Authority and objectivity in a time of transformative growth: The future of the library catalog

Abstract

The model the library catalog will base itself on for the future is being debated. It is argued that the current objectives of the catalog, as outlined by Charles Cutter, remain vital in the consideration of how to implement the catalog within the newer, networked technologies. The library catalog provides an authority and objectivity for library patrons that are useful and needed during this time of increased publication. The catalog itself will take various forms, but those forms should be guided by stated objectives.