History, development, evaluation, and problems of computerized biomedical information systems, with emphasis on the National Library of Medicine and MEDLARS. (LS)

Current trends in public library reference service include use of online systems; budget constraints in public sector; increased service; use, training, and supervision of paraprofessionals; centralized organization of reference service; participation in management of reference services; and more realistic attempts at measurement and evaluation of…

Eleven articles discuss the response of library users and personnel to automation. Topics covered include computerized reference services, online public access catalogs, paraprofessional staff perceptions of technology, organizational and managerial impacts of automation, workshops on new technology, gender differences in motivation to manage and…

Surveys the current state of computer applications in six areas of library work: circulation control; descriptive cataloging; catalog maintenance and production; reference services; acquisitions; and serials control. Motives for automation are discussed, and examples of representative vendors, products, and services are given. (15 references) (LRW)