This report of a study to determine the economic feasibility of automating catalog production and maintenance for a public library system includes a description of the manual catalog system in use and requirements of the new system. Assessment of benefits and costs were determined for three alternative approaches: (1) retention of the card catalog; (2) a Computer Output Microfilm (COM) catalog produced within the city; and, (3) a COM catalog produced by an outside source. The study concluded that a COM catalog system is the most cost effective approach to meet program objectives, and a vendor operated COM system is the least costly while also featuring the shortest development time. Tables of costs and calculations are included. (Author/JAB)