Examines trends in costs of conventional library operation and costs of electronic devices which may pervade libraries of future. Library costs in 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, library automation, total library operating expenditures for university and college libraries, and rate of adoption of electronic techniques are covered. Sixty-three references…

Addressing both positive and negative issues associated with adapting telefacsimile technology to meet library service needs, this guide provides basic information about the technology while illustrating how librarians have begun to incorporate it into their work processes. The following topics are covered: (1) the definition of telefacsimile and…

Describes the use of microcomputer-based voice mail, or automated answering, in libraries. The technology utilized by the systems is described, costs are discussed, features for outgoing and incoming messages are explained, branching capabilities are described, and two vendors who can supply microcomputer-based voice mail units are listed. (LRW)

Discussion of new developments in library/information services and the influences of technological and societal factors focuses on funding considerations. Topics discussed include budget preparation, allocation, monitoring, and evaluation; and alternative sources of funding, including leveraging, grants, fundraising and development, fees and…

Considers future possibilities and needs in libraries, including fewer acquisitions due to rising costs; the demise of older materials; the influence of the nature of access on the direction of scholarly inquiry, i.e., the influence of technology; using electronic resources appropriately; and questioning established routines. (LRW)

Discusses the increased costs of library materials, the need for a new budgeting approach, and the impact of technology. The development of a library materials index that was developed at Ohio State University to provide a consistent source for measuring library materials expenditures against the marketplace is described. (Contains 14 references.)…

Describes the structure of the interlibrary loan system in the United Kingdom and suggests implications for American libraries. The British Library Document Supply Centre (DSC) is explained; costs to borrowers and lenders are discussed; and strategic planning involving changing technology, politics, and economics is considered. (24 references)…

Discusses changes in libraries and the influence they have on library budgets. Highlights include reorganization in response to changes; automation, including document delivery in place of acquisitions; the library role; relationships with dealers and vendors; library materials, including the expansion of nonprint materials such as databases; and…

Discusses concept of a national library service, and compares expenditures of the British Library with public libraries and polytechnic libraries. Issues related to the British Library's location, the services of its Lending Division, work supported by the Bibliographic Services Division, and images of the Reference Division are addressed. Listed…

Describes the networking of CD-ROM drives in libraries to accommodate users' simultaneous access to the same CD-ROM. Highlights include costs; vendors who supply local area network hardware and software; licensing practices; and a sidebar that describes the use of CD-ROM networks at Vanderbilt University and the University of Kansas. (LRW)

The economic implications of new technology in public libraries include its cost, the trade-off between costs and benefits, and sources of funds. The cost of, for example, a new terminal, should be subdivided into components and activities so that library expenditures and some resultant output can be clearly identified. In addition, when…

Computers have had a tremendous impact on library services as automation has affected every aspect of library activity. Automated systems may be viewed as either internal, intermediate, or external, and different factors must be considered in planning for various types of systems. Internal systems, which are used only by library personnel, handle…

Describes problems in the current state of library automation, including too much jargon, excessive costs, excessive implementation time, and systems that don't work. An example is given of one public library's conservative approach to library automation which husbands resources for the maintenance and expansion of print collections and…

The manager of a corporate library describes five strategies for special libraries to increase services and resources without increasing staff or budgets: automation, reorganization, using temporarily available employees, using in-house services, and participatory management. (Author/EM)

Suggests that current trends in public library expenditures and buildings are not meeting user needs and criticizes the American Library Association's policy statement, "The Decade of the Librarian," for focusing on librarians rather than service. The future of libraries and the library profession, particularly the impact of electronic…