Seven vendors express their views on the importance of standards to facilitate the linkage of in-house and external computer systems. The subjects addressed include integrated versus linked systems, national and international standards efforts, and the involvement of librarians in the development of standards. (EM)

Eight articles deal with library networking issues: (1) the library role; (2) development of a real computer network; (3) attitudes toward networks; (4) the emergence of local systems; (5) the Western Library Network; (6) the Cooperative Library Agency for Systems and Services; (7) the future of OCLC; and (8) building a unified information…

Representatives of five library integrated system vendors express their views on ethics and the marketplace, emphasizing the need for ethical behavior by librarians, consultants, and vendors. Four sidebars are included: one on the need for customer data rights standards; others containing the codes of ethics of three professional consultants'…

Representatives of six vendors of online library systems address key issues related to system performance: designing, configuring and sizing systems; establishing performance criteria; using benchmark and acceptance tests; the risks of miscalculations; vendor, consultant, and library roles; and related topics. (Author/EM)

Explores the future of library automation from the perspective of online vendors. The discussions cover CD-ROM, online catalog, and gateway technologies, together with such issues as standards, cooperation, and cost effectiveness. The emphasis is on problems that must be conquered if these technologies are to reach their potential. (CLB)

Several online vendors discuss the educational and training requirements needed by professional librarians to manage the automation process effectively, including communication and management skills, a commitment to ongoing education, and the ability to evaluate capacities of future systems rather than expert knowledge of current systems.…