A record through a record. Summary of a conference on functioning and development of combined catalogues
On November 17–18, 2025 the National Library hosted the second edition of the Conference of Users of Combined Catalogues. A broad group of librarians, practitioners, library directors, managers of librarian systems and representatives of libraries eager to join: 250 people in the plenary session and 300 people during workshops. Not only was the attendance record of the June conference broken; it was confirmed that the Combined Catalogues become a tool which really integrates the cataloguing circles in Poland.
During the opening session dr Tomasz Makowski, Director General of the National Library of Poland presented the role and importance of the Combined Catalogues, pointing out the increasing interest therein of libraries and the dynamic development of the infrastructure based on an integrated system of managing the libraries’ assets. He also summed up 5-year effects of the National Programme of Readership Development 2.0. for the years 2021 through 2025.
It is worth noting that in that period the National Library supported also implementations in other libraries of varied profiles, systematically broadening the base with records from, among other, engineering and technical sciences, medical sciences, food industry, marine and sea-going industry history, physical culture as well as special collections and unique materials of scientific, cultural and historical character plus regional bibliographies.
A tangible effect of using the Combined Catalogues? 860 million entries and of downloads of records between January and October 2025.
