This paper reviews the perceived threats to the future of cataloguing posed by the increasing volume of publications in all media, coupled with a resource base which is declining in real terms. It argues that cataloguing is more rather than less important in such an environment and considers some of the ways in which cataloguing will have to change in order to survive.
The title of the paper, “Tomorrow never knows”, is from: Lennon & McCartney. Tomorrow never knows. London: Northern Songs, 1966.
2.
Data from Publishers Association website: URL http://www.publishers.org.uk/paweb/paweb.nsf/0/CEA683597F6BC6D80256BAC005034E7! opendocument Site searched 5th May 2006.
3.
British Library. From knowledge to innovation: 29th annual report and accounts, 2001|2002; British Library. Making a measurable difference: annual report and accounts 2003/2004.
4.
British Library.Collection development policy for UK websites. URL http://www.bl.uk/collections/britirish/pdf/modbritcdpwebsites.pdf Website visited 5th May 2006.
5.
Schneider, Karen G.How opacs suck. Part 1: relevance rank (Or the lack of it) — Part 2: Checklist of shame. ALA TechSource. http://www.techsource.ala.org/blog/Karen+G./Schneider/100003/ Website visited 11th May 2006.
6.
Calhoun, Karen.The changing nature of the catalog and its integration with other discovery tools: final report. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Library, March 17th 2006. p.27.
7.
Marcum, Deanna B.The future of cataloguing. Address to the Ebsco leadership seminar. Boston, Massachusetts, January 16, 2005. URL http://www.loc.gov/library/reports/CatalogingSpeech.pdf. Site searched 9th May 2006.
8.
Leysen, Joan M. and Boydston, Jeanne M.K.Supply and demand for cataloguers present and future. LRTS, 49(4) 250—265.
9.
Morgan, John and Bawden, David.Teaching knowledge organization: educator, employer and professional association perspectives. Journal of Information Science, 32 (2) 2006. 108—115.
10.
The British Library's content strategy consultation: meeting the knowledge needs of the nation. http://www.bl.uk/about/strategic/pdf/contentstrategy.pdf . p.15 . [Website accessed 15/5/05].
11.
Midweek. BBC Radio 4. Broadcast 5th April, 2006 21:30 BST.
12.
McCrum, Robert.E-read all about it. The Observer Review, 15th January 2006 , p. 23.
13.
Calhoun, Karen, op. cit. p.27.
14.
Measuring our value: results of an independent economic impact study commissioned by the British Library to measure the Library's direct and indirect value to the UK economy. http://www.bl.uk/about/valueconf/pdf/value.pdf .
15.
Banks, IainM. The algebraist.London: Orbit, 2004. ISBN 1492299.
16.
Library of Congress.LC implementation plans for access level MARC/AACR Records. http://www.loc.gov/catdir/access/accessrecord.html .
17.
Minutes of the IFA Working Group on (Electronic) National Bibliographies, 18th—20th November 2004, Prague. In: IFLA Bibliography Section Newsletter, December 2004. http://www.ifla.org/VII/s12/pubs/s12-newsletter-Dec04.pdf . Minutes of the 2006meeting in Vilnius will appear in a future issue.