Library of Congress Report Assesses Future of Library Catalogs

The Library of Congress recently issued a report that challenges assumptions about the traditional library catalog and proposes new directions for the research library catalog in the digital era. Commissioned by the Library and prepared by Associate University Librarian Karen Calhoun of Cornell University, the report assesses the impact of Internet on the traditional online public access catalog and concludes that library patrons want easy-to-use catalogs that are accessible on the Web.

The report, "The Changing Nature of the Catalog and Its Integration with Other Discovery Tools," grew out of the Library of Congress Bicentennial Conference on Bibliographic Control for the New Millennium, held in November 2000. The report proposes that libraries define the communities they aim to serve; choose a strategic option for their catalogs; allow users to access full electronic content from the catalog; reduce the costs of producing catalogs; enrich the catalog for users by including book reviews, images of book jackets and related information; and offer troubleshooting services and rush delivery of library materials. The report also presents a concrete planning process to help libraries make good decisions, market their services, introduce change in their organizations and obtain funding.

[edit]

Thomas Mann, a veteran reference librarian at the Library of Congress and author of The Oxford Guide to Library Research has authored a critical review of Calhoun's report. In it, he argues that, if implemented, the recommendations in this report would have serious negative consequences for the capacity of research libraries to promote scholarly research.

Posted by Tom on April 28, 2006