Discussion of the systems development life cycle (SDLC) that supports operational and managerial planning of automation projects covers challenges of library automation, evolution and scope of SDLC, lack of dissemination of SDLC literature within library and information science community, and corrective measures to meet library automation demands.…

Describes an automated interlibrary loan request routing and referral system made available to U.S. biomedical libraries by the National Library of Medicine. The description covers the databases used and the systems modules that support various functions. The current status of the system and possible future developments are discussed. (six…

Discusses the applications of computer technology to community information and referral (I&R) services, basic planning considerations for automating an I&R service, and the development of an automated I&R system. Examples of computer supported I&R services in operation are given and the Tulsa City-County Library System's approach…

Describes the planning, development, implementation and impact of online information systems at three academic libraries. Some of the issues discussed include the campus computing environments, factors affecting the selection of databases and search systems, the impact of the system on library staff and users, and future considerations. (CLB)

Discussion of knowledge-based systems focuses on expert systems used by libraries for technical services and collection management. Highlights include knowledge acquisition; system development issues, including staff time and costs; cataloging; acquisitions and serials control; material selection; preservation; and examples of existing systems.…

Describes the implementation of a new set of indexes in the NOTIS/LUIS system that provide author, title, and subject access to bibliographic and authority records in the NOTIS/MARC format. The discussion covers index record structure and content, the design philosophy and process, and functions supported by the system. (Author/CLB)

Each of three articles describes an academic library's online catalog that includes locally created databases. Topics covered include database and software selection; systems design and development; database producer negotiations; problems encountered during implementation; database loading; training and documentation; and future plans. (CLB)

The six articles comprising this special section on MELVYL, the University of California automated library system, discuss plans for the future, general recommendations for online catalog design, evaluation methods, evolution of computing resources, impact on the work of librarians, and academic goals and benefits. A chronology of MELVYL…