Summarizes the development of the Computer-Aided Reference Services (CARS) division of the University of Utah Libraries' reference department. Development, organizational structure, site selection, equipment, management, staffing and training considerations, promotion and marketing, budget and pricing, record keeping, statistics, and evaluation…

Since its establishment in 1960, the Institute of Public Administration (IPA) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia has had responsibility for documenting Saudi administrative literature, the official publications of Saudi Arabia, and the literature of regional and international organizations through establishment of the Document Center in 1961. This paper…

Discusses reasons for the development of an online catalog using computer output microfiche (COM) supplements to the card catalog in a university library, and outlines some of the principles used in designing the online system. Three references are cited. (CHC)

Describes process by which two operational components of National Epilepsy Library and Resource Center (reference library, information and referral unit) combined existing retrieval package with specially designed software to make optimum use of a Wang VS-80 minicomputer. Designing and programing the system, testing and evaluation, and final…

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…

Briefly describes available expert system shells and identifies evaluation criteria relevant to the use of a shell by libraries. Areas discussed include ease of use by system developers and end users, detachability of finished systems, and costs. A glossary is provided. (10 references) (CLB)

A series of six articles discusses the technology of optical data disks, current and possible future applications of this technology, their potential impact on information retrieval systems, and the potential problems as they apply to information science. (CLB)

This report is intended to assist Canadian libraries in assessing potential library applications of optical disk technology. Part 1 provides a general outline of the technology and describes a number of library applications and projects. Descriptions are purposely general and illustrative in nature since the technology and its applications are…

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)

The specifications, planning, and initial development phases of the Random Access Center at the Oak Park and River Forest High School in Oak Park, Illinois, are described with particular attention to the ways that the five functional specifications and the five-part program rationale were implemented in the system design. Specifications, set out…

This report discusses the characteristics, operations, and automation requirements of technical libraries providing services to organizations involved in aerospace and defense scientific and technical work, and describes the Local Automation Model project. This on-going project is designed to demonstrate the concept of a fully integrated library…