Will there be a library catalogue in the future and, if so, what will it look like? In the last 25 years, the library catalogue has undergone an evolution, from card catalogues to OPACs, discovery systems and even linked data applications making library bibliographic data accessible on the web. At the same time, users expectations of what catalogues will be able to offer in the way of discovery have never been higher. This groundbreaking edited collection brings together some of the foremost international cataloguing practitioners and thought leaders, including Lorcan Dempsey, Emmanuelle Bermès, Marshall Breeding and Karen Calhoun, to provide an overview of the current state of the art of the library catalogue and look ahead to see what the library catalogue might become. Practical projects and cutting edge concepts are showcased in discussions of: - linked data and the Semantic Web - user expectations and needs - bibliographic control - the FRBRization of the catalogue - innovations in search and retrieval - next-generation discovery products and mobile catalogues. Readership: Cataloguers and metadata specialists, library adminstrators and managers responsible for planning and strategy, systems librarians, user services managers, electronic resources librarians, and digital library project managers, students on cataloguing, information management and digital library courses.

The catalog: its nature and prospects; The catalog in the age of technological change.