This paper describes the first two months of operation of the OCLC interlibrary loan system, an online system designed to increase speed and effectiveness in obtaining interlibrary loans. This system provides (1) bibliographic verification of interlibrary loan records and location of materials by using online union catalog records, (2) automatic…

Describes major changes made in bibliographic control systems in the past three decades and discusses why these changes have occurred. (Author)

This paper is an extension of "Referential Consulting Networks" which explicated the concept of a network of referential consultants each of whom could "field" questions by: (a) answering them on the basis of his own expertise; (b) answer them with the help of library resources at his command; (c) refer the question to a…

This discussion of the use of authority control to ensure consistency of headings in machine-readable and card catalogs highlights the basic concepts and rationale of authority control and library catalogs, and efforts of the Library of Congress and bibliographic utilities. Six references and causes of name variations are appended. (EJS)

Considers aspects of building, maintaining, and using United States MARC format and other related standards, discussing costs and benefits, MARC and the American National Standards Institute's Z39 standard, effects of MARC on content and processing, compatibility between and within standards, and MARC in practice. Nineteen sources are cited. (EJS)

This 62-item bibliography lists library journal articles published in the 1980s which provide an overview of what is happening in the world of bibliographic utilities, i.e., organizations that maintain large online bibliographic databases and provide products and services related to these bases and to its members. Subdivision within bibliography…

Describes the history and development of the Tri-State College Library Cooperative (TCLC) Literature Search Center, a network of small academic libraries that cooperate to provide a computerized literature search service. (FM)

The problems and prospects faced by involving the nonprint informational units in interlibrary communication and information networks are described. Nonprint materials are defined as those materials not totally dependent on the printed word for meaning. Nonprint materials were further identified as storage devices for information or…

Reference service is defined as the mediation by a librarian between the need structures of users and the structures of information resources. The general process by which reference librarians accomplish this is outlined as including the phases of question clarification, question translation, search strategy formulation, search execution, delivery…

Reviews the benefits and disadvantages of online searching in the context of cooperative reference network services. The cost effectiveness of centralization of online information retrieval services, problems associated with doing searches at the network level, and subsidizing search services are discussed. (Author/JL)

THIS PRELIMINARY STUDY OF A COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM AMONG THE APPROXIMATELY FIFTY AFFILIATES OF THE NEW YORK METROPOLITAN REFERENCE AND RESEARCH LIBRARY AGENCY, INC. (METRO) PROVIDES AN OUTLINE FOR AN INITIAL INFORMATION TRANSFER NETWORK WITHIN A FIFTY MILE RADIUS OF TIMES SQUARE. THE TECHNIQUE OFFERED IS THE MORCHAND INFORMATION…

A 3-month trial of the Dearborn Area Libraries Infopass System (DALIS), a local library cooperative program coordinating the reference services of six libraries (special, public, and academic), suggests that further study is warranted to develop cost benefit data. Processes found to be of most importance for success in the multi-type library…

Report on the status of automation within Library of Congress's Processing Services notes the positive effects of progress in cataloging activities, acquisitions activities, information retrieval, and dissemination of bibliographic products. Systems in operation, distribution services and products, and automation tasks not yet scheduled are…

Describes the Kentuckiana Metroversity Linking project, a consortium of academic and public libraries using the Z39.50 information retrieval protocol to provide service to Greater Louisville and Southern Indiana. Topics addressed include the Z39.50 standard, the consultant's role, addressing technical issues, Internet vs. dial-in access,…

Research Libraries Group (RLG) is a corporation owned by 26 academic libraries in the United States. To accomplish their goals, RLG maintains a computerized library services system known as the Research Libraries Information Network (RLIN). The RLIN system (and subsystems), design considerations, functions, and benefits for RLG members. (Author/JN)