RETROSPECTIVE CATALOG CONVERSION - A NATIONAL STUDY AND A DISCUSSION BASED ON SELECTED LITERATURE

Retrospective conversion of catalogues is currently being undertaken b y increasing numbers of libraries. In the UK, the Follett Implementati on Group on information Technology (FIGIT) recently commissioned a stu dy to assess the justification for a national programme in the higher education sector. An outline of the study and the main recommendations of the report submitted to FIGIT are given. A Literature survey which was part of the study has been expanded to a discussion of aspects of the subject and the information available in the literature. The disc ussion looks first at the literature in general and notes a lack of ma terial on the situation in particular countries, including the UK. Loc al, national and international aspects are considered and the benefits summarised. The usefulness of quoted costs of completed or in hand pr ojects is compared with a cost model for estimating costs in advance, and priorities for the allocation of funds are examined. While only pr inted materials were considered in the study, the need for retroconver sion to be extended to non book materials is noted. There are also wid er implications for record standards and their applications and the '' ownership'' of records from the extended access to records and collect ions.