A Comparison of Cataloguing and Classification Education (CCE) in Library and Information Science in South Africa, Brazil and the USA (SOBUSA): An Overview

Abstract

This article reports on initial findings of a three-country (South Africa, Brazil and United States) study on cataloguing and classification education. Copies of the questionnaire were distributed to the heads of library schools and to cataloguing and classification instructors in South Africa, the United States, and Brazil. The substance of the two questionnaires was the same in all three countries, but changes were made primarily to clarify terminology and national conventions for ethics review. The questionnaires included multiple choice questions and open-ended questions, producing both quantitative and qualitative data. Findings were confirmed through interviews and course syllabi. The results of the study found more similarities than differences in CCE among the countries. The authors speculate that these differences among the three countries may be due to the influence of different European traditions on the development of LIS education in each country. Other differences include the use and availability of technology and the L-word/I-word controversy. The findings of the initial data analysis reported here reveal numerous areas that merit further scrutiny. Further results are derived from analysis of correlations in the data and qualitative analysis of the questionnaires’ many open-ended questions.

Keywords: Cataloguing and Classification Education, CCE, Knowledge Organisation, Information Organisation, LIS Education, Brazil, South Africa, USA