A framework has been developed based upon concepts drawn primarily from organization theory and small group research. Emphasis has been placed upon the response of libraries to their environments. The library "stakes out claims" or establishes domains with regard to resources, users, and policies. Libraries then seek to have the…

This report covers functional specifications for the OCLC Interlibrary Loan (ILL) Subsystem, designed to permit participating libraries to increase the availability of library resources to patrons by enabling these libraries to form, transmit, and fulfill loan requests more rapidly and effectively. It will provide rapid access to a large on-line…

The OCLC Interlibrary Loan (ILL) Subsystem was designed to facilitate resource sharing among OCLC participating libraries, thereby enabling libraries to expand the range of library resources available to patrons. The final report describes subsystem design and functional uses of the ILL subsystem. A functional overview explains the file,…

A study of the Oklahoma Teletypewriter Interlibrary System (OTIS), made at the request of the Oklahoma Department of Libraries, covers the period April 1968 through June 1969. It is based upon an analysis of records maintained at the Oklahoma Department of Libraries including: (1) what material was requested by what library, how the requests were…

Interlibrary loan (ILL) transactions are a major library problem because the increased volume places a burden on systems developed with no general plan. This report lists nine difficulties identified by the 1974 National Commission on Libraries and Information Science. Automated networking is imperative for ILL's future. The Ohio College Library…

The OCLC Interlibrary Loan (ILL) Communications Subsystem provides participating libraries with on-line control of ILL transactions. This user manual includes a glossary of terms related to the procedures in using the system. Sections describe computer entry, searching, loan request form, loan response form, ILL procedures, the special message…

Describes a nationwide program designed to guarantee supply of copies of documents, within predetermined terms and standards of quality, using selected libraries and documentation centers throughout Brazil. Details of program to be administered by Brazilian Institute for Information on Science and Technology are outlined in proposal and general…

In 1968, a two-year pilot project, called the Minnesota Interlibrary Teletype Experiment (MINITEX) was undertaken to test the feasibility of sharing the University of Minnesota's library resources with patrons of outstate libraries. This report presents the definitive evaluation for the MINITEX project. The four elements in the design of the…

A study was made of the use of time-sharing computer systems as a means of communication, accounting, message switching, and referral in a System for Inter-Library Communication (SILC). The purpose of the study was to develop data on which to evaluate the feasibility of such a system; the results are reported in terms of four issues: technical…

This study was undertaken to provide a detailed look at the functions currently being performed by a small, liberal arts college library and to develop some recommendations concerning its future role. The major questions studied in the report are (1) how satisfactory is the present library facility in supporting the information-related activities…

The current trend in biomedical information systems is to decentralization. Starting with the Medical Library Assistance Act of 1965, various plans of organization have been tried for improving the national diffusion of medical information. In 1968 the John Crerar Library became the Midwest Regional Medical Library, serving as an intermediary…

Edited version of an address delivered at Institute on Public Library Management (12th, Madison, Wisconsin, April 26, 1968). The library network has not developed because the public has not recognized its potential usefulness. It can provide a new level of service if the value is not nullified by bureaucratic rigidity. (JS)

This selected and annotated list of publications includes those pieces published between 1969 and 1979 which treat various aspects of OCLC. They were chosen on the basis of their historical value, their current relevancy, and the amount of new information they contain. Titles are arranged alphabetically by author. (FM)

To determine more rational and economical methods for serving the information needs of the public, a series of studies have been sponsored by the Association of Research Libraries. Libraries in the United States are characterized as independent agencies supported from governmental and private sources and serving a local clientele. Steadily rising…

Co-ordination and co-operation of libraries require a degree of centralization. On a nation-wide scale the one library which is best equipped to perform such centralized functions will be the national library, which has the richest collections and reference apparatus, adequate financial support and trained staff. The national library should be…