Discussion of the systems development life cycle (SDLC) that supports operational and managerial planning of automation projects covers challenges of library automation, evolution and scope of SDLC, lack of dissemination of SDLC literature within library and information science community, and corrective measures to meet library automation demands.…

Discusses the need for management information and decision support systems in libraries, and identifies inertia and confusion as the main contributors to the lack of successful implementations. An attempt to initiate a decision support system at the University of Nebraska at Omaha is described, and both problems encountered and benefits gained are…

Discusses the advantages of parallel processor computers in terms of expandibility, cost, performance and reliability, and suggests that such computers be used in library automation systems as a cost effective approach to planning for the growth of information services and computer applications. (CLB)

Five prominent consultants--Richard Boss, Susan Baerg Epstein, Rob McGee, Joseph Matthews, James E. Rush--discuss the most common mistakes vendors make in implementing library automated systems. Suggestions are made for correcting basic problems relating to identification of library needs, communications, delivery dates, inadequate systems, and…

This document explores the various issues and concerns related to the development of online systems in libraries and, in particular, online catalogs. Following a preface, foreword, and introduction, chapters are devoted to each of the following topics: (l) providing for special interests including the disabled; (2) authority control; (3) subject…

Focusing on management decisions in academic libraries, this article compares management information systems (MIS) with decision support systems (DSS) and discusses the decision-making process, information needs of library managers, sources of data, reasons for choosing microcomputer, preprogrammed application software, prototyping a system, and…

The increasing sophistication of information technologies and the nearly universal access to computing have blurred distinctions among information delivery units on college campuses, forcing institutions to rethink the separate organizational structures that evolved when computing in academe was more localized and less prevalent. Experiences in…

This report describes the development, design, and evaluation of an online circulation system at the University of Guelph, Ontario. A 1976 study identified the specific problems or inadequacies of the existing circulation system and specified design requirements for a new online system. This 1978 report is divided into six parts: (1) historical…

Describes the management approach used to introduce new technologies in an academic library and the success of this approach. The management of change is discussed in terms of communication between management and personnel; management style; development of a system; staff development; and sensitivity to staff reactions and needs. (CLB)