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…

Describes the experiences of four library automation projects that involved multitype library networks. Areas discussed include forces acting on libraries, the growth and development of the library marketplace, the increasing complexity and interrelationships of automated systems and the profound impact of such systems on libraries. (CLB)

Summarizes the development of the Computer-Aided Reference Services (CARS) division of the University of Utah Libraries' reference department. Development, organizational structure, site selection, equipment, management, staffing and training considerations, promotion and marketing, budget and pricing, record keeping, statistics, and evaluation…

Emphasizing the importance of the development and maintenance of a system of signs to make the library patron aware that a reliable pattern of information exists within the library, this report includes a selection of statements excerpted from Sign Systems for Libraries, a collection of papers on visual guidance systems in various types of…

The two-phase effort at Clemson University to design a comprehensive library automation program is reported. Phase one was based on a version of IBM's business system planning methodology, and the second was based on a linear model designed to compare existing program systems to the phase one design. (MLW)

Discusses the applications of computer technology to community information and referral (I&R) services, basic planning considerations for automating an I&R service, and the development of an automated I&R system. Examples of computer supported I&R services in operation are given and the Tulsa City-County Library System's approach…

This sixth article in a series discusses planning for the installation and implementation of automated systems in the library, workstation design and location, scheduling of software implementation, security, data input, staff and reader training, job design, impact of automation on library procedures, evaluation of system performance, and future…

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…

The six articles comprising this special section on MELVYL, the University of California automated library system, discuss plans for the future, general recommendations for online catalog design, evaluation methods, evolution of computing resources, impact on the work of librarians, and academic goals and benefits. A chronology of MELVYL…