Summarizes status of academic libraries at beginning of 1980s in relationship to changes in broader society and technologies powering new communication networks (computers, video, teletext and videotex); outlines strategies for educating future library professionals; and forecasts how technologies might impact academic library beyond present…

Examines current problems and future roles of libraries in facilitating the growth of knowledge, and discusses the regulative role of price mechanism, autonomy, and centralism, given the role of criticism and the problem-solving nature of research. Issues discussed are examined against national library and information services planning proposals.…

Examines the purpose of catalogs, how card catalogs first fulfilled that purpose, and how computers represented a superior and inevitable replacement for it. Describes some recent developments in cataloging and their implications for the future. (AEF)

Describes cooperation between the national libraries of Europe on access to electronic publications, and outlines reasons why it has been necessary to act at a European level to improve library services. Highlights include the European Union, research and development, Telematics for Libraries activities, national policies, and future…

This overview of OhioLINK, a library automation project that links 17 academic libraries and the state library in Ohio, describes the planning, governance, mandates, and structure of the network. Implementation of OhioLINK at Miami University is discussed, including selection of a library automation system, representation on OhioLINK committees,…

Discusses "technolust" (i.e., obsession with computer technology) in librarians. Topics addressed include library automation, the concept of the virtual library, and recruitment of readers as the primary role of the public library. It is predicted that books and libraries will continue to be a vital part of the community. (EA)

Presents highlights of research that used industrywide surveys, focus groups, personal interviews, and industry-published data to explore the future of electronic information delivery in libraries. Topics discussed include CD-ROMs; prices; full-text products; magnetic tape leasing; engineering and technical literature; connections between online…

Discusses new hardware and software developments for microcomputers and considers strategies for future library microcomputing. Topics discussed include developments with Macintosh computers; the importance of local area networks (LANs); upgrading options for hardware; operating system upgrades; dynamic data exchange (DDE); microcomputer…

Describes major developments in book approval plans used by academic libraries for acquisition and for information dissemination and document distribution services based on approval-like concepts. Topics addressed include publishers; marketing; the impact of library automation; value-added services; the economic climate; the influence of…

Explores the future of reference librarianship within the context of the enabling technologies that will chart library development in the 21st century. The article types libraries into categories of "traditional,""automated,""hybrid," and "digital." The typology delineates shifts in human/machine…

This paper examines the history of academic libraries with special emphasis on the beginnings, growth, and progress in the uses of technology in those libraries. The earliest libraries were maintained for the preservation of knowledge and information. Access to the items in these collections was limited. With the growth of higher education in the…

The economic implications of new technology in public libraries include its cost, the trade-off between costs and benefits, and sources of funds. The cost of, for example, a new terminal, should be subdivided into components and activities so that library expenditures and some resultant output can be clearly identified. In addition, when…

Based on interviews and correspondence conducted during 1981, this report describes British library and book trade plans for expansion of their internal order processing systems to include the eventual exchange of data through the use of telecommunications. Comparisons are made between the situation in England and the United States. The report…

Highlights major trends in information technology and speculates on their impact for library services in the future. Bibliographic accessibility and the role of the librarian in information management in tomorrow's libraries are discussed. (EM)

Describes Vannevar Bush's vision of memex, a mechanized private file and library, and suggests that the ability of users to download library online catalogs and manage the information on personal computers will realize Bush's vision. Current software packages are described, and the possible implications for libraries are explored. (CLB)