Linking: Today's Libraries, Tomorrow's Technologies. Report of the Bibliographic and Communications Network Pilot Project. Canadian Network Papers Number 7 = Le Lien entre les Bibliotheques d'Aujourd'hui et les Technologies de Demain. Rapport du Projet Pilote du Reseau de Services Bibliographiques et de Communications. Documents sur les Reseaux Canadiens Numero 7.

A pilot project was conducted from May 1980 to November 1983 to test the application of iNet--a decentralized, packet-switched telecommunications network--to bibliographic data interchange in Canada. The principal components of the project were participation of the Bibliographic Common Interest Group (BCIP), a group of libraries with stand-alone, operational, and stable online systems, in seven technical subprojects involving the development and testing of value added network interfaces, online iNet directories, bibliographic data derivation, online interlibrary loan facilities, videotex services, file transfer facilities, and access to online database vendors and other information providers; development of computer/communications protocols for bibliographic data interchange; the addressing of network policy issues; the videography subproject which studied the feasibility of utilizing videodisc and computer/communications technology to further library service objectives; the development of network contract guidelines; and the study of Canadian interlibrary loan and document delivery policies and practices. It was found that it is possible to connect diverse stand-alone and incompatible systems through standard interfaces to a packet-switched data communications network and that iNet was a useful prototype of an open network. This publication (in English and French) describes project methodology and results and presents nine recommendations based on project findings. (ESR)