Examination of management information systems of three manufacturing firms highlights principal characteristics, document types and functions, main information flows, storage and retrieval systems, and common problems (corporate memory failure, records management, management information systems, general management). A literature review and…

Surveys the technology of database software and hardware, describing some of the principal issues related to the user's view of data, sharing, concurrent access, security, and integrity. (JN)

Describes applications in variety of settings of videodiscs as tools of information retrieval with online databases, identifies underlying technical capabilities, and discusses five operations required to implement any application: coordinating diverse formats; indexing; physically arranging items on disc; designing input, search, and output;…

Descriptions of available microcomputer software cover basic software, word processing, database management systems, in-house information retrieval, searching of external online information retrieval systems, in-house library housekeeping, and financial and management software. Checklist of points to consider when acquiring software, 36…

This discussion of current microcomputer technologies available to libraries focuses on software applications in four major classifications: communications (online database searching); word processing; administration; and database management systems. Specific examples of library applications are given and six references are cited. (EJS)

This report is a collection of 11 recent papers by the Human-Machine Interaction Group at the University of California, San Diego. The following papers are included: (1) "Stages and Levels in Human-Machine Interaction," Donald A. Norman; (2) "The Nature of Expertise in UNIX," Stephen W. Draper; (3) "Users in the Real…