Bibliography, National Bibliography, and National Union Catalog in Italy

This article analyzes the role of national bibliographies—with particular reference to the Italian National Bibliography—as rele- vant tools for national bibliographic control. In the first part of the article, the historical and scientific context of international standards is summarized. The second part describes the role played by the Central National Library of Florence (BNCF) in the realization of the bibliographic control of Italian publications. The limits and the potential of the Italian National Bibliography produced by BNCF are highlighted and compared with the Italian National Library Service (SBN), which is the most import- ant national collective catalog among Italian libraries.