The Development of Cataloging in China

With a long history, cataloging has evolved with changes in society, economy, and technology in China. This paper presents Chinese cataloging history in four parts, with emphasis on the last two parts: the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949 and the development of cataloging after 1979 when China opened its doors to the world. Particularly important has been the rapid growth of online cataloging in recent years. The China Academic Library and Information System (CALIS), as a successful online cataloging model, is emphasized. Through investigation of the entire history of Chinese cataloging, three distinct features can be stated: (1) Standardization–switching from the Chinese traditional way to aligning with international standards, (2) Cooperation–from decentralized and self-supporting systems to sharing systems, (3) Computerization and networking–from manual operation to computer-based online operation. At the end of this paper, a set of means by which to enhance online cataloging and resource sharing is suggested. [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-HAWORTH. E-mail address: Website: © 2002 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.]