This book addresses many of the practical issues involved in developing the virtual library. Seven presentations from the Eighth Annual Computers in Libraries Conference are included in this book in augmented form. The papers are supplemented by "The Evolving Virtual Library: An Overview" (Laverna M. Saunders and Maurice Mitchell), a review of some of the landmark pilot projects which have developed during the first half of the decade. The use of the term virtual library is traced and various applications in academic libraries are outlined. Discussion also includes the impact of the Internet on the K-12 realm, how instruction at all levels is changing, and the future of the virtual library information system. The papers are as follows: "Linking K-12 Educators in Texas: Texas Education Network" (Connie Stout); "A Paradox for the Public Library" (Bernard A. Margolis); "Project Mercury: The Virtual Library Infrastructure at Carnegie Mellon University" (Barbara G. Richards); "The Internet at Arizona State University: A Case Study in Networking" (George S. Machovec); "BUBL, the Bulletin Board for Libraries" (Dennis Nicholson); "Developing Access to Electronic Texts in the Humanities" (Susan Hockey); and "Current and Future Trends in Network-Based Electronic Journals and Publishing" (Michael Strangelove). (AEF)