Special collections libraries collect and preserve materials of intellectual and cultural heritage, providing access to unique research resources. As their holdings continue to expand, special collections in research libraries confront increased space pressures. Off-site storage facilities, used frequently by research libraries for general…

This report examines the potential impact of optical media--videodiscs, compact audio discs, and optical disks, tapes, and cards--in library related applications. A detailed consideration of the technology includes discussion of the underlying principles, the various forms in which the technology is marketed, production methods and costs, and the…

The materials of a library, exemplified by books, have traditionally been viewed as presenting two aspects involving two distinct problems: their description and control as unique items, and their treatment as sources of information on various subjects. But this view has tended to overlook a third fundamental aspect: that of the "works" which are…

This report presents an analysis of the problem of descriptive cataloging as a whole: the aspects of the problem, the questions they raise, the issues involved, the course adopted in the new "Anglo-American Cataloging Rules," and the principles that would serve best the objectives of the catalog. (Author)

In setting out to design a system of cataloging, or to evaluate a given system, or to apply a system in effect, it is necessary to begin with a clarification of the ends which the product of cataloging - that is, the catalog - is to serve in the library. To contribute to an understanding of these ends, the present study considers the role of the…

Originally written in the 1950s, this article addresses the question of subdividing and grouping entries under a given author as a main entry that paved the way for the American Library Association's Catalog Code Revision of 1967. It also includes referee responses by Elaine Svenonius, Allyson Carlyle, and Michael Carpenter. (LRW)

Libraries and information centers are rapidly becoming an integral part of American Indian live. A primary concern of Indian people is the availability of dependable information on those issues and programs which directly affect their day to day lives. As the community information agency, the library plays a key role in improving access to local…

Part I contains 22 papers covering all aspects of the library reference services including sources of reference materials, an evaluation of reference sources, building a reference collection, training a reference librarian, and the needs of the industrial and medical communities for reference services. All the papers are slanted toward the special…

The Multiple Versions Forum was convened to arrive at a consensus on various aspects of constructing bibliographic records for items that are the same in content but differ in physical representation. The 33 forum participants--representing backgrounds in network systems, national libraries, archives, cataloging systems, USMARC, AACR2…

An analysis of existing computerized data banks in science and technology reveals that nearly half of them involve the storage and retrieval of bibliographic data. Activity in this area has been independent and autonomous. This situation is now giving way to a new environment which involves cooperation, standards, and a rigorous rational analysis…

An overview of materials scheduling, this write-up outlines system components, standardization, costs, limitations, and expansion capabilities of the New York Statewide Film Library Network. Interacting components include research staff; materials libraries; hardware; input/output (operation modes, input format conventions, transaction codes);…