Thing 13: Tagging

I should have known that "tagging" would come up! "Tagging" is quite a controversial topic to many librarians! Of course, when discussing metadata, I fondly think of a certain professor at UNT! Like most things in life, there are positives and negatives to using tags. Does tagging belong in the library? Possibly. One idea that I postulate is allowing library patrons to place "temporary" tags when using the OPAC. This would allow the patron to place the tags he/she wants while keeping the catalog free of clutter. Does it replace or complement subject headings? Tags would never replace subject headings, but it might be possible to complement subject headings (with the aid of a professional librarian). Should we encourage or discourage the practice? There are already libraries that allow tagging at their OPACs and I know many library professionals are following tagging in libraries very closely. As professionals, we should always be searching for ideas that will benefit our patrons and tagging might a great idea, but only time will tell!