Future libraries, future catalogues

• Main Author: Oddy, Pat (Author)
• Format: Book
• Language: English
• Published: London Library Association Pub. 1996
• Subjects: Cataloging; Digital libraries
• Online Access: Click Here to View Status and Holdings.
• Physical Description: xi, 180 pages 22 cm
• Bibliography: Includes bibliographical references and index
• ISBN: 1856041611

The traditional model of the library as the physical location of a collection of books is under debate, and with it the traditional model of the library catalogue. However, the growth of electronic information is causing huge concern to cataloguers, who are frequently told that the old approaches and theories are no longer valid. Based on Pat Oddy's experience at The British Library over the last twenty years, this text takes a pragmatic look at the development of the 'electronic library' and considers how it is likely to affect our access to knowledge. Beginning with an analysis of the world in which libraries operate, it examines the way in which market-driven forces are impacting on the profession, and the resulting dislocation of professional value systems, addressing questions such as: Is there still a place for bibliographic standards in the world of the information superhighway? Is there a need to create a permanent, highly structured record of information which may be ephemeral? What form will the catalogue of the future take? This book contributes to and informs the debate, by analysing what, why and how we catalogue. Ultimately, the author considers how the skills of the cataloguer can be developed to meet the new requirements of the age, as part of a programme of renewal for the cataloguer's trade. The first extensive and theoretical analysis of cataloguing in the electronic age, this book is essential reading for planners and providers of information in any medium, and for library and information professionals worldwide.