The challenge of cooperation: the attempt of Greek Academic Libraries to create their union catalog

Abstract

Papers presented at The Challenge to be Relevant in the 21st Century. Nineteenth Annual IATUL Conference 1998, University Library of Pretoria, University of Pretoria, South Africa, 1-5 June 1998. (The CD-ROM is available from IATUL [URL:http:/ /www.iatul.org/]. Describes the establishment of cooperation between Greek academic and college libraries. This cooperation involves shared cataloguing as well as shared collection development. Discusses the state of the art of these libraries by means of automation and organization status, cataloguing and indexing techniques, usage of standards and type of existing cooperation and networking. Emphasis is given to the standards and formats as the prerequisite for the libraries to join. Shows the fields where librarians need to be educated and trained in order to succeed in these goals, noting the organization scheme of the consortium which was established for the implementation and the maintenance of the Union Catalogue.