LIBRARY AUTOMATION RECOMMENDED READING

[Sweet Home High School <hslib@MORAN.COM>]

Seeing questions from time to time about library automation issues, I
finaaly was able to dig out some information which was very helpful to
me when we automated.  You'll want to get copies of both these
articles and use them in your planning.

Holloway, Mary A.  "Media Center Automation: the Way to Go!" School
Library journal, August 1988, pp.41-44.  (This is an excellent guide
to use for estimating the amount of time it will take to weed,
barcode, etc. and explain this to your administrators and school board
members.)

Whaley, Roger E.  "The Automation Survival Manual"  Computers in
Libraries, Oct. 1989, pp. 26-29.  (This article lists "20 Loaded
Questions" to ask your vendor.  I used them and they really helped to
identify who knew their stuff.)

Don't let the dates on these articles put you off.  The information in
them is timeless.  Any price references just need to be reconfirmed at
today's rate.

Another good source of information on automation is the School
Librarians Workshop newsletters from 1992 to 1995.  They did reviews
of the major automation systems.  The reviews were written by
librarians actually using the systems.

Carolyn Gierke
Sweet Home HS