ALA President-Elect and the Future of LC Cataloging

Chris from Cataloging Futures reports on testimony before the US Congress (PDF) by Jim Rettig (ALA president-elect) on the declining quality of Library of Congress cataloguing:

Traditionally, the Library of Congress has served as a de facto national library, upon which thousands of libraries across the country rely for bibliographic records and services to the blind and physically handicapped, among other things. Countless users rely on the Library's records every day to find the books and materials they need.

And we should say libraries worldwide: LC is the largest and most influential library in the Anglo-American library world.

Unfortunately, LC is not the US's national library; its mandate is first and foremost to serve Congress. And we forget that in the library world at our own peril.