The contributions in this volume represent a decade of OCLC's user behavior research findings that articulate the need for the design of future library services to be all about the user. Highlights include: (1) People associate the library with books and do not consider the library in relation to online resources or reference services; (2) People…

Keeping a uniform, basic arrangement of the school library is essential if students are to be comfortable finding resources in other libraries. Two questions that must be answered if a new system were to be devised are: Who would decide on the particulars of that system? What criteria would be used to make the decision to ensure that use of the…

This paper concerns information services by libraries for social scientists. A brief survey is made of the present state of both computers and telecommunication equipment. Projected information transfer networks are described, with emphasis on the role libraries are expected to play in them. Empirical studies of user needs are described in some…

The Public Access Library System (PALS), a two-way cable television system for the delivery of community information, was developed by the staff of the Pasadena Public Library working with a consultant under a 1-year Library Services and Construction Act (LSCA) grant. The objectives of the project were to: (1) identify six potential databases that…

Identifies factors that reduce the effectiveness of computers as intermediaries and discusses possible negative effects on user satisfaction and the interaction between users and librarians. A set of guidelines for the improvement of online catalogs, based on user needs and abilities, is presented. (41 references) (CLB)

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…