Discusses cooperative efforts between research organizations and libraries to create a national information network. Topics discussed include the Linked System Project (LSP); technical processing versus reference and research functions; Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) Reference Model; the National Science Foundation Network (NSFNET); and…

Reviews bibliographic control before and after the advent of machine-readable cataloging, and holds that new developments toward decentralization seem to counter the existing technological trend toward centralization of automated library services. (FM)

Consideration of problems associated with development of national database for bibliographic control of library materials, focuses on those which "alert" individual directors, and those created by organizations and people not under immediate control. Standards, objectives, change, ownership and distribution, economic and legal issues,…

Report on the status of automation within Library of Congress's Processing Services notes the positive effects of progress in cataloging activities, acquisitions activities, information retrieval, and dissemination of bibliographic products. Systems in operation, distribution services and products, and automation tasks not yet scheduled are…

The Library of Congress presents the history of its Machine Readable Cataloging (MARC) system. Descriptions of MARC pilot projects and distribution services are followed by a discussion of several conversion projects undertaken by libraries in order to implement MARC. Then MARC's influence on standardization of formats for information interchange,…