They describe the item in enough detail that it can be differentiated from other, similar items. They contain access points so that the user will find it when searching for material on the subject, by the author, etc. They provide information so that the searcher can locate the item for use. Through the description, access points, and location information, they place the item within the context of other materials in a collection. For this reason, the group agreed that there is value in cataloging selected network-based resources in the library union catalog.
Identification is one of the more problematic aspects of cataloging electronic resources.
Unlike a print serial, where each new issue triggers some level of verification, there is usually nothing to notify a library when a resource is modified and the bibliographic information should be changed. Also, in an extension of the multiple versions debate which has raged in cataloging circles for years, there is no agreement on what constitutes an intellectually equivalent version or a separate edition of an electronic resource. The group agreed that, given the lack of control the library has over network-based resources, the same level of identification supplied for traditional resources may not be practical or necessary for all electronic resources. Where appropriate and applicable, network-based resources should be cataloged on the same bibliographic records as their print equivalents. The types of resources available on the network range from documents to databases to services, from materials which are very analogous to traditional library acquisitions to online services and sites which have no print, film, or vinyl equivalents.