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This article discusses the proceedings of the 2008 American Library Association annual conference in Anaheim, California. Participant reviews of the location, exhibitions, and workshops are assessed. Discussions of changing library research platforms, and what these technological developments mean for librarians seeking to support patron research are noted.

Focuses on the library automation industry as of April 1, 2002. View that a small number of large companies control the greatest market share; Discussion of the purchase of Data Research Associates by Sirsi Corp.; International connections of North American companies such as Endeavor Information Systems; Competition in expanding the Web OPAC to employ more content components and to expand the library services and options it offers.

Stresses the important services an online catalog offers and lists some of the most important trends and changes in library cataloging. The emergence of a trend to link local catalogs to each other; Changes in the way library users search the catalog; Assertion that many librarians lack understanding of the role that catalogers should play; Commitment of the American Library Association to address the recruitment of catalogers; Efforts of librarians to ensure that the bibliographic records created can be used in the catalogs of all libraries; Discussion of MARC formats and ways to order bibliographic records on the online catalog screen; Opinion that a change in the approach to subject cataloging could accomplish a great deal. INSET: The National Coordinated Cataloging Program.

Argues that librarians must demand sophisticated authority control from automation vendors. Idea that new methods for searching in an online catalog cannot replace the valuable linking and guiding functions provided by an interactive authority control module; View that authority control must play an important role in the construction and maintenance of bibliographic databases; Observation that librarians should remember that machine-readable bibliographic databases in the library will be created only once; Completion of a survey by vendors of automated library systems, software, or services which was designed to assess specific functions and capabilities for automated authority control; Opinion that vendors should learn more about authority control and its function in the online catalog. INSET: What's Authority Control? or, The Tale of the Virgin vs. The....

Discusses a survey of library automation and the needs of libraries that are trying to upgrade computer systems. Percentage of libraries which are planning to upgrade computer systems they have had installed in the past five years; Finding that circulation control, which was the first library function to be automated, was the module most common among those purchased by the libraries with systems; The use of computers by libraries to catalog their collections and provide an online public access catalog module (OPAC) in their systems; Plans of most public libraries surveyed to replace their computers and add new modules or functions to their systems.

Focuses on online public access catalogs in the United States. Advantages for bibliographic searching; Information retrieval procedures; Online catalog design; Status information in online catalogs.

Focuses on the implications of the emergence of computer catalogs and the electronic library for librarians and library users. Online public access catalogs; Liberating asset of computer catalog; Issue of control of the online catalog and the democratic versus authoritarian dichotomy; Efforts and deliberations towards system compatibility; System design option; Barriers to access and manipulation.

Reports on the use of online catalogs to stimulate effective library use in the U.S. Improvement of subject searching through coordinated approach of assigned descriptors; Introduction of advances in online catalog design to users; Retrieval of information from the databases.

The article discusses how the advent of cloud computing may affect what libraries do and how they do it. The author reports that cloud-based services have become available that can replace traditionally in-house functions such as maintaining patron records and providing reader recommendations. Also discussed are advantages and disadvantages of cloud-based library services.

This article discusses the design of online public access catalogs for use on smartphones. The potential for applications such as the AirPAC catalog designed by Innovative Interfaces Inc. or PocketCirc by SirsiDynix to allow users to search the web from their phones is compared to the process of transcoding, which allows mobile users to interface with adapted forms of established catalogs. The use of text message communication systems to provide instructions for finding books is also described.

Presents the views of Cleveland Public Library's director, Marilyn Gell Mason, on how to provide the best library service. Discussion of how the library offered access to complete Associated Press (AP) reports during Operation Desert Storm; View that the library is able to predict what library users need and respond in a timely way to these needs; Construction of a dial-up service by the library, which offers in its online catalog a current index to articles in a number of magazines and other information on periodicals and library materials; Thoughts of Mason the partnerships of the library with electronic publishers, including software and database publishers.

The article reports on a study performed during 1987 that tested the belief among catalogers that the quality of original cataloging in online computer library catalog (OCLC) and research libraries information networks (RLIN) differs markedly, and determines whether some kinds of errors occurred with greater frequency in member-contributed original cataloging. In the early years of these two major U.S. bibliographic networks, Library of Congress machine-readable cataloging (LC MARC records) formed the nucleus and large majority of records of both databases. Although LC MARC records are not error-free, they were then and are today the highest standard of quality in the U.S., leaving the networks to assume that most of their cataloging was the best quality available. Using MARC records as their authority, both databases required member libraries to follow LC practice. The proportion of records in OCLC and RLIN contributed by member libraries has grown steadily, while the proportion of LC MARC records declined. The two networks took different approaches to quality control. They had different objectives, pricing structures, cataloging needs and capabilities, and historic developments. At the risk of oversimplifying, it is not unfair to say that OCLC emphasized building its database, encouraging members to contribute new cataloging without applying strict controls on its accuracy and fullness, while RLIN assigned a high priority to cataloging quality, encouraging accuracy and fullness in records even if fewer of them were contributed as a result.

