Academic, government, and corporate librarians organize and leverage internal resources and content through institutional repositories and library catalogs. Getting more value and usage from the content they license is a key goal. However, the ever-growing amount of content and shifting user demands for new materials or features has made the…

This article presents an interview with SirsiDynix CEO Gary M. Rautenstrauch and newly appointed VP of library relations Berit Nelson about some of the issues that have been roiling the ILS world and the company itself, among them the recent consolidation of SirsiDynix's offices, customer service, the state of library budgets, the rise of ebooks…

At the end of 2007, SirsiDynix introduced the first version of Symphony, its new flagship Integrated Library System (ILS). This article begins with a look at the evolution of Symphony, user reactions to Symphony, and Symphony's design and functionality. The authors, along with a team of librarians from various functional areas, have completed…

This article presents the results of a comprehensive survey of integrated library system (ILS) vendors conducted by the author and commissioned by "Computers in Libraries" CIL. The survey was intended to: (1) provide an up-to-date comparison of functionality currently available in ILS products; (2) provide a comparison of support services…

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,…

Directed toward librarians and library administrators who wish to procure automated systems or services for their libraries, this guide offers practical suggestions, advice, and methods for determining requirements, estimating costs and benefits, writing specifications procuring systems, negotiating contracts, and installing systems. The advice…

The first of two volumes of a conference proceedings, this document contains the welcome, the opening, the keynote addresses, and the invited papers, as well as a submitted paper by John Gillam which was not available for publication in the pre-prints (Volume 2) prior to the conference. Three addresses are not included in these proceedings and…

The Carolina Population Institute off-line system which searches a data base drawn from its library holdings and POPINFORM--an on-line system containing a number of data bases from both university and government organizations--are described. The development of these automated information retrieval systems from a disjoint manual system among a…

Libraries could be the nerve centers of international information networks. The major challenge for the future library will not be providing enough information, but providing usable information. The development of an information policy is discussed including placing a value on information, maintaining an accurate and useful inventory, and…

Libraries could be the nerve centers of international information networks. The major challenge for the future library will not be providing enough information, but providing usable information. The development of an information policy is discussed including placing a value on information, maintaining an accurate and useful inventory, and…

A description of computer procedures applied to an emerging university's book purchasing program is presented. The analysis includes a description of the system applied, the software employed, the precataloging routines involved, and both a preliminary cost analysis and current costs. Internal flow charting is included for both the in-library…

This paper begins by examining concepts of artificial intelligence (AI) and discusses various definitions of the concept that have been suggested in the literature. The nesting relationship of expert systems within the broader framework of AI is described, and expert systems are characterized as knowledge-based systems (KBS) which attempt to solve…

This study surveys previous research about systems librarians and performs a systematic examination of position requirements through analysis of position announcements, responsibilities, required skills, job titles, degree requirements, personality qualifications, and salaries. The educational needs and emergent curriculum appropriate for…

Discusses changes in information management and their effects on technical services librarians. Topics discussed include changes at the Library of Congress; the development of national and international bibliographic systems; expansion of local library catalogs; commercial full text databases for end users; new roles for professional librarians;…