Examines the possibility of constructing an online international union catalog from machine readable entries originating in different countries and discusses use of MARC-compatible records as records that can be converted to MARC algorithmically. Sources of cataloging records, problems generated by merging, and resolution of problems are…

A review of library technological development and card catalog innovations of the past century and a half precedes a discussion of online public access catalog development. Design requirements and purpose of the online catalog, access techniques and provisions, costs, and future integration are highlighted. Twenty-two references are listed. (EJS)

Discusses library use studies that examined library catalog search failures and demonstrates types of online catalog access that can reduce the failures caused by card catalog flaws or by user search errors by half. The use of single keyword, implied Boolean, or derived truncated key retrieval is suggested. (14 references) (LRW)

A concept of a catalog that is hospitable to mechanized descriptive cataloging is presented, together with four areas of research programs that will yield findings useful in the development of such a catalog. (Author/JB)

The percentage of books in a research library having personal authors that were cataloged and entered in a one-screen minicatalog was determined to be 36.6 percent when searched. Libraries can reduce cataloging costs and increase user access to information by simplifying cataloging. (AEF)

A founder trustee of OCLC recounts the steps toward automation of library catalogs encountered during his career, from the use of punched cards in a circulation system to the implementation of online union catalogs. (CLB)

This experiment searches an online library catalog employing author surnames, plus one or two title words of books in citations of eight scholarly works whose authors selected the title words as being recallable. Results of searches yielded a single-screen miniature catalog (minicat) 99% of the time. (Author/LRW)

This experiment explores the effectiveness of retrieving the listing of a known-item book from the 3.6 million entry online catalog at the library of the University of Michigan using various combinations of author's name plus first and last title words. Discusses implications for the design of OPAC (online public access catalog) screens.…

This investigation shows that search keys derived from personal author names possess a sufficient degree of distinctness to be employed in an efficient computerized interactive index to a file of MARC II catalog records having 167,745 personal author entries. (8 references) (Author)

The Center's director reports on a system that "will be able to catalog and process documents, keep track of their status, do retrieval, and facilitate serials control for member libraries throughout the state." (Editor/LS)

Survey findings indicate that inclusion, even partial inclusion, of holdings of academic libraries in an online union catalog significantly accelerates interlibrary lending by those libraries; e.g., six years after initial participation in OCLC, 37 Ohio libraries were lending 75 percent more material. (Author/JVP)

Describes a study that examined the effectiveness of implied boolean searches using personal author surnames plus first and/or last title words to retrieve an entry from a simulated online public access catalog (OPAC). Implications for the design of OPACs are discussed, and further research is suggested. (LRW)

Considers electronic interlinkage between two library networks in regard to functions of online shared cataloging and online interlibrary lending based on computerized union catalog. Problem areas are discussed: political climate, professional attitude, incompatibility of organizations, management and staff differences, financial stability,…

Development and implementation of an off-line catalog card production system and an on-line shared cataloging system are described. An account is given of system design and equipment selection for the on-line system. File organization and programs are described, and the on-line cataloging system is discussed. (16 references) (Author/SJ)

This paper describes the first two months of operation of the OCLC interlibrary loan system, an online system designed to increase speed and effectiveness in obtaining interlibrary loans. This system provides (1) bibliographic verification of interlibrary loan records and location of materials by using online union catalog records, (2) automatic…