Subject Control in Online Catalogs

Book excerpt: Is the quality of subject access significantly better with the online catalog than with the card catalogs? For many years, librarians have been discontent with the quality of subject access in card catalogs, and they hoped that the online catalog would offer significant improvements. This new book addresses this question from five different perspectives--research studies, opinion pieces from public and technical services librarians, special needs, the international perspective, and a comprehensive annotated bibliography of previous work. By exploring the progress of the online catalog to date and making suggestions for future research, the contributors to Subject Control in Online Catalogs provide important reading for public services and technical services librarians, as well as systems librarians. In one this single volume, you will find research studies promising new paths for systems developments, descriptions of international developments that have vital implications for American subject access, and the valuable perspectives of innovative public and technical services librarians.