Insider's Guide to Library Automation: Essays of Practical Experience

Libraries are becoming increasingly automated. Many libraries have already become automated, and librarians have had to confront a new set of problems in their jobs. Many other libraries are not yet automated, but will soon be acquiring new technology and new problems. This book provides detailed techniques for coping with the problems inherent in automation. While other works offer thorough coverage of the library automation process, this volume provides case studies of the personal experiences of librarians who have had to solve problems related to automation. Included are case studies from large academic libraries, special libraries, public libraries, and smaller libraries.

The first section of the book includes chapters on locally developed library automation systems and how those systems have adapted to change. The second section contains chapters on selecting, buying, and installing automation systems. The third section includes chapters on the sharing of automated systems by different libraries. The fourth section, on database maintenance and conversion, contains chapters important to all librarians. The fifth section discusses the management of automated systems. The book concludes with a bibliographic essay that overviews developments in library automation technology and lists sources for further information.

JOHN W. HEAD is Associate Professor in the library science department at Clarion University, Pennsylvania, and has worked in public and academic libraries. A member of the American Library Association and the American Society for Information Science, his interests include information retrieval, library automation, and research methods.

GERARD B. MCCABE is director of libraries at Clarion University of Pennsylvania. He is the editor of Operations Handbook for the Small Academic Library (Greenwood Press, 1989) and Academic Libraries in Urban and Metropolitan Areas: A Management Handbook (Greenwood Press, 1992).