The project summarized in this report collected data from 3 of the 25 largest Association of Research Library (ARL) member libraries in order to: (1) examine the durability of the measure of technology set forth in "An Empirical Assessment of Perrow's Technology Construct" (Administrative Science Quarterly, 1974, pp. 338-356); (2) study…

This report details the findings of the Florida Postsecondary Education Planning Commission in its evaluation of the Florida Center for Library Automation (FCLA), library automation in Florida, and networking and resource sharing among the state's libraries. An introductory chapter defines terms and outlines data gathering activities, while the…

A survey on the extent of library automation in academic libraries in Louisiana was undertaken to satisfy four objectives: (1) program planning for the library section of the 1980 Conference of Louisiana Colleges and Universities; (2) to provide information about library automation to the academic community; (3) planning assistance for the…

Compares the operating costs of the CL Systems, Inc. Libs 100 automated circulation system with those of the manual system it replaced. The systems are described, costs defined, methods of data collection explained, and unit costs given. (Author)

Issues related to library online systems are discussed in six articles. Topics covered include staff education through vendor demonstrations, evaluation of online public access catalogs, the impact of integrated online systems on cataloging operations, the merits of smart and dumb barcodes, and points to consider in planning for the next online…

This report describes efforts by three academic libraries to develop a model instructional program for online catalog users that could be adopted in other academic libraries. A key component of the research included the exploration and development of a methodology for utilizing online transaction logs to evaluate user performance. The four project…

This survey of 57 members of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) examines technical and management issues in providing remote access to their online catalogs, as well as with instructions and services for remote users. It is noted that most ARL libraries have not yet conducted studies to project the extent of use of remote access, although…

This report contains the conduct, methodology, and major findings of a survey of all the libraries in Missouri to assess their needs for a statewide database. The survey addresses the current state of automation, the functions that libraries would like to see a database perform, the materials to be included in the database, and the means of…

The development, field testing, and evaluation of a checklist approach to selecting an integrated library automation system are described, and recommendations for using this approach are outlined. The checklist, which is divided into five main sections of catalog features and functions, is appended. (Author/CLB)

Because technology has made new applications possible and because library and vendor expertise has developed, some libraries today are working with a second or third system vendor. This paper reports on a survey of such libraries in the United States, and it identifies commonality and variation in factors associated with automation system change.…

This report is based on information from the Federal Libraries and Information Centers Survey, FY 1994. Data in this report came from federal libraries and information centers that meet certain criteria, which includes having at least one paid part-time or full-time principal staff person. Nationwide, 94.1% of the libraries and information centers…

A microcomputer and hard disk were used to set up an automated card catalog in an Edmonton (Alberta) elementary school learning resource center to determine if a computerized card catalog would help elementary students to access learning resource materials, thereby enhancing their learning. Instead of using a traditional card catalog, students…

The current attitudes of users and non-users towards public online computer catalogs (OPAC's) were studied at the Library of Congress (LC) and responses were compared with those from an aggregate survey. Attitudes of both users and non-users toward the LC OPAC system were favorable. Problems experienced by patrons related to difficulty in…

With grants from the Council on Library Resources (CLR) and the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), New York University (NYU) Libraries conducted a study to assess user reactions to their online catalog, Bobcat (Bobst Library Computerized Catalog). In order to evaluate the effectiveness of NYU's catalog, to describe users' attitudes toward…

The purpose of this study was to determine what recent progress had been made in Georgia public elementary school library media centers regarding access to advanced telecommunications and computer technologies as a result of special funding. A questionnaire addressed the following areas: automation and networking of the school library media center…