Automating Media Centers and Small Libraries: A Microcomputer-based Approach: A Microcomputer-Based Approach, 2nd Edition - Softcover

.,."it would be a useful addition to library school bookshelves and to the resources available to the small library, in the education sector in particular"-Emerald: Electronic Library and Information Systems

Dania Bilal's first edition of this title guided thousands of media specialists and librarians as they met the challenge of planning for and installing online public access catalogs, circulation systems, and networks in their libraries. This updated and expanded second edition provides the latest knowledge and guidelines for library automation in the 21st century. This knowledge is important as automated systems are becoming more sophisticated, leading the way to a new and improved level of library services. With a practical, systematic approach, this book covers the entire spectrum of steps and activities involved in automating media centers and small libraries. Readers are guided through an overview of automated systems, planning for automation, system architecture and hardware configurations, preparing the collection for the automated system, implementing the automated system, networking, OPACs and the World Wide Web, and future OPACs. Special attention is given to current developments and practices, including the Internet, system migration, the Telecommunications Act of 1996, and roles and responsibilities for media specialists.

Each chapter includes extensive charts, lists, and illustrations, along with a summary, references, and a relevant activity, making this an indispensable professional guide as well as an essential textbook. With Bilal's clear explanations and examples, this volume is an outstanding resource for library professionals and students of library and information science. Although this text does not prescribe a specific system or approach, it offers detailed guidelines to enable both the novice and the seasoned librarian to make educated decisions and avoid costly mistakes when automating or upgrading media centers and small libraries.