Why library catalogues and union catalogues?A common question posed these days is the relevance of library catalogues when there is so much information available on the Web that is directly searchable through Internet search engines such as Google, AltaVista, Lycos, Northern Light, etc. To answer this question, we need to do a comparison. Internet search engines, for example, have the following characteristics: lack of precision, retrieval of poor quality material and poor recall. Lack of precisionSearch engines retrieve too much because they are retrieving mostly from full text, and to compensate they rely on relevance ranking. Library catalogues by contrast index mostly cataloguing (metadata) that ensure greater precision. Search engines also retrieve irrelevant documents. Indexing full text is not precise because of lack of metadata; e.g. it is not possible to search a name specifically as an author and there is usually no controlled subject searching. At best, there is broad category searching. Retrieval of poor quality materialRelevance ranking according to number of times a site has been visited does not effectively filter out all poor-quality material. RecallRelevant material is often buried if it is not overly descriptive and lacks metadata. Broken links result in failure to recall relevant material. Web services and contents of databases are not touched; therefore the databases behind the Web pages are not covered. Resources that are not available on the Web are not covered. Libraries hold the key to vast amounts of information, whether available electronically or not.

This paper explores the role of union catalogues in inter-library loans and document delivery and how that role is changing to embrace virtual holdings and electronic document delivery. Figures from the Dutch national union catalogue (Nederlandse Centrale Catalogus NCC) show that, contrary to expectations, physical loans are not decreasing but now comprise only a quarter of inter-library loan activity. With direct user access, inter-library loans have become unmediated and numbers of traditional loans and photocopies have steadily increased with a dramatic rise in electronic copy. International inter-library loans pose technical and logistical problems for union catalogues. From a system viewpoint, it is necessary to inter-operate ILL systems, local library systems and to determine the end user's ILL system and rights. EUCAT is an example of a federation of union catalogues. Whilst the technical problems are more or less resolved, libraries still must determine the conditions for international interoperation.

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PurposeThe purpose of this article is to report on the latest developments at OCLC and OCLC PICA to facilitate resource sharing and end user delivery.Design/methodology/approachThe article provides a descriptive insight into the work of OCLC and OCLC PICA.FindingsThree key strategies underlie the joint OCLC and OCLC PICA approach to resource sharing: fulfillment by any means; support for both mediated and unmediated request and delivery; and provision of a comprehensive, modular framework with entry at any level.Practical implicationsThe widening of the international discovery network for materials, better knowledge, use of loan and alternative supply policies, and simplified cooperative payment systems. Libraries are encouraged to broaden their supply options, including digitize or index on demand or reference lookup.Originality/valueProvides an insight into the current work of OCLC and OCLC PICA in three areas of concern to librarians involved in resource sharing, particularly at an international level.