As part of this program, we plan to interview librarians who are familiar with specific areas of their own interest. I interviewed Nada Sweid who works on Cataloging Foreign Language – Middle Eastern.
Nada Sweid
(Foreign Language Cataloging – Middle Eastern, Main Library )

Q.Tell me a little about yourself, your career so far?
I work as a Library Specialist getting promoted soon for a Senior Library Specialist. I do original and copy Arabic cataloging. I work in Acquisition so my work includes receiving books from the Middle East and South Asia, corresponding with vendors and training students for Arabic cataloging.
Q.What are the difficulties you face as a librarian?
No standards for Arabic cataloging so sometimes, you don’t have a publisher name or the year the book published. Other issue is we get duplicate books from Library of Congress and another vendor which add unnecessary cost for us since we don’t return the duplicates.
Q.What advice would you give to young professionals, especially those from diverse backgrounds?
Attend training, webinars, conferences wherever available to get all the tools needs and the newest upgrade for cataloging and others workshops depending on the goals you need to achieve.
Q.If you want to move to another department in the library, what do you choose? Why did you choose this department?
I am happy with my department as I can go mostly cataloging and get to see the new books and file the invoices and update the spreadsheet for the budget and do the firm orders and rush book requested by professors and graduate students.