Designed to provide guidance in selecting appropriate software for library automation, information storage and retrieval, or management of bibliographic databases, this inventory describes 188 computer software packages. The information was obtained through a questionnaire survey of 600 software suppliers and developers who were asked to describe the features, functions, hardware and software requirements, acquisition terms, and user support provision of available systems. An introduction briefly reviews the need for an inventory and the inventory methodology used, and provides a statistical summary of the results. A general guide to selecting software packages covers various factors for consideration in evaluating needs and system merits. Information from the questionnaires is displayed with tables listing the main applications and main features of each system by acronym, required compilers for software packages, price range by main function, and main function by computer type. The brief description provided for each package includes its general features, hardware requirements, software operating system, software application system, cost, and installation. A three-page bibliography, a glossary, the questionnaire, and five indexes and reference lists are provided. (LMM)