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8507529

P ark , H y u n g -g i

A STUDY OF PERCEPTIONS OF LIBRARY PERSONNEL CONCERNING
COMPUTER APPLICATION AT THE MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

M ich iga n S ta te U n ive rsity

University
Microfilms
International

300 N. Zeeb Road. Ann Arbor, Ml 48106

Ph.D.

1984

A STUDY OP PERCEPTIONS OF LIBRARY PERSONNEL
CONCERNING COMPUTER APPLICATION AT THE
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

By

Hyung-gi Park

A DISSERTATION
Submitted to
Michigan State University
in partial fulIfilIment of the requirements
for the degree of
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

Department of Educational Administration
1984

ABSTRACT
A STUDY OF PERCEPTIONS OF LIBRA RY PERSONNEL
CONCERNING COM P UT ER APPLICAT ION AT THE
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
By
Hyung-gi Park

The purpose of this study was to examine the percep­
tions of personnel with respect to computer app lication at
the Michigan State University Library.
above-ment ion ed purpose of the study,

In order to meet the
specific research

questions have been formulated as follows:
1.

What are the salient characteristics of computer

application at the MSU Library from the point of view of
library personnel?
2.

What new experiences are library personnel

encountering as a result of automation and how do they
interpret these experiences?
3.

What are the perspectives of library personnel

with respect to the future potential

of co mputerization i n

the Library?
4.
will

How,

in the perceptions of

the traditional

notion of

library personnel,

"library" change in terms of

emerging new technology?
This study was carried out using a qualitative
fieldwork research approach
inductive analysis,

that emphasized description,

and the study of people's perceptions.

HyungThe data were collected p rimarily through in-depth i nt er ­
viewing with the library personnel.
professional

librarians,

From among the 75

15 were selected as a research

sample to represent all major sections of the Library.
The major findings of the study included:
1.

The majority of perceptions supported computer

application at the Library.

It was perceived that quick and

extensive services to users were possible through
automation.
2.

The second group of perceptions opposed a quick

automation at the Library.

It was perceived by this group

that a hasty application of computers at a library would
bring about a number of problems.
3.
ambivalent,

The third group of perceptions was essentially
being pro -automation for one aspect and at the

same time anti-automation for another aspect.

It was per­

ceived by this group that automation was necessary in
general,

but automation lacking discreet application would

result in some difficulty in certain areas.

i Park

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

During the course of the doctoral
guidance,

assistance,

am deeply

indebted.

program,

I received

and support from many people to whom I
The continuing encouragement and

assistance provided by Dr. Eldon

N o n n a m a k e r , chairman of

the guidance committee and my major professor,
be remembered and appreciated.
my other committee members,

will always

I am sincerely grateful

Drs.

to

Richard L. F e a t h e r s t o n e ,

Ralph P. Barrett,

Kenneth L. Neff,

and Kay E. White, who

were very helpful

in the development and completion of this

study.
This study would not have been possible without the
cooperation of Dr. Richard E. Chapin, Director of the MSU
Libraries

and 15 librarians who participated in the project.

Their cooperation is greatly appreciated.
My wife, Jae-eun,

deserves s p e c i a l .thanks for

encouraging me to attain the highest
possible.
Seok-bae,

My children,

Min-jung,

levels of education

Min-sun,

Min-jae,

and

also deserve special recognition for tolerating my

physical and mental absence from home.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
LIST OF F I G U R E S ............................

V

Chapter
I.

INTRODUCTION

...................................

Purpose of the S t u d y .......................
Importance of the S t u d y ...................
Reasons for Viewing the Study Important
Significance of the Study ..............
Methodology of the Research ..............
Limitations of the S t u d y ...................
Definition of Terms and A c r o n y m s .........
Research Site:
MSU Library ..............
C o l l e c t i o n .................................
Ad ministrative Structure. . . .........
Automation Features .....................
Overview of the S t u d y .....................
II.

