The CATRIONA project: feasibility study and outcomes

Abstract

The CATRIONA (Cataloguing and Retrieval of Information over Networks Applications) Feasibility Study, funded by the British Library Research and Development Department and run at Strathclyde University, was a six‐month study which ended in January 1995. The feasibility study had two main aims: to investigate the technical, organisational and financial requirements for the development of applications programs and procedures to enable the cataloguing, classification, and retrieval of documents and other resources over networks; and to explore the feasibility of a library system supplier led collaborative project to develop such applications and procedures and integrate them with one or more existing library housekeeping systems and associated OPAC interfaces. The original proposal can be found at:<URL:http://www.bubl.bath.ac.uk/BUBL/catriona.html> This article outlines the context in which the feasibility study arose, the specific aims of the study, the main results of the study and possible future developments.