The article examines the role of technology in libraries. Libraries began using online systems in the early 1970s to automate internal procedures such as acquisitions and circulation control. This process of internal automation created an up-to-date online file of bibliographic information, including holdings and status availability of a library's collection. Initially, this online file was used only by library personnel at staff-use terminals. The proliferation of online terminals and the expansion of this valuable database have gradually attracted the library's users to its use. To meet this demand, libraries are now providing direct access for library users through the use of online public access catalogs. These are equipped with so-called user friendly interfaces with which a wide range of library users feel comfortable. Searching by subject, title, author, or keyword, library users can access all of the information in the catalog that relates to a specific word or phrase. Compared to the conventional card catalog, the online public access terminal quickly provides current information on a library's holdings, their availability, and their whereabouts. Library automation has now evolved into a powerful aid for gaining access to information both inside and outside the library.

The article reports that Darien Library in Connecticut has launched the SOPAC3 online catalog system which uses its own works-level concordance. Topics discussed include the library's launch of a mobile-friendly web site, the features of the system, and the plans of the library to release the entire suite's source code to be used by other libraries for free.

The article discusses the importance of library patrons who use their library's website weekly, or ePatrons. Topics include how ePatrons use the website compared to other patrons, how libraries can redesign their website to better meet the needs of ePatrons, and a study by periodical "Library Journal" that suggests that ePatrons often buy books and electronic books based on their library activity.

The article focuses on the Amigos eShelf Service, an electronic book (ebook) platform for public, school, and academic libraries, launched by Dallas, Texas-based nonprofit library cooperative Amigos Library Services. Topics discussed include several providers of funding, including the Institute of Museum and Library Services and Texas State Library and Archives Commission, Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC), and statement from eShelf service manager Christine Peterson regarding library issues.

The article focuses on the 2009 American Library Association (ALA) conference and discusses discovery products and innovations exhibited at the conference, including EBSCO's Discovery Service and Basic Discovery index. The aggregate index discovery product from Ex Libris is also discussed. It is inferred that the products are intended to improve the discovery of materials.

This article discusses the efforts of ChiliFresh to help to open up the online public access catalog developed by SirsiDynix. Scott Johnson, the chief executive of ChiliFresh described products including a review engine that allows library users to write reviews of books that will be introduced by ChiliFresh. Efforts to encourage user-generated content for OPACs as part of library 2.0 are described.

The article discusses the need for cybersecurity for online library content and networks. Topics include details on hackers' interest in higher education network accounts, details on the threats to higher education information technology (IT), and mention of the risk of illegal data theft to licensed research databases.

This article focuses on the automation initiative of IBM for its different products related to libraries. The company intends to accomplish its goal of open systems computing by upgrading products that are more compatible for networking, application development, and systems and data management. It also will increase activities in the area of standardization of hardware and software. The company also released over 100 new products, of particular interest are upgrades to its UNIX-based operating systems as well as its disk operating system, both heavily used in libraries. To help its customers initiate open systems, IBM has begun a Multivendor Client Services program, which will provide customized hardware and software for testing. The move toward open systems is part of the company's Information Warehouse framework, which is a combination of new products and support services for accessing and managing data on IBM and non-IBM equipment regardless of format, database, or geographic location. In connection, CLSI Inc. also designed an interface between an online catalog and a robotic retriever for an automated library in Bordeaux, France. The company's LIBS100plus system software is an upgraded circulation control system that works with the existing MARC records and online catalog.

This article provides information on the dial-up access service of the Cuyahoga County Public Library system in Ohio. During the first year of the service in 1989, the dial-up access link (Easy Access Catalog) to the library's online catalog received a respectable 66,548 calls. At its most recent count, that number has grown to a whopping 215,258, or 36,743 more requests than at the busiest of the system's 29 branches. Easy Access allows anyone with a personal computer 24-hour-a-day, seven-days-a-week access to search the catalog or to make reserves. Though the increased workload has been difficult, the library is happy about its annual 12-15 percent increases in circulation due to the dial-up service.

