Discusses how organizational issues and system standardization can be important factors that determine an institution's ability to fully exploit contemporary building automation systems (BAS). Further presented is management strategy for maximizing BAS investments. (GR)

Examines the prevailing definitions and responsibilities of product, network, and system integrators for building automation systems; offers a novel approach to system integration; and sets realistic expectations for the owner in terms of benefits, outcomes, and overall values. (EV)

Information technology has automated the process of substitute teacher dispatching. This article describes such automated systems, examining the advantages of using the Internet for automated staffing. It concludes that for districts that take advantage of this new technology, using the Internet can make automating absence reporting and substitute…

Up until fairly recently, library collections have consisted of physical things--books; journals; audiovisual materials; and, in some libraries, collections of realia. Now, however, collections often include materials that cannot be placed on library shelves either because they are digitized versions of primary sources or because they exist only…

In days that seem very long ago, when the card catalog was the only way to search a library's collection, there was very little debate about the usability of the catalog. Librarians were most concerned about properly formatting catalog cards and, of course, ensuring that the cards were filed correctly. Today, the card catalog has been replaced in…

Necessity is still the mother of invention, and physical processing is a reality for most libraries. Ergo, the inevitable development of Indigo Media and its innovative MediaPrint software, which allows distributors to overlay customized labels, logos, barcodes, and artwork onto retail labels of audiobooks, CDs, VHS tapes, DVDs, and CD-ROMs, on a…

The development of an FI analyzer for chemiluminescence detection using a low-cost photoiodide is presented. The experiment clearly demonstrates in a single interdisciplinary project the way in which different aspects in chemical instrumentation fit together to produce a working analytical system.

The Contra Costa County Library is located within the greater San Francisco Bay Area. With 26 physical locations and a virtual branch, it has more than 400,000 cardholders and serves a population of almost 1 million. As part of developing a strategic plan to meet the needs of the public in the 21st century, the library hired a consultant to gather…

Given the recent spate of library system vendor acquisitions and consolidations, integrated library system (ILS) migrations have become a hot topic again. Although ILS migrations happen all the time, they tend to be cyclical in nature. Today, people are thinking broadly about what options might be available to them. These include changing vendors,…

Guides for mail-handling efficiency from the mailroom supervisor at Michigan State University. (MLF)

The results of a study carried out under the auspices of the Council on Library Resources are described. (Author)

Outlines recent trends in library cooperation in England with emphasis on the British Library's programs. (PF)

As automated scoring of complex constructed-response examinations reaches operational status, the process of evaluating the quality of resultant scores, particularly in contrast to scores of expert human graders, becomes as complex as the data itself. Using a vignette from the Architectural Registration Examination (ARE), this paper explores the…

A system used by five libraries in San Antionio, Tesas, for producing catalog cards, book catalogs, and bibliographies is described. (PF)

A framework for cooperation between Library of Congress and the RTSD/ISAD/RASD Committee on Representation in Machine-Readable Form of Bibliographic Information in regard to changes in the MARC System. (LS)