Just as libraries have changed, so has the practice of cataloging of resources that are available through libraries (Coyle, 2009). The major influence shaping the field of library resource cataloging is the Internet and its multiple databases which provide access to a wealth of materials of varying value that are not necessarily available even in the most comprehensive and well stocked academic research library. The advent of the Internet has created multiple opportunities for the establishment of databases that permit access to resources such as journal articles, full text reference books, institutional repositories, digital archives and curriculum materials that are openly accessible in cyberspace but not available in most libraries (Coyle, 2009). These open access resources are a valuable element in the user's information environment and should be seen by librarians not as rivals to library resources but rather as additions to those resources.
In discussing the future of cataloging, a team of librarians and other researchers at Indiana University led by Jackie Byrd (2006) identified current trends that will have a direct impact on library cataloging activities. They also defined a number of new roles for the cataloging staff and for the online catalog at a major university library. The specific trends identified by Byrd, et al (2006) include an increase in the purchase of online resources and a decline in purchased print materials for most disciplines, primarily in Western European languages. Other trends identified by Byrd, et al (2006, p. 2) included:
. Growth of open access peer reviewed online publications.
. Implementation of institutional repositories supporting information access and preservation.
. Mass commercial digitization ventures that give libraries and their users new ways to access online data.
. New developments in library services to meet the needs of diverse users.
. De...