Describes a study that was conducted to determine the filing rules used by depository libraries that shelve their documents by the SuDoc (Superintendent of Documents) classification scheme. Results are discussed in terms of creating an automated program to produce a shelf list of publications arranged by SuDoc numbers. (five references) (LRW)

Reports on a survey which assessed automated authority control capabilities of 18 vendors' automated library systems, software, or services. Graphs rank vendors according to overall score, authority record source, format/storage of authority records, database dynamics, matching/linking authority and bibliographic records, syndetic structure,…

Uses an experimental system for authority control on a collection of bibliographic records to demonstrate the resemblance between thesaurus-based automatic indexing and automatic authority control. Details of the automatic indexing system are given, results discussed, and the benefits of the resemblance examined. Included are a rules appendix and…

The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) received a year's grant from the Council on Library Resources to design and develop a library network for the 17 western states. Major activities of the first quarter included: (1) hiring a systems analyst, cost study investigator, research assistant, and secretary, and selecting a…

A founder trustee of OCLC recounts the steps toward automation of library catalogs encountered during his career, from the use of punched cards in a circulation system to the implementation of online union catalogs. (CLB)

Reports the results of a survey of libraries having authority control and using authority control vendors, which was conducted to examine online maintenance features of present systems. The features discussed include global updates; uniqueness, hierarchical, and reciprocity checks; human intervention; field validation; and frequency of authority…

Compares pricing of seven CD-ROM-based public access catalog systems for libraries of diverse sizes and groupings. Other features of the systems are outlined in the broad areas of database preparation, indexing, database updates, hardware, information retrieval, library controlled elements, interlibrary loan, reports, user support, future…

Reports on a 1980 survey of library automation in 105 Catholic colleges with collections containing less than 300,000 bibliographic items. The report indicates that network membership and grant funding were a vital part of library automation in the schools surveyed. (Author/LLS)

Describes the generation and utilization of financial reports by the online book order system developed at the University of Massachusetts. A series of reports record monthly book transactions, use of funds by subject and type of publication, and the performance of vendors. (Author/RAA)

Reports the results of a survey of OCLC member libraries that queried their ownership and use of microcomputers, CD-ROMs, and FAX machines. The findings discussed include general uses of microcomputers, the top 10 CD-ROM products, brands of CD-ROM drives used, patron access to CD-ROM, future purchase plans for CD-ROM products, and ownership of FAX…

The OCLC Interlibrary Loan (ILL) Subsystem was designed to facilitate resource sharing among OCLC participating libraries, thereby enabling libraries to expand the range of library resources available to patrons. The final report describes subsystem design and functional uses of the ILL subsystem. A functional overview explains the file,…

Computer-output microfilm (COM) is used at the University of Wisconsin-Stout Library to generate reports from its major machine readable data bases. Conditions indicating the need to convert to COM include existence of a machine readable data base and high cost of report production. Advantages and disadvantages must also be considered before…

Reports results of a 1987 survey of the British membership of Aslib on the use of information technology in libraries and information centers. Responses are analyzed in four areas: (1) hardware; (2) software applications and packages; (3) online searching; and (4) new technologies for communications, document delivery, and information storage. (2…

Addresses some problems associated with technological change and examines the nature of data and technology, organizations, and computer-mediated work. Concepts of sociotechnical systems design are related to library automation, and a set of strategies for facilitating technological change is proposed. (29 references) (Author/CLB)

Study conducted at the University of Western Ontario explored whether use of keywords of an online catalog would be a satisfactory alternative to self cross referencing for locating variant subject heading forms. Random comparison of machine readable cataloging with Library of Congress authorities demonstrated the desirability of cross reference…