The truest meaning of public service was that, although never used by all citizens, it was still available for any citizen. Whether public service in America can survive in the next decade, and maintain its basic altruistic concepts, will be the concern of all librarians. (Author/NH)

Discusses the state of library automation and the benefits and dilemmas of available operating systems. Presents an overview of six vendors selling online library systems (Ameritech, Endeavor, Data Research Associates, Sirsi, Innovative Interfaces, and Ex Libris). Provides sales figures based on the "Library Journal" articles published during the…

Presents factors for librarians to consider when decision-making about information retrieval. Discusses indexing theory; thesauri aids; controlled vocabulary or thesauri to increase access; humans versus machines; automated tools; product evaluations and evaluation criteria; automated classification tools; content server products; and document…