OCLC's WorldShare Management Services: A Brave New World for Catalogers

Like other recent library management systems, OCLC's WorldShare Management Services (WMS) is cloud-based. But unlike the others, WMS opens WorldCat for applications beyond its traditional role as a source of bibliographic records. It enables catalogers to work directly from the Master Record, which no longer needs to be exported to a local system. This article describes the impact of WMS on the roles and functions of cataloging departments, and asks if it is changing the meaning of cataloging. It concludes that while the workflows are changed dramatically, the profession of cataloging remains relevant.