Describes use of RFPs (requests for proposals) to specify requirements for automated library systems and presents advice on when to use RFPs, how to construct the statements, and how to present library needs and priorities so that maximum success in choosing a vendor and system are achieved. (Author/CLB)

Reports the results of a national survey of online systems in academic libraries which gathered information on acquisitions, serials, circulation, cataloging, interlibrary loan, and integrated systems. The results include relationships between library characteristics, such as size, and library reports of present systems and future plans, methods…

Reports results of a survey of university film libraries and educational film companies that examined the impact of new technologies on their operations. The discussion covers trends toward 1/2-inch video, automation of processes, a shift toward an on-campus focus, and the impact of copyrights and funding on organizational policies. (CLB)

Describes a study that used a staff development program on computer technology to examine computer anxiety and other factors related to resistance to computers among library personnel. The discussion covers determinants of computer anxiety that were identified and the effects of anxiety on workshop participation. (16 notes with references)…

Reviews the ways in which technical processing personnel enable libraries to provide fast and accurate access to information, and discusses the impact of technological change on the role and duties of technical processing personnel, the nature of library service, and existing organizational structures. (CLB)

Discusses the impact of automation on library technical services, and the need for library managers to be aware of the issues involved and to plan for future developments. The discussion focuses on the areas of job related concerns of technical staff, organizational structures, recruitment and training, and ergonomic considerations. (CLB)

Describes a project in which OCLC retrospectively converted more than 27,000 serial titles held by the University of Massachusetts Library at Amherst. Details of the reasons for choosing OCLC, the contract between the library and OCLC, and the effectiveness of the project in meeting the library's goals are discussed. (Author/CLB)

Discussion of the need for automated library systems to provide management information to aid in decision making focuses on the automatic generation of reports. Examples of management information generated in collection development, acquisitions and serials, cataloging, online catalogs and circulation are described as well as possible uses of this…

Describes Parkland College Library's efforts to review technical service activities and make recommendations concerning the automation of cataloging, acquisitions, and the public catalog. Traces the steps that have been taken in the development of a "paperless office." (DMM)

The second of two articles discusses topics relating to the development of CD-ROM technology: (1) new applications; (2) the image of what CD-ROM will become; (3) the properties of information, including timeliness, risk, and the relationship between message and medium; and (4) growth issues such as production, pricing, and user training and…

Discusses issues to be considered in planning a library that will anticipate the needs of the future. Power and telecommunications capacity are stressed, and a checklist of items requiring specific writing services is included. Recommendations for workstation design and structural elements are offered. (MES)

Reviews the 1986 literature on research in the areas of cataloging, subject access, user interface, and administration. The majority of papers selected for inclusion are descriptive studies (surveys using questionnaires or interviews) or case studies of one of more libraries. Thirty-eight references are listed. (MES)

Describes how the Swift-Current Comprehensive High School (Saskatchewan) library computerized to create an online catalog, provide access to remote databases, and acquire CD-ROM reference systems. Objectives, hardware and software selection and costs, implementation, and evaluation are discussed. Seven references are listed, and a directory of…

Two articles address the design of microcomputer networks and the use of local area computer networks (LAN) to improve library automation. Topics discussed include network design criteria, media for local networks, transmission mode, typical communication protocols, user interface, basic local network architectures, and examples of microcomputer…

Erroneous belief that library users are increasingly experiencing information overload is a result of confusion between concepts of information explosion and information overload, and misinterpretation of implications of research findings. Suggested ways that users can prevent overload include limiting, selecting, and delegating information;…