In this column, the author discusses how the management of e-books has introduced, at many libraries and in varying degrees, the challenges of maintaining effective technical services workflows. Four different e-book workflows are identified and explored, and the author takes a closer look at how particular variables for each are affected, such as…

As federal government information is increasingly migrating to online formats, libraries are providing links to this content via URLs or persistent URLs (PURLs) in their online public access catalogs (OPACs). Clickthrough statistics that accumulated as users visited links to online content in the University of Denver's library OPAC were gathered…

Resource discovery tops the charts as the foremost issue within the realm of library automation. As a new year commences, the author sees a more pressing need to accelerate the pace with which libraries deliver content and services in ways that users will find compelling, relevant, and convenient. The evolution of the web advances relentlessly,…

Traditional library web products, whether online public access catalogs, library databases, or even library web sites, have long been rigidly controlled and difficult to use. Patrons regularly prefer Google's simple interface. Now social bookmarking and tagging tools help librarians bridge the gap between the library's need to offer authoritative,…

Discussion of consequences of library automation argues that technology should be used to augment access to information. Online public access catalogs are considered in this context, along with several related issues such as system incompatibility, invasion of privacy, barriers to database access and manipulation, and user fees, which contribute…

Reviews a wide range of retrieval problems that arose with the implementation of an online catalog in an academic library, especially the problem of retrieving uniform titles coded as authors. The need for changes in the underlying format of coding uniform titles as a universal solution is discussed. (Author/CLB)

The introduction to a special issue on locally loaded databases in online library systems discusses three trends in using technology to provide greater access to materials available in library collections: unification of local collections; access to outside resources; and inclusion of reference works and full text in online catalogs. (three…

This report explores the suitability of Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML) as a framework for building, managing, and providing access to digital libraries, with special emphasis on preservation and access issues. SGML is an international standard (ISO 8879) designed to promote text interchange. It is used to define markup languages,…

Describes the debate over the discarding of card catalogs once automated, online library catalogs are implemented. The discussion focuses on the classified catalog of the Science and Technology Department at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. The neglected state of library archives and historical developments in library catalogs are considered.…

Reviews the ways in which technical processing personnel enable libraries to provide fast and accurate access to information, and discusses the impact of technological change on the role and duties of technical processing personnel, the nature of library service, and existing organizational structures. (CLB)

Libraries are moving into an era that incorporates improvements of a library's existing databases, embraces the research results of the information-seeking process, and makes fundamental improvements by adding new databases such as WordFocus. These new systems should convert the frustrated user of today's online public access catalog (OPAC) into…

Describes a study that measured the benefits of an automated catalog and automated circulation system from the library user's point of view in terms of the value of time saved. Topics discussed include patterns of use, access time, availability of information, search behaviors, and the effectiveness of the measures used. (seven references)…

Describes the current state of automation at academic libraries, outlines issues that face library planners today, and emphasizes the use of technologies such as nationwide computer networks to improve access to information. The University of California's MELVYL system is described, and the use of online catalogs is discussed. (LRW)

Reviews the concept, context, status, and potential of the Linked Systems Protocol. The discussion covers the functions of the protocol; its implications for scholarship, bibliographic access, and the notion of a national database; and problems that would affect the effective implementation of international use. (21 references) (Author/CLB)

Describes Vannevar Bush's vision of memex, a mechanized private file and library, and suggests that the ability of users to download library online catalogs and manage the information on personal computers will realize Bush's vision. Current software packages are described, and the possible implications for libraries are explored. (CLB)