Developing recommendations for consortial cataloging of electronic resources: Lessons learned

In 2003, the Illinois Library Computer Systems Organization (ILCSO) consortium convened a task force to recommend a set of consortial standards for cataloging electronic resources in its new Voyager integrated library management system (ILMS). The CatER group faced the task of producing proposals that would embrace coherently a variety of local practices, and do so within a distributed system architecture. In the course of its work, CatER considered the interplay of many factors, including historical practice, user expectations, MARC standards, system functionality, conflicting cataloging philosophies, and the impact of new technologies. This paper summarizes some instructive aspects of the group's deliberations and elaborates upon the main themes that emerged.