Cataloguing for the year 2000: continuity and innovation in a changing environment

Abstract

During the last five years the bibliographic services function at the Library and Information Service of Curtin University has undergone an extensive process of restructuring, aimed chiefly to rationalise costs and encourage cooperative action. At the same time the technological environment has been and continues to be systematically upgraded. This paper examines the impact of these changes on cataloguing practices and workflows. Topics covered include: the history of cataloguing at Curtin, the impact of technological change on cataloguing practice, the use of multiple sources of MARC records and implications for authority control, the question of tailored records for specific user groups, the development of electronic statistics gathering, automated quality control, selection of material for outsourcing and the redistribution of cataloguing tasks.