I definitely don't write enough about the future of the library catalog. There are several reasons for this--one is that so many other people are working hard in this area.
Well here's an ALA/LITA program,There’s No Catalog Like No Catalog: The Ultimate Debate on the future of the Library Catalog that tackles this issue head on. The panelists were: Karen Coyle, Karen Schneider, Steven Abram, and Joe Janes. The moderator was Roy Tennant. The complete program is available as a podcast. It's well worth listening to if your interested in the future of the library catalog (and cataloging).
One good thing I took away from this debate is a rediscovery of Patrick Wilson, librarian and philosopher. Joe Janes mentioned how forward-looking his thought was. So, I went back to my library school cataloging notebook (yes, I still have it) to find one of his essays. I'm reading it now and hope to write some more about his ideas soon.
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