This book includes basic information to locate and compare available options for library automation based on various criteria such as hardware requirements, operating systems, components and applications, and price, and provides the necessary contact information to allow further investigation. The major part of the directory lists 211 software products for library automation; all software listed is targeted to the library marketplace, currently marketed and with installations in North America, and commercially available. Each entry includes: the name of software package, name of company distributing software, system requirements, programming language, components and applications (e.g., acquisitions, catalog, circulation), features, MARC formats and interfaces, types of libraries recommended for (e.g., corporate, public, school), barcode formats, information on current installations, published reviews and articles, price, and suppliers comments. Other sections of the publications provide information on retrospective conversion services and products, library automation consultants, database hosts, CD-ROM and portable database distributors, and 1998-99 conferences and meetings. A selected bibliography of library automation periodicals (25 titles) and publications (130 titles) and a list of Internet resources on library automation are also included. Brief information is provided about software for which it was not appropriate or possible to provide detailed information. (DLS)