Based on information and documents gathered from 103 Association of Research Libraries (ARL) member libraries via an April 1986 ARL Recon Project questionnaire, and supplemented with additional interviews and materials gathered throughout the year, this publication focuses on retrospective conversion projects designed to support the implementation…

Surveys of student and faculty attitudes toward proposed online public access catalogs were conducted in 1984 at Bryn Mawr and Swarthmore. The traditional card catalog was generally favored; only Swarthmore's faculty gave majority support to the online catalog. Differences between colleges may result from Swarthmore's greater experience with…

This study focuses on the planning necessary to support library instruction for an online public access catalog in an academic library. The installation of an online catalog is viewed as an opportunity for librarians to teach effective use of the library catalog. The project report consists of a review of the literature pertaining to the…

Issues related to library online systems are discussed in six articles. Topics covered include staff education through vendor demonstrations, evaluation of online public access catalogs, the impact of integrated online systems on cataloging operations, the merits of smart and dumb barcodes, and points to consider in planning for the next online…

This workbook presents outlines of topics to be covered during a two-day workshop on the fundamentals for library automation. Topics for the first day include: (1) Introduction; (2) Computer Technology--A Historical Overview; (3) Evolution of Library Automation; (4) Computer Hardware Technology--An Introduction; (5) Computer Software…

This report reviews the eight-month process of planning for library automation undertaken by the Cleveland State University libraries late in 1984. Following an overview of the planning process, a listing of goals is presented, and six documents developed as a result of the process are provided. "Review of Current Systems" includes…

The Library Catalog Cost Model described in this report was developed to assist each of the 72 individual libraries participating in the project to compare the costs of alternative future forms of the catalog, emphasizing the costs of implementing AACR 2 (Anglo American Cataloging Rules 2). Inputs characterizing their costs and modes of operation…

Reports prepared by the Louisiana State University (LSU) Libraries Task Force on Electronic Services examine the present level of automated services at the LSU libraries and make recommendations for both long- and short-term plans to handle information in electronic format. The reports, each of which is followed by a list of recommendations, focus…

This paper examines the belief that no more than half of the public school libraries in the state of Ohio are automated to any degree. The purpose of the research was to determine the degree and nature of automation at the public school libraries in Ohio. A written survey was mailed to 350 libraries that represented a randomized sample of the…

Due to automation technology, financial restrictions, and resultant downsizing, library managers have increasingly relied on the services of contractors, rather than in-house staff, to accomplish different technical services operations. Contracted services may range from a small project for a selected group of materials to a large project for…

This publication reports results of a survey of 83 ARL (Association of Research Libraries) member libraries that examined the decision making process in migration from one automated library system to another. Data are reported on planning; implementation; workflow redesign; and training, publicity, and evaluation. Supplemental materials include:…

A year-long study involving 29 libraries (11 public, 5 academic, 1 combined academic/public, 6 special, 1 combined public/school, and 5 school) was undertaken in FY 1984 to monitor the usage of an existing union catalog--the Washington Library Network Resource Directory--and determine what policies and protocols should be considered when preparing…

This document provides a detailed design for the data portion of the Mississippi Library Commission (MLC) public library network. The data network is based on Frame Relay technology, and would provide more functionality at a higher speed than a previously considered dial-in network could. The document is divided into 16 sections: (1) Introduction;…

This publication describes the results of a 1992 survey of Association of Research Libraries member libraries to determine the extent to which they are becoming virtual libraries, i.e., libraries in which computer and telecommunications technologies make access to a wide range of information resources possible. Areas covered by the survey included…