In the information landscape, there is an increasing number of non-library providers who attract the attention of current library users. Libraries are in a state of intense transitioning and face the question of whether or not they still sufficiently meet the information needs of their users on a daily basis.
The article presents results of the research into state of the art of theoretical foundations and use of cataloguing rules, putting them in relation to the contemporary trends in the field of bibliographic control. The research that was conducted in national libraries and library associations of countries of South-East Europe showed that in spite of the claimed use of Eva Verona’s Code and Manual for the Compilation of Alphabetical Catalogues as national cataloguing rules in the majority of interviewed countries, the practice shows a conscious decline from the rules due to new types of resources, national implementations of MARC formats, and use of specific library software.
New publication paradigm and changed users’ expectations compel library profession to develop new services. The trend of cutting down libraries’ budgets only further compels libraries to rationalise their work in all areas, also in cataloguing. Ever-growing complexity of bibliographic systems dictates cataloguing procedures to be changed.
This paper addresses the conversion of the catalogues of the National Library of Bulgaria (NBKM) into COMARC/B, COMARC/A and COMARC/H formats. The databases were converted by IZUM, in cooperation with NBKM. The results of two years of cooperation are presented. In this time seven bibliographic databases and two authority databases were converted.
The import of bibliographic records for electronic books from Springer Publishing House to COBIB.SI is addressed in this paper. These records have been publicly accessible in COBIB.SI since October 2009. The suggestion to import them was given by the Central Technological Library at the University of Ljubljana.
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.
