Discusses the importance of cataloging to library service and addresses some of the debilitating effects that downsizing or elimination of cataloging departments, combined with outsourcing, and the consequent decline in bibliographic integrity, have on library service. Includes a sidebar on outsourcing. (JKP)

Discussion of the revision of cataloging rules to simplify catalog records focuses on the information relating to publication, formerly called the imprint. Highlights include a review of cataloging codes; Library of Congress rules interpretations; the impact on bibliographic utilities; implications for technical and public services; and publishing…

Discusses the problem of subject access to material by, for, and about teenagers, and the role that vocabulary and heading assignments play in this problem. Appendices provide examples of Library of Congress Marc records dealing with adolescents, and corresponding records from the Hennepin County Library designed to alleviate the problem. (CLB)

Reviews the ways in which technical processing personnel enable libraries to provide fast and accurate access to information, and discusses the impact of technological change on the role and duties of technical processing personnel, the nature of library service, and existing organizational structures. (CLB)

Discusses results from a 1992 survey of various types and sizes of Canadian libraries that was conducted to establish a baseline profile of libraries contributing to shared databases, and to determine the nature and extent of AACR2R use for creating original records being contributed to bibliographic utilities or other networks. (LRW)

Discusses the impact of changing library technologies on the role of technical services personnel. The areas discussed include online library systems, bibliographic utilities, networking trends, the proliferation of serials, electronic publishing, and the increased need for quality control in technical processes. (32 references) (CLB)

A discussion of digital bibliography in the medical sciences looks at whether existing bibliographic techniques are appropriate for the new media, and the location of responsibility for emerging digital bibliography. Developments in medical informatics and medical librarianship are examined, and it is concluded that collaboration between these…

Provides an interview with K. Wayne Smith, chief executive officer of OCLC, that focuses on OCLC's online reference services. Topics include the ratio between technical and online reference services, how OCLC fits into the online industry, telecommunications, electronic publishing, pricing, database tape leases, and CD-ROM. (EAM)

Proposes a rationale to be used in comparing and evaluating alternative library computer catalogs, based on varieties of bibliographic data processed, kinds of indexes constructed, and desired search strategies. A glossary of terms related to computerized catalogs is appended. (Author/CLB)

Discusses possible technical services functions in electronic libraries of the future. Highlights include acquisition of electronic information; bibliographic control, including MARC format, bibliographic utilities, subject headings, and classification; systems planning, development, and evaluation; systems support; organization of technical…

Discusses advantages of tying together library book and journal collections in one online database. The division between the access tools of public and technical services is described and discussed in terms of the use of bibliographic utilities and search services, and some future consequences of full-collection access tools are described. (EM)

Examines the impact of automation on the future of library technical services. The areas discussed include the functions of technical services, how those functions are changing and will be organized, and the qualifications and recruitment of future technical services staff. (85 notes with references) (CLB)

Discusses cooperative efforts between research organizations and libraries to create a national information network. Topics discussed include the Linked System Project (LSP); technical processing versus reference and research functions; Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) Reference Model; the National Science Foundation Network (NSFNET); and…

Presents a summary of the history of academic library automation, and discusses some of the technological trends which are important to the development of an electronic library. Topics discussed include public services vs. technical services; cataloging and classification; serials control; computer networks; cooperative projects, including…

Describes a survey that examined the extent of library technical processes automation within academic libraries at 10 Caribbean universities. Existing conditions, steps in progress, and plans for future automation are discussed. (8 references) (CLB)