The principal human factors engineering issue in robotics is the division of labor between automation (robots) and human beings. This issue reflects a prime human factors engineering consideration in systems design--what equipment should do and what operators and maintainers should do. Understanding of capabilities and limitations of robots and…

This directory is designed to provide information on automated systems and/or equipment used in libraries to provide a tool for planning future automation in the context of interlibrary cooperation considerations, and to inform the library and information community of the state of the art of automation in Massachusetts libraries. The main body is…

New technologies used by libraries include computers, minicomputers, photocopiers, audiovisual equipment, videocable, and satellite. Cataloging is a major area of computer application, with the MARC (MAchine Readable Cataloging) format developed by the Library of Congress providing batch mode services, and the more sophisticated OCLC (Ohio College…

A case study examining the general effects of automating operations in a medium sized academic library on both the staff and the organization over a ten year period reveals that the major impact has been the reappraisal of functional objectives and their accomplishment. In regard to personnel, there has been an overall savings in labor costs, and,…

A REPORT OF THE TENTH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF PROFESSORS OF EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION (NCPEA), WHICH WAS HELD TO DISCUSS AUTOMATION AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PREPARATION OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS, IS PRESENTED. THE CONFERENCE WAS UNDERTAKEN BECAUSE THE NCPEA BELIEVED THAT AUTOMATION IS SYMBOLIC OF VAST CHANGES AT WORK IN…

INSTRUCTIONAL AND EQUIPMENT CONSIDERATIONS IN THE DESIGN OF THE STUDENT MACHINE INTERFACE, THE POINT OF CONTACT OF A LEARNER WITH AN EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM DISPLAY, ARE DISCUSSED. INSTRUCTIONAL ASPECTS ARE CONSIDERED WITH RESPECT TO THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE INDIVIDUALIZATION OF THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT, THE SEQUENCING OF INSTRUCTIONAL STEPS, AND…

STARTING FROM A MODEL OF CONTEMPORARY MECHANIZED RETRIEVAL SYSTEMS AND THE CHARACTERISTICS OF INDEXING LANGUAGES USED THEREIN, THE AUTHORS DEVELOP A RATIONAL BASIS FOR USE OF THE UNIVERSAL DECIMAL CLASSIFICATION (UDC) IN THIS CONTEXT. PRACTICAL DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE USE OF UDC IN A MECHANIZED RETRIEVAL SYSTEM ARE DISCUSSED. EXAMPLES ARE…

THREE METHODS OF COST-EFFECTIVENESS ARE DISCUSSED--USE OF COMPUTERS, MATHEMATICS, AND EXPERTISE. THE USE OF EXPERTISE IS EMPHASIZED. THE DISCUSSION ON EXPERTISE JUDGMENT IS BASED ON PAPERS BY O. HELMER, WHICH ILLUSTRATE THE DELPHI METHOD OR CYBERNETIC ARBITRATION. ALTHOUGH COMPUTER AND MATHEMATICAL ANALYSIS (PARTICULARLY GAME THEORY) ARE BECOMING…

AS A STEP TOWARD IMPROVING SERVICES TO ALL USERS, THE NEW HAMPSHIRE STATE LIBRARY SPONSORED A STUDY OF BOTH THE SYSTEM OF LIBRARIES IN NEW HAMPSHIRE AND THEIR RESOURCES. THE STUDY ITSELF IS LIMITED TO THE POSSIBLE COORDINATION OF THE RESOURCES OF ALL TYPES OF LIBRARIES (PUBLIC, SPECIAL, SCHOOL, ACADEMIC) IN A WAY WHICH WILL MAKE THEM MORE READILY…

THE PROBLEMS OF REGULATION AND MAINTENANCE OF HEATING, VENTILATING, AND AIR CONDITIONING EQUIPMENT IN MULTIBUILDING SITUATIONS HAS LEAD TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN AUTOMATIC MONITOR AND CONTROL SYSTEM AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY. THE WORK LOAD HAS INCREASED WITH--(1) THE ADDITION OF MORE BUILDINGS, (2) THE INSTALLATION OF MORE COMPLEX SYSTEMS IN EXISTING…

TEACHERS' RATINGS ON SIX 7-POINT SEMANTIC DIFFERENTIAL SCALES (GOOD-BAD, WORTHLESS-VALUABLE, FAIR-UNFAIR, MEANINGLESS-MEANINGFUL, WISE-FOOLISH, DISREPUTABLE-REPUTABLE) WERE OBTAINED FOR THE FOLLOWING TERMS--AUTOMATED INSTRUCTION, SELF-INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM, TEACHING MACHINE, MECHANIZED TUTOR, PROGRAMED TEST, PROGRAMED INSTRUCTION, TUTOR TEXT, WORK…

No culture in the world's history has been so consumed with controlling the future's course, and conversely, so unconcerned with discovering meaning from the past. The provocative challenge of a future which will bring fulfillment to the American educational system is compelling. The future for school library media programs must amount to…

These bidding specifications describe requirements for a turn-key automated circulation system for the University of Oklahoma Libraries. An integrated systems approach is planned, and requirements are presented for various subsystems: acquisitions, fund accounting, reserve room, and bibliographic and serials control. Also outlined are hardware…

This examination of the feasibility of implementing an automated circulation system within San Mateo County's Peninsula Library System (PLS) was undertaken to determine if the system should automate material circulation systemwide in order to reduce operating costs while improving circulation procedures and increasing patron access to system…

To maximize efficiency and minimize cost, purchasing departments are using computers to issue purchase orders, expedite orders, and control inventory. In order to familiarize prospective users, explanations of some of the terminology, equipment, and other pertinent facts associated with automation are supplied. Six pages, in outline form, explain…