Future of Cataloging

1. The Future of Cataloging
Kathryn Knight

2. unmediated
information discovery and access

3. Zipf’s Law: ‘The Principle of Least Effort’ –
People will use information that is easy to find,
even if it’s of poor quality.

4. The future of library cataloging “will be collaborative,
decentralized, international in scope, and Web-based.”
On the Record: Report of the Library of Congress Working Group on the Future of Bibliographic Control . January 9 , 2008.
http://www.loc.gov/bibl iographicfuture/news/lcwg-ontherecord-jan08-final .pdf

5. “Utilizing cataloging expertise and experience in establishing the proper
metadata to populate any digital repository is vital to enable more
efficient use of the data by researchers.”
–Cerbo, Michael A. “Is There a Future for Library Catalogers?” Cataloging & Classification Quarterly 49 (2011): 323-
327.

6. Good Metadata…
• Conforms to community standards appropriate to the collection’s materials as well as to
both current and future users.
• Supports interoperability.
• Uses authority control and content standards to describe objects/collocate related objects.
• Describes the conditions and terms of use for the digital object.
• Supports long-term management, curation, and preservation of collections.
• Records are objects: they should possess authority, authenticity, archivability, persistence,
and unique identifiers.
NISO Framework Working Group. A Framework of Guidance for Building Good Digital
Collections. 3rd ed., December 2007.

7. Semantic Web
Enhance Access to Hidden Collections
Position Technology for the Future
Collaboration

8. • Devote more time cataloging unique materials / collections.
• Devote more effort and time on local implementation decisions
for metadata schema(s).
• Will consider what information is important to users.
Catalogers of the Future will…