Should we retire the catalog?

Abstract

As more libraries adopt web-scale discovery services, many now find themselves offering two options for searching their holdings: the new discovery tool and the traditional OPAC. Are both necessary? Or does a discovery system by itself provide an adequate search environment, making the catalog superfluous? In this installment of “Taking Issues,” Dianne Cmor argues that investing in two search tools is an unwise use of limited resources. Rory Litwin counters that the direct control traditional OPACs offer is a necessity for librarians and other advanced researchers.