Responses from 408 of 673 administrative support personnel in financial organizations indicated that the majority reported being proficient only using text-intensive tools. Administrative assistants/secretaries reported substantially higher skill levels using spreadsheets, databases, desktop publishing, and graphics than did executive secretaries…

This article discusses trends in five areas relating to software developed for libraries, and based on these trends, the author's predictions for developments that might play out in the next few years. The author's predictions, based on his own empirical observations, include: (1) the integrated library system (ILS) will be reintegrated; (2) the…

Field study was conducted in auto-parts after-market distribution centers where selectors used handheld computers to receive instructions and feedback about their product selection process. A wireless voice-interaction technology was then implemented in a multiple baseline fashion across three departments of a warehouse (N = 14) and was associated…

The new Fac-Back-OPAC (a faceted backup OPAC) is built on code that was originally developed by Casey Durfee in February 2007. It represents the convergence of two prominent trends in library tools: the decoupling of discovery tools from the traditional integrated library system (ILS) and the use of readily available open source components to…

In this article, the author argues the need for transparency with regard to the automation systems used in libraries. As librarians make decisions regarding automation software and services, they should have convenient access to information about the organizations it will potentially acquire technology from and about the collective experiences of…

This report describes the development, administration, and scoring of open-ended variants of GRE® Subject Test items in biology and psychology. These questions were administered in a Web-based experiment to registered examinees of the respective Subject Tests. The questions required a short answer of 1-3 sentences, and responses were automatically…

This article discusses some of the premigration tasks at Minnesota State Mankato in preparation for migration to a new integrated library system, ALEPH. The authors describe the review of circulation policies to make sure that only relevant, current data and practices were carried over. There is emphasis on the need for ongoing review of policies…

User experiments are the main theme of this tenth issue in the series of Project Intrex semiannual activity reports. This system is undergoing tests with users who are motivated by their need for information rather than an interest in the machinery by which it is stored, retrieved and presented. Test results will indicate which fields in the…

The centrality of bibliographic records in library automation, objectives of the bibliographic record file and elemental factors involved in bibliographic record creation are discussed. The practical work of creating bibliographic records involves: (1) data base environment, (2) technical aspects, (3) cost and (4) operational methodology. The…

This second LARC (Library Automation Research and Consulting Association) automation survey presents a number of significant improvements over the first survey. Although the number of survey reports has not increased greatly, all of them have been updated and reflect, as nearly as it is possible to do, the current status of automation operations…

As course management systems (CMS) gain popularity in facilitating teaching. A forum is a key component to facilitate the interactions among students and teachers. Content analysis is the most popular way to study a discussion forum. But content analysis is a human labor intensity process; for example, the coding process relies heavily on manual…

For most people on campuses, September means revising syllabi, enjoying football, or avoiding the person you broke up with last spring. For college librarians, it marks the beginning of "renewal season." It is time for the tedious work of placing orders and negotiating licenses for next year's journals. However, relief may be on the horizon.…

Traditional library web products, whether online public access catalogs, library databases, or even library web sites, have long been rigidly controlled and difficult to use. Patrons regularly prefer Google's simple interface. Now social bookmarking and tagging tools help librarians bridge the gap between the library's need to offer authoritative,…

With the widespread digitization of art, photography, and music, plus the introduction of streaming video, many colleges and universities are realizing that they must develop or purchase systems to preserve their school's digitized objects; that they must create searchable databases so that researchers can find and share copies of digital files;…

This study aims to contribute to the understanding of the library occupation and its capacity to accommodate to several pervasive changes now confronting the field, including moves toward professionalization and unionization, and reorientation of its service role toward working-class clients, and preparing itself for computer-inspired automation…