This updated and expanded second edition offers the latest findings and practices for library automation in the 21st century. With a practical, systematic approach, the book covers the entire spectrum of steps and activities involved in the automation process. Although this text does not prescribe a specific system or approach, it offers detailed guidelines to enable both the novice and the seasoned librarian to make educated decisions and avoid costly mistakes when automating for the first time, upgrading an existing system, or migrating from one automated system to another. Eight activities are included in this book, and most have been field-tested by students in a class called Library Automation. Chapters are as follows: Overview of Automated Systems; Preparing for Automation; System Architecture and Hardware Configurations; System Selection; Preparing the Collection for the Automated System; Implementing the Automated System; Networking; System Migration; OPACs and the World Wide Web; and Future OPACs. Includes 11 tables and 21 figures. Also includes a glossary and an index. (Contains 61 references.) (AEF)