Am I the only one who was giggling through much of this? In between panic attacks over the improper use of the 500 tag, and anxiety over what the future might hold and the extent to which a giant flashlight might be shone on my shoddy catalog, I could not help but guffaw at some of the prim warnings. I think the broad smile that spread over my face at the discussion of cataloging Theory at the end was enough to scare the poor kiddies at the dentist this morning.
Is smiling allowed at these conferences? Am I alone in wishing they carried these heated discussions live?
On one hand, I do admire and appreciate such a carefully thought out and thorough system (in spite of changes that have left us befuddled school libraries lacking in proper form); on the other, I was reduced to tears that were most difficult to explain to family at some of the missteps the authors found so shocking. It was akin to reading Miss Manners and comparing the dining habits of my children.
I hear you - my cataloging is so grubby I hang my head in shame. But at least by knowing the "proper" way to do things we can then be cognizant of where we do need to be precise and what we can let go.
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