Recognizing that the major technical direction of this decade is toward proximity of computing function to its users, the Research Libraries Group (RLG) is moving to distribute its processing capabilities. The goals of this study were to formulate an architecture for an RLG distributed system, to identify pre-existing components appropriate for…

This report examines the potential impact of optical media--videodiscs, compact audio discs, and optical disks, tapes, and cards--in library related applications. A detailed consideration of the technology includes discussion of the underlying principles, the various forms in which the technology is marketed, production methods and costs, and the…

This report reviews the background and rationale for a cooperative authority file building system and describes the services, products, and operation of the new Name Authority Cooperative (NACO). The document defines the relationship between NACO, other Library of Congress (LC) cooperative projects, and the Linked Systems Project (LSP). The…

This document contains the full transcript of a 2-day workshop on library automation. The first day of the workshop was devoted to a review of the state-of-the-art of library automation and the second day included presentation of testimony by Maine librarians. The transcript of the first day includes discussions of the historical development of…

From January 1980 through December 1982 the Illinois Valley Library System (IVLS) and 33 of its participating libraries conducted an experimental project to test the costs and benefits of OCLC use in small and medium-sized libraries. This report, one of eight describing the results of the OCLC Experimental Project, examines interlibrary loan…

The Library Services and Construction Act (LSCA) Amendments of 1990 required the General Accounting Office (GAO) to conduct a review of the Department of Education's Research Library, which is a component of the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI). Data were gathered by reviewing several existing studies of alternatives for…

The Library Services and Construction Act (LSCA) Amendments of 1990 required the General Accounting Office (GAO) to conduct a review of the Department of Education's Research Library, which is a component of the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI). Data were gathered by interviewing one researcher and four librarians familiar…

Describes a survey of research libraries with online catalogs planned or in place that examined the status of card catalogs, shelf list files, and the capability of online systems to handle traditional shelf list functions. The functions examined include inventory control, collection assessment, holdings information, and call number assignment.…

At the University of Rhode Island, the goal of the Library is to meet the informational needs of a diverse clientele: students, both graduate and undergraduate; faculty; other university staff; and, as a land-grant institution serving the state of Rhode Island, the general public. This report results from 8 months of committee work that involved…