REVIEW OF THE L I T E R A T U R E .....................
Application of C o m p u t e r s ...................
Acquisition
Online Cataloging .......................
Circulation Systems .....................
Serials Control ..........................
Networking
Bibliographic Utilities ................
D a t a b a s e s .................................
Online S e a r c h i n g ..........................
Implications of A u t o m a t i o n ................
Integrated Library System ..............
Microcomputers in Library Automation. .
Perceptions and Attitudes ..............
Future Trends in Library Automation . . .

III.

RESEARCH PROCEDURES

1
2
3
3
4
5
6
7
11
11
12
13
17
19
19
26
27
31
33
34
41
45
47
49
54
56
59
61
65

Tools and Techniques for Data Collection.
Research Population and Research Samples.
Selection of Interviewees ..............
Interview Process .......................
Strategies for Analyzing D a t a ............
Reporting of the S t u d y .....................
iii

65
66
67
69
70
71

Page
IV.

DESCRIPTION AND I N T E R P R E T A T I O N .......... .

.

Responses Favoring Automation ............
73
Automation Is S u c c e s s f u l ............
Shift of E m p h a s i s ....................
85
Changing Notion of L i b r a r y ..........
91
Librarian's Role C h a n g e ...........
Responses Opposing Automation ...............
Wai t- And-See Attitude in Automation . .
No Shift of E m p h a s i s .....................
Notion of Library Is the S a m e .........
Librarian's Functions Are Not Changing.
Responses Both in Favor of and Opposing
A u t o m a t i o n .................................
Discreet Application of Computers . . .
Between Two Opposing Opinions .........
Sophisticated Evolution in Libraries. .
Librarian's Roles Are Expanding . . . .
Synoptic Tables and C h a r t s ................
Locus of Opinion About Computerization.
Distribution of Perception between Two
Opposing Opinions .....................
V.

SUMMARY AND C O N C L U S I O N S ....................

72
73

92
97
97
100
105
106
107
108
109
112
112
115
115
119

123

Discussion of F i n d i n g s .....................
Positive P e r c e p t i o n s .....................
Negative P e r c e p t i o n s .....................
Ambivalent P e r c e p t i o n s ...................
S u m m a r y ..................
General O b s e r v a t i o n s .......................
Recommendations for Future Research

123
123
124
124
126
128
129

APPENDICES
A.

LETTER FROM THE U NIVERSITY COMMITTEE ON RESEARCH
INVOLVING HUMAN SUBJECTS (UCRIHS) . . . .
131

B.

LETT ER TO I N T E R V I E W E E S ....................

C.

INTERVIEW SCHEDULE

BIBLIOGRAPHY

.

132

.............................

135

........................................

137

iv

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure
1.

Page
Administrative/Services Structure of
Michigan State University Library . . . .

2.

Locus of Opinion about Computerization.

3.

Distribution of Perception between Two
Opposing Opinions ..........................

v

.

14
.

116

120

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Lancaster

(1982)

cites Peter's claim that "The world

is on the brink of a new social revolution - the information
revolution - that will be as important as the industrial
revolution."

(p. 1)

It seems that we are already in the

midst of an information explosion when more information is
being generated and consumed than ever before.
Consequently,

the pursuit and processing of information will

become increasingly important in our society.
As a natural
users and,

thusly,

rapidly changing.

result,

the expectations of library

the functions of modern libraries are
In other words,

the information explosion

is exerting a profound influence upon libraries.
(1979)

observes,

Bennett

"These effects are evidenced in the rapid

growth of library collections;
many library facilities;

the growing inadequacies of

backlogs of unprocessed materials;

and new demands made by patrons for rapid access to
materials."

(p.l)

Today's

libraries must function as

skilled information providers because the collection,
processing,
an essential

and dissemination of information has become such
element in our lives.

1

2
Under these circumstances,

automation is considered

by many of those who are concerned about the administration
of university libraries as the most satisfactory solution to
the multiple problems created at libraries by the in for ma­
tion explosion.

