As I enter my second semester of library science, I previewed my cataloging class textbook. While I know the words in it, the concept is completely foreign to me. Looking at the RDA Toolkit didn’t really help much. So – I was feeling overwhelmed.
It took me about a week to really settle in and look at everything again. We’re starting with the title. Ok – baby steps. I read and re-read and reviewed and re-reviewed the materials, and finally – I start to see the pattern.
It’s like seeing a bunch of puzzle pieces. You know they go together somehow, but you just can’t quite see it. So you begin putting the edges together, and finding the colors that match, and then bit by bit, it begins to take shape. Everything seems so clear.
I’m very much still in the “edges” stage, but at least they are coming together. This week I’ll add another element and then another and another. And in the end, I’ll see the big picture. I just have to keep looking for the little patterns to make the big picture.
Leah Brady 