Subject cataloguing in times of corona – new challenges and opportunities

Abstract

One of the main tasks as a liaison librarian is subject cataloguing, i.e. the content indexing of the newly acquired literature, as well as the assessment of the newly published works in the respective subject areas with regard to the relevance for the collections of the TU Wien Bibliothek in accordance with the library guidelines. In the course of the Corona crisis, the conventional way of working was impaired and new challenges, but also opportunities, arose. In addition to the impaired or missing visual examination of the literature, the revision and acquisition of newly published literature also suffers from the physical absence from the workplace or the corresponding technical infrastructure. Personal exchange with colleagues was also made much more difficult. In addition to the difficulties, the new options for action on a professional and individual level were also viewed positively. The article portrays the individual experiences at the TU Wien Bibliothek as well as outlooks into the future.