Automation,

as Boss

(1979)

suggests,

can

speed the rate at which work is performed and consequently
reduce the unit cost of that work.

It can relieve the

library staff of repetitive chores and improve the accuracy
of work.

Most importantly,

data can be reformatted more

quickly to accomodate the changing needs of clients.
It is necessary,

however,

to closely review and

thoroughly understand the current situation of computer
application before its significant implications can be fully
appreciated.

The complex automation processes in today's

university libraries and rapid changes in the field create a
need for current and in-depth research as new technologies
and software emerge and new processes and procedures are
tried by universities around the world.

The association and

new relationships between technology and personnel

are an

especially critical area because library personnel

-- e s p e ­

cially those whose training may have ended with the Dewey
Decimal

System —

are facing many new challenges.

Purpose of The Study
The purpose of this study is to examine the p e r c e p ­
tions of library personnel with respect to computer
app li cation— including its educational value,

its problems,

3
and its future p ot ent ia l— at the Michigan State University
Library.

The value of this study lies in the degree to

which it provides a better understanding of the problems
associated with computer application to the Library.
In order to meet the above-mentioned purpose of the
study,

specific research questions have been formulated as

follows:
1. What are the salient characteristics of computer
application at the MSU Library from the point of view of
library personnel?
2. What new experiences are library personnel
encountering as a result of automation and how do they
interpret these experiences?
3. What are the perspectives of library personnel
with respect to the future potential of computerization in
the Library?
4. How,
will

in the perceptions of library personnel,

the traditional

notion of "library" change in terms of

emerging new technology?

Importance of the Study
Reasons for Viewing the Study Important
Contemporary university education is carried on with
such great dependence on library services that we can no
longer imagine an institution of higher learning which does
not have a library,

one serving its users

in a modern sense.

It is a generally accepted fact that in recent years many

university libraries,
University Library,

including the Michigan State

have been increasingly engaged in making

use of automation processes for various

library functions.

A university library well equipped with computerized
facilities,

techniques,

and services is considered to be the

heart of an educational enterprise.

It has become impera­

tive to accurately understand the merits and demerits, of
library automation if we are to realize maximum efficiency
from this innovative endeavor.

While there have been many

studies about

library automation in general,

in the face of

rapid change,

there is no current study which has dealt with

this particular topic and site.

Significance of the Study
In practical application,

the outcomes of this study

will be of value to those who are interested in, and p a r ­
ticularly those who are involved in, the development of
university

libraries.

Considering generalizability as the extent to which
the findings of this study may be extrapolated beyond the
particular research setting involved,

the results of this

study on automation of the MSU Library may be applied to
libraries that are similar in organization and type to the
MSU Library.

5
Methodology of the Research
This study was carried out using a qualitative
fieldwork research approach that emphasized description,
inductive analysis,

and the study of people's perceptions.

The research procedure was based on assumptions
important to collect is descriptive data,
best done inductively,
cial

that analysis is

and that contextual

in understanding human behavior.

that what is

meaning is cr u ­

The qualitative

research method is advocated by many researchers,
Schatzman and Strauss
Bogdan and Biklen

(1973)

(1982)

and Bogdan and Biklen

including
(1982).

state that,

Educational research is changing.
A field once
dominated by measurement, operationalized
definitions, variables, and empirical fact has had
to make room for a research approach gaining in
popularity, one that emphasizes inductive analysis,
description, and the study of people's perceptions.
. . . Partly because of education's historical link
with measurement and experimental design, research
in education has not been as quick to embrace the
new wave of interest in qualitative methods, but
dependence on qualitative methods for studying
various educational issues is growing.
One has only
to look at the funding patterns of government
agencies and the recent programs of education
research conventions to know that qualitative
research in education has, or will soon, come of
age. (xiii)
Some reasons for employing these qualitative methods are
listed below.
1.

The researcher was concerned with the context in

which automation has been implemented and attempts to
portray its many dimensions rather than a narrower focus.
Qualitative researchers

(Bogdan and Biklen,

1982)

feel,

6
"Action can best be understood when it is observed in the
setting in which it occurs."

