Is cataloguing the "poor relation"? : some reflections

The article, taking its cue from the title of a book by Rossella Dini Il parente povero della catalogazione (The poor relative of cataloguing), is intended to be a reflection on the positioning of the cataloguing activity in relation to the other activities of the library, and a reflection on what cataloguing is, or we would like it to be. A quick reconnaissance of the definitions of cataloguing and the changes in cataloguing tout court is followed by a wider-ranging analysis of the question of the role and positioning of catalographic activity in contemporary librarianship. [Publisher's text]