Shera's Two Laws of Cataloging: Law #1, No cataloger will accept the work of any other cataloger. Law #2: No cataloger will accept his/her own work six months after the cataloging.

Shera’s “two laws” are a wry, insider’s critique of the inherently judgment-laden nature of cataloging and bibliographic description. The first law points to professional disagreement: catalogers, working under different local rules, interpretations, and institutional priorities, often find others’ records inadequate or incompatible. The second law highlights how standards, practices, and one’s own understanding evolve; what seemed correct at the time can look flawed after experience, policy changes, or new cataloging codes. Together, the laws underscore that cataloging is not purely mechanical but interpretive work shaped by shifting norms—an argument for humility, documentation, and shared standards even while acknowledging that perfect consensus is elusive.

1) “No cataloger will accept the work of another cataloger; no cataloger will accept his own work six months later.”
2) “Shera’s laws of cataloging: (1) No cataloger will accept another cataloger’s work. (2) No cataloger will accept his own work after six months.”
3) “No cataloger will accept the work of any other cataloger; no cataloger will accept his/her own work six months after cataloging.”