(p. 27)

2. The data collected describe the perceptions and
attitudes of library personnel,
by statistical

and are not easily handled

procedures.

3. Qualitative field studies have a number of posi­
tive features.

Mehan

(n.d.)

strongly recommends the

qualitative research method.
Often when I complete reading a report of field
research, 1 have a sense of presence, I feel as if I
have been there.
Furnished with rich details about
the setting, I can often smell the smells and hear
the noise.
I find myself nodding my head in
affirmation of the descriptions." (p. 15)

Limitations of the Study
The goal of this study was

limited to identifying

and describing the situation under study as accurately as
possible.

Its scope was

limited to aspects of automation at

the MSU Library as they are reflected in the perceptions of
library personnel.
The research method employed was

limited to appli ca ­

tion of a qualitative research approach which differs,
many respects from qualitative methods.

in

This method was

employed because it was considered that pertinent percep­
tions of

library personnel

could best be elicited by

collecting and analyzing the oral expressions of sample
librarians concerning automation.
data,

In order to collect the

a research sample was selected from among professional

librarians who had some familiarity with automation.

By

selecting a sample from among
able in

librarians who are knowl edg e­

the area of automation,

more extensive range of

it was possible to collect a

responses, thus reducing the p o s ­

sibility of missing some critical points in terms of the
current attitudes toward automation in the Library.
collecting the data,

In

responses of the participants were

collected primarily through the face-to-face interview
during which utterances were identified.
"utterance"

is used,

The term

in the context of this study,

to refer

to one unit of audible expression in which one single set of
pro- or

anti-automation expression is included,

as d i st in ­

guished

from a sentence which is a unit of expression

longer

than an utterance and may include one or more utterances.
In analyzing the data,
total

the number of utterances reflects the

number of pro- or anti-automation utterances for

particular category,

but does not necessarily represent the

number of subjects.

The reason for counting the number of

utterances

instead of the number of subjects expressing

opinions was that the same individual might, at the same
time,

express a pro-automation opinion for one area and an

anti-automation opinion in another area.
that by tabulating utterances,

It was assumed

rather than subjects,

a more

accurate distribution of perceptions would be achieved.

Definition of Terms and Acronyms
The following terms are defined in the context in
which they- are used in this dissertation.

ARL:

Association of Research Libraries

BALLOTS:

Bibliographic Automation of Large Library

Operations Using a Time-Sharing System

(at Stanford

University)
Bit;

A unit of information that is the smallest

unit in the binary system used in computer systems.
B R S : Bibliographic Retrieval
B y t e : A single character,

Services

a letter or a number,

normally made up of eight bits.
CLR:
CLSI:

Council on Library Resources
(1) Computer Library Services,

Inc.;

(2) A

multiprocessor minicomputer system which can be utilized as
a quick supplement to the card catalog.
COM:

Computer output microform

CONSER:
CPU:

Conversion of Serials

Central

processing unit,

the part of the

computer which actually performs most of the computations.
CRT:

A cathode ray tube that can be used to display

information visually.
Database:

The entire collection of files maintained

in the computer system.
Data p r o c e s s i n g :

A sequence of operations that

manipulate data according to a previously developed plan.
DIALOG:

Online retrieval

Information Systems.

system of Lockheed

Distributed

processing:

The use of two or more

computer systems to do information processing with the
largest acting as a "host".
Hardware:
computer system,
terminals,

All of the tangible components of the
including the central processor,

disks,

etc., as distinguished from the software or

programs that operate the system.
ILIS:

Integrated Library Information System

ILLINET:
ILS:

Illinois Bibliographic Database Services

Integrated Library System

(at the National

Library of Medicine)
INCOLSA:

Indiana Cooperative Library Service

Authority
I n t e r f a ce :

The electronic

linking of two or more

computers.
LCS:
of Illinois);

