The Future of Cooperative Cataloging: Curve, Fork, or Impasse?

Cooperative cataloging activities have existed for more than 100 years. During that time, cooperative cataloging practices and structures have evolved in accordance with changing values, technologies, and institutional needs. However, the road has not always been smooth and the future of cooperative cataloging has often been questioned. This article provides a selective overview of the history of cooperative cataloging, paying particular attention to the issues that herald shifts in direction. It explores today’s cataloging landscape in order to identify those tensions and technological changes that once again are driving the need for change. Has cooperative cataloging reached an impasse? Will it continue to evolve, curving to adapt to the changing environment? Perhaps we have reached a fork in the road. By drawing on concepts associated with organizational and individual change models, this article also addresses possible reasons the cataloging community may be experiencing difficulty discerning the future of cooperative cataloging ventures.