To "catalogue" the Web there are two broad approaches:

• Create directories (aka subject resource guides, virtual libraries, etc) of web resources
• create catalogue entries for web resources and include these in library OPACs

Web Directories

• Many examples: Te Puna Web Directory, Yahoo!, EEVL, Librarians Index to the Internet.
• Can be unwieldy if created as flat HTML files; ideally directories are created by a backend database
• Some standard software available, e.g. ROADS
• Role for Metadata -created by indexers on directory site, rather than by authors/publishers on originating site, for example Te Kete Ipurangi
• Can be distributed, cooperative e.g. World Wide Web Virtual Library, Open Directory Project
• Lack of standard interfaces, vocabulary, formats
• Not being done by cataloguers, therefore wheels being reinvented

• Less common, but web records are occuring in OPACs, eg. Washburn University
• Means that web resources can be integrated with other library resources
• Standard formats and structures available (though not optimised for WWW resources)
• MARC records can be interchanged between institutions, derived from bibliographic utilities, e.g. CORC
• Unlike other OPAC materials, web sites change, move; leading to maintenance problems (books don't autonomously change their subject, content, shelf number etc)
• Links go to sites outside of library's control
• Licensed Web Resources:
• how can OPAC reflect library's holdings?
• The preservation problem