System of catalogs. How we built it for a long time and how quickly we closed up it

Abstract

An article about the system of catalogs – the concept, composition, functions of different catalogs in the system, about the standards and regulatory documents on the basis of which the system of catalogs was built in libraries. The system of catalogs was created and improved in libraries for a long time. Thirty years ago, an ideal system of catalogs developed in the country, effectively providing information retrieval. Terminological problems were solved. Standard documents are approved. Libraries were preparing for the introduction of OPACs. But development has gone the wrong way. Professional library specialists were not involved in the work, world experience was not studied. The author shows that the technological revolution and library automation has destroyed the principles of upbuilding a system of catalogs. The communications are lost where an OPACs has come to replace it, there are no references, there are no dialogue with readers. These shortcomings are associated with unsuccessful programs that were developed without taking into account the opinions of professional librarians. There was no complete replacement of card catalogs with an OPACs. However, this did not prevent the closure of card catalogs in a number of libraries in the country.