One of the toughest challenges in an academic library systems office is how to manage and present the extensive selection of electronic resources from a variety of vendors. At York College of Pennsylvania, the authors participated in an admissions-driven web revision cycle and used a campus-provided CMS for 8 years. During this time, they tried…

In March 2007, SirsiDynix notified its Horizon and classic Dynix customers that it would not be releasing Horizon 8.0 in favor of developing its Unicorn software. As vice president/president-elect of SirsiDynix's Horizon/Dynix user group, the author was one of the first ones to be notified of this abrupt change in company strategy. The news sent…

From the ascendance of the reference database and web sites offering endless opportunities for cyber-promotion to the crowds swarming through the doors to avail themselves of new computers, the Internet has transformed the way public libraries do business. That is not news. What is exciting, though, is how the Internet continues to change public…

Describes the results of a survey of public libraries in Connecticut that was conducted to identify the factors that influence library administrators' decision-making process regarding library automation. Discusses vendor selection, funding, and costs, and copies of the survey questionnaires are appended. (Author/LRW)

This report analyzes data gathered from 29 automated library system vendors who responded to a 1996 survey. The survey also requested their perceptions of Java (an object-oriented programming language) and network computers, and issues and trends to be considered by library administrators. Contact information about the vendors is provided. (Four…

Innovations from Google[TM] and Amazon[R] are clear wake-up calls that as a profession and an industry things need to be done differently. Automation vendors and librarians must work together to ensure that the profession is positioned to take advantage of changing culture and technology to assume a rightful place at the table where rich and…

Discusses the processes involved in migrating a library's automation system. Highlights include getting information from vendor demonstrations, setting up an evaluation database to analyze RFPs (requests for proposals), making a spreadsheet that compares costs of packages, making recommendations once the data are analyzed, and implementation…

The review and negotiation of license agreements has become a time-consuming but necessary part of the job of providing access to the electronic information resources required by libraries' patrons. The nature of these agreements may pose a number of barriers to the development of fully integrated collections. This article presents a fictitious…

This digest presents a reprint of an article which examines management principles that should be considered when implementing library end user searching programs. A brief discussion of specific implementation issues includes needs assessment, hardware, software, training, budgeting, what systems to offer, publicity and marketing, policies and…

Examines some of the fears, frustrations, and misconceptions of library staff and patrons that hamper the effective use of computers in libraries. Strategies that library administrators could use to alleviate stress are outlined, including staff participation in the automation process, well-designed workstations, and adequate training for staff…

An automated library system usually consists of a number of functional modules, such as acquisitions, circulation, cataloging, serials, and an online public access catalog (OPAC). An "integrated" library system is an automated system in which all of the function modules share a common bibliographic database. There are several ways the…

Examines major issues and trends in serials management represented in the literature published during 1990. Topics covered include the pricing crisis; publishing and scholarly communication; cancellation projects; technological developments and alternatives to print; claiming and replacement activities; acquisitions and collection development;…

This study is based on a survey of a sample of 162 academic libraries holding between 90,000 and 500,000 volumes. The report begins by comparing various characteristics of the libraries to arrive at a profile of an average sample library in terms of volumes, enrollment, volumes per student, budget, expenditures per student, salaries as percent of…