Uncovering hidden resources: extending the coverage of online catalogues

Abstract

Researchers now expect to have online access to library ca?talogues. But many of the resources held in libraries are not catalogued at all, or are not covered by online catalogues. Such resources are increasingly likely to be overlooked by researchers, whatever their potential value for research. This report assesses the progress that has been made over the past five years in extending the coverage of online catalogues, and priorities for future work. It shows that librarians have devoted considerable efforts to tackling the backlog of uncatalogued material in their collections, and converting to digital and online form catalogues that were originally available only in printed or card catalogue. As a result, it is estimates that 50% of research collections are now covered by online catalogues, compared with 31% five years ago. Researchers welcome these developments. Where collections themselves are not available online, remote access to catalogues enables them to prepare for visits to libraries much more effectively than in the past. But much remains to be done before all the material of significant value to researchers that is held in libraries can be readily traced through online catalogues. The report highlights the need to sustain the momentum of recent years in extending the scope of online catalogues, but also to promote examples of good practice and guidelines on issues such as prioritisation, consultation and communication, cataloguing standards, and evaluating impact and benefits. The report also underscores the UK-wide benefits of providing ready access to as full as possible a set of information about the widely-distributed national collection of books and other material of value for research. It calls for a national strategy and programme, using new methods to add to the coverage of online catalogues and datasets, and to enable currently-separate aggregations of bibliographic data to be exploited by both librarians and researchers. Full and accurate online catalogues are an essential underpinning for the co-operative efforts being made between libraries to enhance the quality of the services they provide to researchers across the UK. There is now a need to develop a co-ordinated programme to extend the range and scope of readily-available information about the holdings of libraries. Over the coming months, the RIN, in partnership with its stakeholders, will consider how best to develop and set out such a programme