PART OF THE PLANNING NECESSARY FOR THE NEW CITY OF COLUMBIA, MARYLAND (PROJECTED POPULATION OF 125,000) HAS BEEN THE ORGANIZATION OF AN OPTIMUM PROGRAM OF INFORMATION SERVICES FOR ALL AREAS OF ITS LIFE--BOTH FOR THE COMMUNITY IN GENERAL AND FOR ITS SCHOOLS, INDUSTRIES, AND BUSINESSES. COMMUNICATIONS, TECHNOLOGY AND RELATED SYSTEMS HAVE BEEN INVESTIGATED AND A GENERAL PLAN MAKING EXTENSIVE USE OF COMMUNITY ANTENNA TELEVISION SYSTEMS, CLOSED CIRCUIT TELEVISION, SHARED COMPUTER SERVICES, AND OTHER PROGRAMS, ALL ADMINISTERED BY THE COLUMBIA COMMUNICATIONS SERVICE AGENCY, HAS BEEN PROPOSED. VILLAGE LIBRARIES, WHICH ARE TO BE PLACED IN POPULATION AREAS OF APPROXIMATELY 3000 FAMILIES, WILL HAVE THE DUAL PURPOSE OF SERVING THE JUNIOR AND SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLS, AND BEING A BRANCH OF THE PUBLIC LIBRARY. ON THE OTHER HAND, THE TOWN CENTER LIBRARY MAY BECOME THE FOCAL CENTER FOR ALL LIBRARY AND COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES FOR THE TOWN. THE COMMUNICATIONS AGENCY WILL BE RESPONSIBLE, UNDER CONTRACT, FOR ALL BASIC LIBRARY SERVICES FOR BOTH THE VILLAGE AND TOWN CENTER LIBRARIES, AND FOR THE SCHOOL AND ACADEMIC LIBRARIES, INCLUDING CENTRAL PROCESSING, ADMINISTRATION OF PAPERBACK SALES, PROVISION FOR AUDIOVISUAL MATERIALS, AND ADMINISTRATION OF A CENTRAL SCIENTIFIC-TECHNICAL REFERENCE CENTER. (CM)