frameworks for advocating for cataloging as impactful to public services as those departments we traditionally consider to make up the core of public services work.