Cataloguing internet resources in New Zealand academic libraries

Abstract

New Zealand academic libraries were surveyed to establish the extent and nature of their cataloguing of Internet resources and the issues affecting this activity. Two-thirds of the respondents include or are planning to include Internet resources in their collection development policies. Nearly half the respondents had done some cataloguing of Internet resources and a third of those remaining were investigating this issue. Staffing levels, establishing selection criteria, providing access to the titles in aggregator databases and the management of changing URLs and changing content of resources were all issues of some concern. Application of the cataloguing rules was also a concern but not to the extent of the other issues referred to. In addition, some libraries question the value of cataloguing as a mode of access for Internet resources. Further research is needed to establish the level of activity undertaken by libraries and the cataloguing conventions they have adopted.