Because technology has made new applications possible and because library and vendor expertise has developed, some libraries today are working with a second or third system vendor. This paper reports on a survey of such libraries in the United States, and it identifies commonality and variation in factors associated with automation system change.…

The current attitudes of users and non-users towards public online computer catalogs (OPAC's) were studied at the Library of Congress (LC) and responses were compared with those from an aggregate survey. Attitudes of both users and non-users toward the LC OPAC system were favorable. Problems experienced by patrons related to difficulty in…

Surveys reactions of students and faculty to the online circulation system at University of Guelph Library, Ontario. Findings concerning status of users, frequency of use, effectiveness of instructions on screen, convenience of terminal locations, type of information required by user, and general comments are noted. Four references are provided.…

The Subject Access Research Project was initiated by OCLC in August 1979 to study the process of subject searching in the library catalog, with the objective of identifying features for an automated subject retrieval system which would support the present search tactics employed by library users performing manual subject searches at the library…

As part of a project which evaluated online public access catalogs (OPAC's) through analyses of library patrons' needs and perceptions, self-administered questionnaires were completed by library patrons who were OPAC users and non-users at nine academic and public libraries. Focus group interviews were conducted with OPAC users and non-users, as…

Reports findings of a nationwide survey to determine how select number of libraries (38 respondents) have conducted projects to convert retrospective holdings to machine-readable form. Analysis of the data in areas of planning, budget, effects on user services and cataloging/output, staff, training, and evaluation is discussed. Two sources are…

This report addresses the objectives of a national survey of users and non-users of online catalogs (OPAC's) as they apply to MELVYL and its implementation in the University of California (UC) Libraries on nine campuses. These objectives were to collect information to enable libraries to improve implementation of support services for public access…

To study the format, content, and rationale of public catalogs used at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) libraries, a questionnaire was sent to each of the campus libraries. The data collected included information on: 1) number of volumes in the library's collection; 2) number of drawers in its catalog; 3) physical arrangement of…

This survey assessing use of online databases in marine science libraries indicates that, despite generally small staff and collection size, there is considerable involvement in OCLC and computerized reference service and active planning for public catalogs, serials automation, and integrated database management systems. Eleven references and…

Based on an October 1982 survey of 31 selected members of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), this report presents library planning documents, general system descriptions and reviews, and examples of library specifications--all dealing with integrated library information systems (ILIS). An ILIS is defined as a fully interactive integrated…

A national study of users and non-users of public access online catalog systems (OPACs) was undertaken at 29 libraries, representing 15 computer systems, to provide data and interpretations useful to system designers and library administrators. The findings indicate that users have overwhelmingly positive responses to OPACs. Non-users have…

This report covers the background, scope, and findings of a multifaceted research project which focused on data collection and analysis related to online public access systems (OPAC's); the ultimate goal of this project is to improve information access through OPAC design and enhancement. To assist library decision-makers when planning for the…

This report reviews the eight-month process of planning for library automation undertaken by the Cleveland State University libraries late in 1984. Following an overview of the planning process, a listing of goals is presented, and six documents developed as a result of the process are provided. "Review of Current Systems" includes…

This paper examines the belief that no more than half of the public school libraries in the state of Ohio are automated to any degree. The purpose of the research was to determine the degree and nature of automation at the public school libraries in Ohio. A written survey was mailed to 350 libraries that represented a randomized sample of the…

In 1981 and 1982, a group of 5 organizations conducted a coordinated study of public online catalog users and nonusers in 31 research, academic, community college, public, and governmental libraries with 17 different online catalogs. It was found that: (1) the most important user characteristic linked with success and satisfaction in using online…