In his article "The McDonaldization of Academic Libraries?" Brian Quinn explores to what extent and to what effect academic libraries have become "McDonaldized," according to the concept developed by sociologist George Ritzer. Quinn identifies a number of ways in which the four dimensions of…

This article discusses best practices for evaluating open source software for use in library projects, based on the authors' experience evaluating electronic publishing solutions. First, it presents a brief review of the literature, emphasizing the need to evaluate open source solutions carefully in order to minimize Total Cost of Ownership. Next,…

Twenty-three scholarly papers and twelve abstracts comprise the content of the eleventh annual Brick and Click Libraries Symposium, held at Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Missouri. The peer-reviewed proceedings, authored by academic librarians and presented at the symposium, portray the contemporary and future face of…

This description of the use of IBM Series/1 minicomputers to implement a library automation system includes discussion of current functions of the system, the system configuration, communications capabilities, software, and cost factors. (CLB)

Discusses outsourcing in library technical-services departments and how to make the department more cost-effective to limit the need for outsourcing as a less expensive alternative. Topics include experiences at State University of New York at Buffalo; efficient use of computers for in-house programs; and staff participation. (LRW)

Describes a project to convert and make available current MARC records in a local online file. The procedure described involves obtaining records from the National Library's Canadian MARC Record Distribution Service, Mounting the Records on DOBIS, and transferring them for ordering and cataloging purposes. (CLB)

Analyzes trends in the library automation marketplace. Market shares for online vendors are examined in terms of total installations, academic libraries, public libraries, revenues, differently sized systems, and foreign installations. Hardware availability, operating systems, and interfaces with MARC are also discussed for each vendor. A source…

Explores library consortia in the United States with particular focus on academic libraries. Highlights include the history of early consortia; economic issues, including sharing resources and cost savings; types of consortia, including regional, statewide, and those with a focus on automation; and groups of consortia. (Author/LRW)

Iowa State University's cost study proves academic librarians can keep cataloging in-house and save staff costs. Several factors play a role in the productivity surge at ISU: increasing use of shared cataloging; growth of online authoring files; expanding role of support staff; increasing automation of catalogers' work; and structural flattening…

This report for an automated circulation control system to replace the currently used automated off-line batch system discusses the general requirements for the requested system, the equipment needed, the planned uses and design of the proposed system, its utilization, its expected benefits, its estimated costs, the alternatives considered, and…

Describes the competitive bidding process used by California State University to successfully procure integrated library systems for 5 of its 19 campuses during 1 fiscal year. The procurements demonstrated that competitive bidding not only reduces overall cost of library systems, but also allows the buyer to achieve favorable contract provisions.…

Describes a pilot project in automated storage and retrieval of library materials which uses miniload cranes to retrieve bins of materials, and an interface with an online catalog that patrons use to request materials. Savings in space and money and potential problems with the system are discussed. (CLB)

This paper provides an overview of thin-client/server computing in higher education. Thin-clients are like PCs in appearance, but they do not house hard drives or localized operating systems and cannot function without being connected to a server. Two types of thin-clients are described: the Network Computer (NC) and the Windows Terminal (WT).…

Describes "Self-Serve Reserve", an electronic application developed at the library of Norwich University (Vermont) to handle reserve reading and be easy to use, reduce or eliminate the need for paper copies, deliver imaged documents, require modest start-up costs, and be scalable from a stand-alone workstation to network access.…

Discusses the benefits of mounting commercial and local databases to provide online access and describes the approach taken by the University of Pennsylvania. The issues discussed include database, local data file, and software selection; agreements with online vendors; cost effectiveness; and actual use of the online files at the university. (CLB)