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…

Focuses on quantitative studies which can be made using data obtained from machine-readable catalogs and applied to actual or potential catalog use. (Author)

This paper reports a study which compares several methods of materials processing, including different methods of utilizing OCLC, in order to present findings on the feasibility, praticality, and cost benefit value of such services. (Author)

This review of the 1987 journal literature on serials covers (1) electronic and optical storage; (2) automation of processing; (3) cataloging; (4) holdings information and cooperative efforts; (5) cost analysis and collection contraction; (6) work abroad; (7) subject collections; (8) serving patrons; (9) serials as a professional specialty; and…

The national bibliographic services currently provided by the Library of Congress (LC) include the Machine-Readable Cataloging (MARC) service, LC's Automated Process Information File System, and the Library of Congress Subject Headings. Cooperative projects involving LC include COMARC (Cooperative MARC), a national bibliographic data base for…

A study was conducted to determine: (1) whether technical processes at the Booth Library, Eastern Illinois University, should be automated; and (2) if automation were required, which system would be economically and technically feasible. Data from 323 technical service transactions were selected on a random basis between July 1971 and June 1973,…

Comparisons and advantages of using a printer versus on line cataloging are presented, with statistics of title percentage from search procedures. (Author/KP)

The Institute of Library Research converted to machine-readable form over one million catalog cards representing about 750,000 Roman-language titles catalogued by the University of California (UC) libraries from 1963 to 1967. From this data base they printed the UC Union Catalog Supplement (UCUCS-1). From 1968 to 1972, an additional set of card…

The objective of the project was to develop an inexpensive and effective technique for matching records in multiple fields in order to build a union catalog containing only one representation of a given book. The Information Retrieval Research Lab (IRRL) developed a prototype system called IUCS (IRRL Union Catalog System) by testing various…

Deisgn of Information Systems in the Social Sciences (DISISS) is a research project conducted to describe the main characteristics of the literature of the social sciences using bibliometric techniques. A comprehensive machine readable file of social science serials was developed which is called CLOSSS (Check List of Social Science Serials). Data…

Study of advantages, disadvantages, and costs to small two-year college library of participation in online cataloging network concludes that networking is too expensive for smallest third of nation's libraries. Disadvantages include increased demands on professional staff time and cost in excess of $3.00 per title cataloged. Twenty-three…

Reviews the literature published in 1990 that deals with descriptive cataloging. Topics discussed include the theory and general practice of cataloging; materials in special forms, including serials, conference proceedings, cartographic materials, sound recordings, computer files, and microforms; the impact of automation; authority control;…

The following papers were presented at a joint conference of the Colorado Library Association and the Mountain Plains Library Association (MPLA) in October 1986: (1) "Development of a Strategic Plan for the Harold B. Lee Library--A Model for Public Service" (Larry Ostler); (2) "The Library Committee in MPLA Libraries" (Ronald…

Though recent technological developments have promised solutions to the costly problems of expanding card catalogs and changing cataloging practices, at the University of California libraries the problems have been compounded by a desire to stay compatible with the changing conventions of the Library of Congress and by an increasingly stringent…

Reviews pilot project at the University of Southern California to convert the traditional card catalog to a COM catalog. This involved identification of essential and nonessential catalog data elements and assessment of users' reaction toward the sudden change in form and content of the catalog. (CWM)