The paper focuses on the German shared catalogue for serials – ZDB. The ZDB catalogue (Zeitschriftendatenbank) includes titles and holdings of serials, enables the automation of serials cataloguing and facilitates interlibrary loan. It was founded in 1973 when it was sustained by only a small number of libraries.
Preserving cultural identity is equally important as preserving biodiversity. No country in the world can be regarded as culturally homogenous. Libraries are of key importance for coexistence in a multicultural environment and for the development of multicultural competence.
Eugene Garfield has provided a basis for the development and growth of scientometrics and promotion of sociology of science with his Current Contents and in particular with the Science Citation Index.