This article reports on the release of the 1991 development schedule of NOTIS Systems Inc. NOTIS Systems Inc. has unveiled its 1991 development plan of enhancements and improvements to existing products as well as some additional releases to supplement its stable offerings. Included in these will be upgrades of its library management system, KeyNOTIS, which will have location-based catalogs added on while its serials check-in abilities are being redesigned. Location-based catalog features allow users to search the online public access catalog in subsets of the entire database. The subsets could be physical, such as single library in a campuswide system, a single branch of a public library system, one library in a multilibrary consortium, or a single school library in a school district library system. NOTIS has also beefed up the abilities of its multiple database access system, which allows a user to interface with both an online public access catalog and other database files. To keep abreast of the technological advances made during the intervening years between its initial debut and the present, NOTIS will redesign its serials module in a two-phase project. Of particular importance is the inclusion of the U.S.-MARC format for Holdings and Location first introduced at several NOTIS sites at the end of last year.

Focuses on issues surrounding the adoption of online public access catalog in libraries. Explanation that contrary to common beliefs, library patrons prefer automation in information retrieval; Reference to the book "Subject Searching in Library Catalogs: Before and After the Introduction of Online Catalogs," by Karen Markey; Benefit of online cataloging; Aspects that should be considered before introducing online cataloging to library users.

Discusses the importance of library databases to online public access catalogs (OPAC). View that databases should only have to be created once, because having to re-create a bibliographic datebase or reconstruct it will be costly for an institution; Observation that libraries are often tempted to take shortcuts in creating the database because they use bibliographic utilities and other sources of machine-readable cataloging records; Use of a national bibliographic utility by a college library for current cataloging and retrospective conversion; Situation in which a library consortium merged machine-readable records from all of its members for a microfiche union catalog.

This article discusses an approach to cost allocation in shared automated library systems. The design of a good cost allocation formula is difficult, but manageable. In most cases the participating institutions will be different in size, reflected by the size of their databases, number of technical services and circulation transactions, and patrons served. usually, the institutions will have differing emphases of how the system will be used, some stressing the circulation function and others the online catalog. One library will want 20 online public access catalogs (OPAC) terminals and another will only want a few for the reference staff. Academic libraries will want interactive links to their student registration systems and campuswide networks. Public libraries will place much emphasis on the efficiencies of the ability of the circulation module to process patron check-outs quickly and accurately. And then there is the cost of communications between the different locations and the central computer system. The largest library may argue that the computer should be at the location with the most terminals. Another library may propose that it be located in the most central geographic location to all participating institutions.

This article discusses the goal of every library to increase its services to patrons while containing the costs of providing those services. Increasing costs of library operations has made this goal a difficult and challenging one. The library system consortium has been one logical response to this need. Consolidation of data and sharing of system costs has worked in a mutual advantage. As library systems have evolved and matured, it is evident that the library database is much larger and encompasses more library materials than it did when systems were driven solely by circulation requirements. This transition is relevant to library systems planning. In relation to this, there is a need to develop a standard or de facto standard for online catalog access. The complexity of online catalog access, in one point or another, has posed a larger challenge to libraries. The lack of standards for online access has resulted in inconsistent record access. The generic equivalents in an automated environment, such as record display and index listing, now vary from one vendor to another. This means that something significant has been lost in the automation process. The application of computing technology in library services must include a conscious effort to be certain that users are provided with coherent structure of access to library materials and recorded knowledge in all libraries.

Discusses the options available to reference librarians for online searching for books. Advantages of OPACs, EPIC, OCLC and other online search services and databases; Fees.

This article refers to a doctoral dissertation research done by Marilyn Lester concerning the usefulness of online library catalog systems, which showed that 40.1 percent of user searches elicited the information they wanted. Lester studied transaction logs from the computerized catalog at Northwestern University Library in Evanston, Illinois. Her sample was 1,518 subject searches from more than 200,000 subject searches. As part of her study, Lester did an extensive review of previous research. She refers to another study that analyzed the actual terms users typed into the terminal. This study by Karen Markey was a transaction log analysis of one day of user subject searches in the Syracuse University Library in New York on April 26, 1982. In this study, Markey found that of the 859 searches by 188 users, only 154 exactly matched Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) and five percent exactly matched LCSH cross references. In Lester's study, user's terms matched LCSH 40.1 percent of the time. For the 59.9 percent of the users' terms that did not exactly match LCSH, she applied three search or match processes to see how they would have increased the matches with those subject headings.

Recommends that all libraries use dial-up online computer readable databases. Percentage of public and university libraries offering such a service; Author's disappointment with the alternative computerized catalog; Federal tax dollars for the development of online databases.

Presents various reference services and products developed by Online Computer Library Catalog (OCLC) for use in library's reference division. Provision to access several online vendors by intelligent gateway in OCLC LINK; Availability of private file space on the LINK Computer; Announcement of the commercial availability of CD-ROM product; Maintenance of an program of Research and Development of products.

