Written as a case study, this article outlines Duke Law School Information Services' video digitization, preservation, and access initiative. This article begins with a discussion of the case study environment and the cross-departmental evaluation of in-house video production and processing workflows. The in-house preservation reformatting process…

Once limited to geographers and mapmakers, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) has taken a growing central role in information management and visualization. Geospatial services run a gamut of different products and services from Google maps to ArcGIS servers to Mobile development. Geospatial services are not new. Libraries have been writing about…

A small, private academic library took the risk of moving from a traditional integrated library system to adopting a system "in the cloud." This case study presents the setting, history, and local needs of the library, including staffing challenges, and explains the decision-making rationale and process. A description of the library's transition…

Proper planning and assessment surveys of projects for academic library Web sites will not always be predictive of real world use, no matter how many responses they might receive. In this case, multiple-phase development, librarian focus groups, and patron surveys performed before implementation of such a project inaccurately overrated utility and…

Discusses issues that school librarians need to consider when updating and automating their libraries based on examples of experiences in several high schools. Topics addressed include planning; problems; needs assessment; software compatibility and selection; CD-ROMs; and training needs. (LRW)

Addresses the necessity of incorporating new computer technologies into school library resource centers and notes some administrative challenges. An extensive checklist is provided for assessing equipment and furniture needs, physical facilities, and rewiring needs. A glossary of 20 terms and 11 additional resources is included. (AEF)

Academic libraries are at a crossroads, facing increasing competition from other student services within their institutions and from commercial entities that duplicate their services. Examining some broader trends in education leads to suggestions as to how libraries might re-examine legacy services and assumptions and consider new directions.…

Discusses the planning process for migrating to a new library media center automation system, including identification of the need to migrate, solicitation of stakeholder support, enumeration of required attributes of a new system, writing the Request for Proposal (RFP), and maximizing vendor demonstrations. (MES)

Guidelines are given for automating a library. Issues arising in automation are illustrated through the experience of the Doherty Library of the University of St. Thomas, Houston (Texas). The first step is to decide what type of system is right for the needs of the library and its patrons. In considering vendors of systems, it is important to…

Offers guidelines for consultants from developed countries who are establishing automated libraries in developing countries. Topics discussed include needs assessment; collection characteristics; computer needs of the institution; user characteristics; funding; physical environment; personnel; local resources and services; and choosing…

This case study of the Kossuth Lajos Tudomanyeyetem, an academic library in Debrecen (Hungary), conducted in May 1992, describes its functioning and needs. Information gathered through a series of interviews, tours, library reports, and a review of relevant literature forms the basis for the case study. An overview of the library in its historical…

This manual is written for any library planning to introduce a new or replacement automated system. It focuses on planning for an integrated system that computerizes a multiplicity of library functions using one common database. This second edition contains a new section on the preparation of a technology strategic plan, a section on developing…

It is generally accepted in the library world that an automated catalog means more accessible data for patrons, greater productivity for librarians, and an improvement in the sharing of bibliographic data among libraries. While the desirability of automation is not a controversial issue, some aspects of automating remain problematic. This article…