CO‐OPERATION IN CATALOGUING

As the theme of this conference implies, librarianship itself is inherently an act of co‐operation. We are communications specialists bridging the gap between information and ignorance, by organizing information so that we can use it, and by organizing ignorance so that we can find information to match it. A part of this effort is the exploitation of the total resource of recorded knowledge, and the catalogue is one of the most valuable tools that we use in this exploitation, provided that, as with all tools, we keep it in good order, and know how and when to use it. In recent years and even in recent weeks, much has happened both directly and indirectly to promote co‐operation in the field of cataloguing; sometimes these developments have occurred because cataloguers have recognized a need and they sometimes form part of a larger movement for professional co‐operation. In this paper I should like to concentrate on an important aspect of the whole problem of co‐operation in cataloguing, and that is the nature of the relationship between the problem itself and its practical solution. I intend to offer a summary of the way in which the problem has developed and the way in which different kinds of solutions have been proposed, since perhaps one of the most important things we can do as librarians to ensure effective co‐operation in the future is to examine the very peculiar nature of the situation that faces us. We may then confirm the developments that are now taking place, or we may begin to wonder if some of them are not likely to suffer the same fate that has overtaken attempts at co‐operation in the past.