Argues on the charges for the online searches imposed by the publicly funded libraries. Reasons for considering online searching a new service; Financial constraint in providing free online searches; Online catalogs versus databases; Objective of online searches; Need to determine policy for spending money.

Highlights the efficiency of online public libraries in the U.S. Starting a search; Searching databases; Leading online public libraries.

Reports on the extension of access of the District of Columbia Public Library (DCPL) online catalog to other libraries. Range of sites from where the public can consult the online catalog of DCPL; Other information which DCPL can offer.

The article looks at electronic books (e-books) at libraries, as of 2014. It discusses the efforts of a coalition of public library systems, the ReadersFirst coalition, to work with publishers and e-book vendors to increase the availability and convenience of e-books for library users. Topics include e-book lending platforms from the firms OverDrive, 3M, and Baker & Taylor, the integration of e-book information into libraries' online public access catalogs (OPACs), and academic libraries.

The article mentions a coalition of librarians, ReadersFirst Initiative, met after the American Library Association's (ALA) 2013 Midwinter Meeting at the Seattle (Washington) Public Library to discuss content access requirements for electronic lending (e-lending). The article notes Vancouver (British Columbia) Public Library's director for resources and technology Christina de Castell said libraries need to develop a single catalog listing all their print and digital materials for users.

The article discusses a summit between electronic book (ebook) distributors to public libraries with leading U.S. and Canadian libraries on January 28, 2013 at the Seattle Public Library in Washington. Topics discussed include access to content and ebook lending and the integration of materials into Online Public Access Catalogs. It also commented on a draft document on content access requirements released in December 2012 by the librarian coalition ReadersFirst Initiative.

The author focuses on Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC) functionality and design. He states OPACs are designed to expose catalog records instead of helping library users accomplish library-related tasks. He mentions that bibliographic data should only be exposed when useful. He comments that swipe-friendly layouts might be effective for library user mobile devices.

This article reports on a recommendation from the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) that advocates the use of Open Data Commons Attribution Licenses (ODC-BY) by member libraries that are intending to share their bibliographic catalog data on the Internet.

The article evaluates the software applications Reviews Engine by computer software company ChiliFresh and Social Library by software solutions company SirsiDynix which integrate online public access catalog functionality into a library Facebook social network page.

The article focuses on system operations and training manager Emily Clasper. It states she was studying for a doctorate in music history and theory when she decided to enter a career in libraries. It mentions she works at the Suffolk Cooperative Library System maintaining the online catalog and managing the circulation system. It comments on how she launched an online learning community and technical-support wiki to bolster ongoing learning.

The article presents the author's opinion on the experience of library website users. The differences between library websites and online library catalogs are reviewed. The author feels that library organizational structures should be set up to allow website departments to collaborate with related catalog systems.

The article focuses on online library databases. Particular attention is given to the content from the book "Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations," by Clay Shirky. Article topics include the power of group action combining knowledge, information overload, and libraries and social media.

The article reports on new services for 2010 available from OverDrive, the electronic book and media platform vendor, including a more open platform and its Content Reserve Plus.

The article reports that EBSCO has partnered with Baker & Taylor to enhance its EBSCO Discovery Service.

The article focuses on David Pattern, library systems manager at the University of Huddersfield (UH) in England. Pattern created online catalog enhancements for UH, including spellcheck features, personalized book suggestions, and the ability for library users to add star ratings to books. His plans include making these and other web services free for other libraries to duplicate. Pattern's goal is to get the maximum value out of usage data.

This article reports that SOPAC 2, an open source software suite that aims to integrate a library's Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC) with its main website, has new options provided by the web development company YourLibrarySite, a subsidiary of CraftySpace, LLC. SOPAC 2 was originally designed by John Blyberg.

This article reports that the online weekly newsletter the Librarian's Internet Index (LII) will be hosted at the Internet Public Library (IPL). LII was previously managed by the library membership cooperative Califa. Comments are included from Roberto Esteves, a service consultant for Califa, on LII's long-term sustainability.

This article discusses the advantages that libraries can gain by adapting their online resources for use with mobile Internet technology. The need to develop a geographical reference system that can provide smartphone users with directions to the closest location where a book is available following a search on the www.worldcat.com Web site. The development of programs that simplify access to video and audio holdings through electronic borrowing is encouraged.

The article reports that on September 22, 2008, Google made it possible for any web site to directly embed a preview of Book Search texts. It is inferred that retailer sites, publisher sites and library catalogs, such as WorldCat.org, will feature an icon for pop-up Google Preview of texts. Google Book Search is discussed.