This working paper was prepared by a subcommittee of the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) Working Group on Public Catalogs. The material consists of cost estimates on generating, duplicating, and maintaining book catalogs and computer output microfiche catalogs. Included are costs estimates from the Ohio College Library Center…

Discusses retrospective catalog conversion from the viewpoint of a law firm library. Topics discussed include reasons for retrospective conversion; preplanning; suggestions for the selection of software; conducting an inventory of the collection; sources of MARC bibliographic records; setting up an online public access catalog; and marketing…

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…

Computer/automated catalogs have been in use in secondary schools for some time and have numerous advantages. A public access catalog (PAC) allows networking with other libraries, use of the Boolean search function, and the retrieval of bibliographic citations from a variety of access points. Moreover, PAC's have recently become more user…

The first of two articles on MELVYL, the University of California's online library system, discusses the next generation of public access information retrieval systems for research libraries based on lessons learned from 10 years of MELVYL. The second article considers MELVYL in the larger context of the University of California's information…

The four papers included in this publication provide an overview of the movement toward computer-based alternatives to library card catalogs. Three of the papers were presented at the 1978 Association of Research Libraries (ARL) membership meeting; the fourth provides an introduction to the volume. The introductory paper, by Richard Dougherty,…

A 1978 information survey of Association of Research Libraries (ARL) members indicated that at that time, only a few large libraries were planning to freeze their card catalogs and set up alternative catalog forms as a response to decisions made by the Library of Congress to freeze its card catalog, supply access to its collection through an…

Based on information and documents gathered from 103 Association of Research Libraries (ARL) member libraries via an April 1986 ARL Recon Project questionnaire, and supplemented with additional interviews and materials gathered throughout the year, this publication focuses on retrospective conversion projects designed to support the implementation…

Discussion of planning for automation in school libraries focuses on plans in the North Kitsap (Washington) School District. Highlights include selection of microcomputer-based hardware and software to support local area and wide area networks; a circulation system and an online public access catalog (OPAC); and database creation and retrospective…

Discusses problems inherent in planning for a transition from traditional card catalogs to other catalog forms. Some attention is given to the implications of the second edition of the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules (AACR II), the lack of an automated authority control system, and difficulties in obtaining machine-readable retrospective files.…

This study was designed to examine the means and timeliness of identifying and locating information in the present environment of the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) Library, and to determine the means of access that might best be employed during the next decade. Study methodology included an analysis of readings in the professional…

At the meeting of the Association of Research Libraries in Chicago, the principal program element focused on the future of card catalogs, a topic of special concern to large research libraries, whose catalogs are becoming cumbersome, expensive to maintain, and complicated by changes in cataloging rules. Papers by William Welsh and John Rather of…

Describes a long-range plan developed by the Cleveland Public Library to provide users with electronic information and full text delivery. Specific goals are addressed, including online catalog access and converting periodical holdings to electronic format; legal issues involving copyright are discussed; and pricing issues and user fees are…

Describes problems encountered by the staff of the Georgia Power Company Library when they planned for the automation of their catalog. Topics discussed include developing software inhouse versus using commercial software packages; authority control and problems with standardization and subject access; changing from a mainframe to a microcomputer;…

This collection of 23 articles compiled from school library journals address the special needs that make automation problematic for school libraries. The articles are divided into five sections: an overview of OPAC (Online Public Access Catalog) development (4 titles); evaluating OPAC systems (4 titles); implementing OPAC systems (6 titles);…