A formula is given that enables one to determine the parameters for amortizing an information system within a year. The formula is illustrated with three mechanized information systems for patents. The most critical parameter is shown to be indexing time. (7 references) (Author/NH)

In viewing the library as "a system of complex, interrelated functions, this article is intended to "aid those unfamiliar with libraries to evaluate the degree of automation that has been accomplished and to appreciate the enormous amount of work that remains to be done before the potential of the computer is fully realized in libraries. …

Progress report on the Manitoba Education Information Access (MEDIA) project, a computerized educational information system. (DE)

Effective management of movable equipment in a large institutional environment requires a readily accessible database containing accurate up-to-date information. The design and maintenance of an equipment database at the University of Illinois School of Chemical Sciences are discussed. (MLW)

Discusses the multilevel information system (MLIS), a retrieval system that integrates functions typical for database management systems and retrieval-oriented systems and provides several levels of data accessing, each developed for a different class of users. Twenty-two sources are cited. (FM)

The administrative computing operation of Clemson University is discussed. The university's computing history, computer hardware, and computing organization (including the Computer Center, administrative programing services, and information systems development) are described. (MLW)

One agency introduced a computerized information-gathering system to answer such questions as: How many families, over what period of time, receive services? What are the costs for each part of the program? How is staff time distributed? The author describes benefits and difficulties that the changes brought about. (Author)

This report describes approaches to database translation (i.e., transferring data and data definitions from a source, either a database management system (DBMS) or a batch file, to a target DBMS), and recommends a method for representing the data structures of newly-proposed network and relational data models in a form suitable for database…

The report discusses the file management requirements of a computer-based information storage and retrieval system for the Language Information Network and Clearinghouse System (LINCS). It discusses a hypothetical structure for the LINCS system, requirements of file management, long-range trends in data management technology of interest to the…

This publication provides materials relating to the design, preparation, acquisition, inspection, and application of Optical Character Recognition (OCR) forms in data entry systems. Since the materials are advisory and tutorial in nature, this publication has been issued as a guideline rather than as a standard in the Federal Information…