University of Washington Libraries, Cataloging and Metadata Services records, 1923-2019

The University of Washington Libraries technical services were originally organized in three distinct divisions: Acquisitions, Cataloging and Serials. In the late 1970s UW Libraries started automating technical services, first using WLN and then OCLC. Changes to the organizational structure brought on by automation were felt first in cataloging. On April 1, 1979, the Cataloging Division was split into three: Original Cataloging Division, Automated Cataloging Division, and Bibliographic Projects Division. On June 1, 1981, the Original and Automated Cataloging Divisions were merged to form the Monograph Cataloging Division.

The Bibliographic Projects Division went through several name changes and reorganizations: Bibliographic Records Management Division (BRMD), Automated Records Management Division, and Database Management Division. On March 1, 1987 the BRMD was reorganized and absorbed by the Monograph Cataloging Division, newly renamed the Cataloging Division.

On September 1, 1998, Cataloging was merged with Acquisitions to form the Monographic Services Division. It existed as one of two divisions within technical services, alongside the Serials Services Division. Monographic Services was responsible for the central acquisition and cataloging of library materials in non-serial formats, as well as central database management. Some acquisitions and cataloging activities were decentralized in International Studies, the East Asia Library (EAL), and Government Publications. The central acquisition and cataloging of serials were performed in Serials Services. The Marking Room was initially in Monographs and then moved to Serials to be part of a preservation unit.

Monographic Services was comprised of five sections: Monographic Acquisitions, International Studies Cataloging, Monographic Cataloging, Special Materials Cataloging, and Database Management. The three cataloging sections operated under self-management, where the traditional duties of supervisor were split between a personnel coordinator and a management team liaison.

Monographic Services ceased to exist on July 1, 2012, and Monographs and Serials were reorganized into three divisions: Acquisitions and Rapid Cataloging Services (ARCS), Cataloging and Metadata Services (CAMS), and Preservation Services.