| There have been a number of issues facing those who organize and control bibliographic records in academic libraries. The widespread availability of cataloging networks, library budget reductions, technological innovations in libraries, and cataloging educational concerns have influenced the library profession during the past decade.;In order to make knowledgeable decisions concerning technical services operations and budgets, the tasks performed, the levels of decisions made, and the amount of participation in decision-making by technical services managers and catalogers must be addressed. There is insufficient empirical data documenting these variables.;Twenty-nine technical services managers and catalogers from seven academic libraries that support institutions with student enrollments between 10,000 and 15,000 participated in this study. They completed amount of participation in decision-making and job satisfaction scales, and documented the tasks they performed and the time spent on each task and submitted original cataloging records created during a four-week period.;The tasks were categorized within three decision levels: (1) restricted discretion; (2) moderate discretion; and (3) extensive discretion. Non-parametric tests were computed to test for associations between the demographics of the technical services managers and catalogers and the amount of participation in decision-making; the levels of decisions; the quality of the bibliographic record, production volume, and job satisfaction. Tests were also computed for associations between amount of participation in decision-making and the level of decisions and quality of the bibliographic record, production volume, and job satisfaction. Descriptives and frequencies were also calculated for each variable.;The MLS and the level in the organizational hierarchy are positively associated with the amount of participation in decision-making, level of decisions, production volume, and job satisfaction. There is also a negative association between level in the organizational hierarchy and descriptive cataloging errors.;Implications for educating future catalogers are discussed. Scales for measuring the amount of participation in decision-making and job satisfaction; logs for documenting tasks; and measures for documenting production volume and evaluating the bibliographic record are included. |
