Bill Schickling has spent a good chunk of his professional life at what is now Polaris Library Systems, shaping both the older Galaxy system and the newer Polaris integrated library system (ILS). When he joined the company as a programmer in 1987, it was still part of Gaylord, known mostly for its furniture and supplies division. Schickling was…

It's an obvious observation that librarians today find themselves dealing with collections of ever larger proportions of electronic content. The degree to which that shift has already taken place varies from one type of library to another. Some organizations, especially those involved with specializations in biomedical, scientific, or business,…

Three articles address the relationship between a library and the vendor of its automated system from several points of view: library-initiated vendor abandonment, vendor-initiated abandonment, nonperforming vendor and nonfunctioning system, and changing systems. Acceptance testing and financial, personnel, and legal aspects of vendor abandonment…

Summarizes some of the applications of automation in the Miami-Dade (Florida) Public Library System. A detailed discussion of the system CD-ROM LAN (Local Area Network) covers hardware and software, cost factors, advantages of networking CD-ROMs, problems, and evaluation. It is concluded that the advantages of a CD-ROM LAN outweigh the…

This report on a Business of Acquisitions Regional Institute, sponsored by the Resources and Technical Services Division (RTSD) of the American Library Association (ALA) and the Northern California Technical Processes Group (NCTPG), summarizes the keynote address on the relationships between booksellers, publishers, and librarians. Three panel…

Describes the advances in telecommunications and compact storage technologies that make it possible for electronic bookmobiles to provide a full range of information services. The feasibility of the widespread use of such bookmobiles is considered in view of the high cost of the technologies involved. (19 references) (CLB)

Discusses the development of successful pricing algorithms for cooperative library automation projects. Highlights include desirable characteristics of pricing measures, including simplicity and the ability to allow for system growth; problems with transaction-based systems; and a review of the pricing strategies of seven library consortia.…

This introduction to a new column on small automated library systems presents the author's credentials and discusses the topics to be considered, including automation needs of smaller libraries, microcomputer-based systems, network access, implications of automation for administration and staffing, and automation-related problems. (EA)

This final section of the report of a study on resistance to technological innovation in libraries begins with a summary of findings related to six research questions: (1) Assuming that resistance to technological innovation does exist, can a measure be developed to identify the resistance factor from items which tap the various dimensions of a…

Description of 1986 American Library Association Conference summarizes significant organizational actions and presentations on upgrading automation systems, censorship, federal libraries, fees and public library services, black community information needs, Linked Systems Project, libraries and the homeless, new products exhibited, and 1994…

Details the design, financial support, organizational structure, and evolution of a program to facilitate the automation of small public libraries in Massachusetts and to promote resource sharing among those libraries. A sidebar by Governor Dukakis expresses his views on the role and importance of libraries. (MES)

The bookmobile remains a feasible service option for both rural and urban libraries with about 1,000 currently in service nationwide. However, there is a growing need for professional attention to areas such as purchasing, evaluating, automating, and delivering bookmobile services. (LAE)

Describes the Booktech 2000 project that was developed at the Denver Public Library as a new work concept to improve acquisitions procedures and customer service. The short-term goal of expanding collections for new branch libraries is discussed, and new relationships with vendors are explained. (LRW)

Profiles Dorothy M. Schirtzinger, library director at the Lee County Library System (LCLS) in Fort Myers, Florida. Discusses her education and early jobs; mentors; the educational mission of the library; increases and developments in staff, branches, budget, and in-library and outreach programs; automation; federal funding; and future plans. (AEF)

Considers appropriate responses that public library leaders should be making in an environment of technological change. Topics discussed include the library mission and its role in dealing productively with change; library leadership in local government; community information; integrating technology into library management and operations; library…