Page 61 - DLIS405_INFORMATION_STORAGE_AND_RETRIEVAL

Information Storage and Retrieval

Notes Union catalogues

Although library catalogues typically reflect the holdings of a single library, they can also contain
the holdings of a group or consortium of libraries. These systems, known as union catalogues, are
usually designed to aid the borrowing of books and other materials among the member institutions
via interlibrary loan. The largest such union catalogue is WorldCat, which includes the holdings of
over 70,000 libraries worldwide.

Related systems
There are a number of systems that share much in common with library catalogues, but have
traditionally been distinguished from them. Libraries utilize these systems to search for items not
traditionally covered by a library catalogue.
These include bibliographic databases—such as Medline, ERIC, PsycINFO, and many others—which
index journal articles and other research data. There are also a number of applications aimed at
managing documents, photographs, and other digitized or born-digital items. Particularly in
academic libraries, these systems (often known as digital library systems or institutional repository
systems) assist with efforts to preserve documents created by faculty and students.

Make a report on early online catalogue.

Self Assessment
Multiple Choice Questions:
6. The first largescale online catalogues were developed at ohio state university in ........ .
(a) 1974 (b) 1975
(c) 1978 (d) 1985
7. The ...... saw a relative stagnation in the development of online catalogues.
(a) 1979s (b) 1980s
(c) 1990s (d) 1995s
8. The largest such union catalogue is worldcat, which includes the holdings of over ...... libraries
worldwide.
(a) 40,000 (b) 50,000
(c) 60,000 (d) 70,000

5.4 Summary

• MARC is an acronym, used in the field of library science that stands for MAchine-Readable
Cataloguing.
• The Unesco Common Communication Format (CCF) is described in the context of other ex-
change formats.
• An Online Public Access Catalogue (often abbreviated as OPAC or simply Library Catalogue)
is an online database of materials held by a library or group of libraries.
• The newest generation of library catalogue systems are distinguished from earlier OPACs by
their use.
• MARC is an acronym, used in the field of library science that stands for MAchine-Readable
Cataloguing.

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