(1) Library Computer System
(2) Library Control System

(at the University
(at Ohio State

University)
Librarian's personal d o c u m e n t s :

Any first-person

narrative produced by an individual which describes his or
her own actions,

experiences,

Library a u t o m a t i o n :

and beliefs.
The application of computers

and appropriate software to perform or assist in performing
the administrative,

technical,

and service functions of a

1i b r a r y .
Library C o n s o r t i a :

A specialized type of coopera­

tive library activity usually restricted to a limited

10
geographical area,

number of libraries,

type of library,

or

subject interest.
Library N e t w o r k :

A specialized type of library

cooperation for centralized development of cooperative
programs and services.
Mainframe:

A large computer system with millions of

bytes for problem processing.
MARC;

Machine-Readable Cataloging Records

(LC's

standard bibliographic tools)
MEDLARS:

Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval

System
MELVYL:

Prototype online catalog at the University

of California.
MLC:

Michigan Library Consortium

NELINET:

New England Library and Information

Network
NLM:

National Library of Medicine

O C L C : (1) Online Computer Library Center;

(2) The

bibliographic network shared with thousands of other
l ib ra ri es .
OCR:

Optical character recognition,

or a type font

that can be read by both humans and machines.
Online:

Equipment or storage under the control of

the central processing unit so that a user can interact with
the computer.
ORBIT:

Online retrieval

Development Corporation

(SDC)

system of Systems

1.1
RLG:

Research Libraries Group

RLIN:

Research Libraries

Software:

Information Network

A set of programs,

procedures and

documentation concerned with the operation of a computer
system.
SOLINET:

Southeastern Library Network

Storage:

The memory of a computer

Terminal:

A point in the computer system at which

data can be entered or withdrawn.
Time S h a r i n g :

A method of using a computer system

that allows a number of users to execute programs at the
same time.
UTLAS:

University of Toronto Library Automation

Systems
Utterance:

One unit of audible expression which

includes one single set of pro- or anti-automation exp re s­
sion,

as distinguished from a sentence which may be longer

than one utterance and may include both pro- and an t i ­
automation expression.
WLN:

Washington Library Network

Research Site:

MSU Library

Col lection
According to University publications,

the MSU

Library has a rapidly growing collection of approximately
2.9 million volumes and some 1.9 million microform pieces as
of 1983.

These Library holdings are grouped into three

12
basic collections:
Library,

the Research Library,

and the Science Library.

houses advanced works

the Undergraduate

The Research Library

in the social

sciences and humanities,

while the Undergraduate Library's collection is of more
general

nature.

The Science Library serves users with its

scientific monographs and periodicals

(MSU,

1983).

All

Government and United Nations publications plus selected
Canadian documents are kept in the Documents Collections.
More than 21,000 separate current serial
regularly.

titles are received

The Special Collections Division houses about

120,000 volumes,

including the Library's collection of rare

books.

Administrative Structure
Under the supervision of the Director of the
Libraries,
Readers'

there are four major departments:

Services Department,

Department,

the Technical

The General
Services

the Science Libraries Department,

Resource Development and Special

and the

Services Department.

The

Systems and Planning Department is also an important element
of the Library organization.

This Department is directly

responsible to the Director of the Libraries for the automa­
tion aspects of the Library

(See Figure 1).

sections such as the Circulation,

Reader service

the Reference,

and the

Information Services Desks function under the General
Readers'

Services Department.

searches and interlibrary

Services such as database

loan requests and verification are

13
initiated at the Reference Desk.

The Technical

Department has two major divisions:
Serials.

Services

the Monographs and the

The Science Libraries Department is directly in

charge of the Science Library and ten other branch
of science.

libraries

The literature searching service for the

sciences via computer is available here.
Development and Special

The Resource

Services Department includes the

Bibliography Division and branch

libraries in the areas of

humanities and social

The Special Collections

sciences.

Division is also included in this Department.

Automation Features
1. Bibliographic databases:
computer,

With the help of the

librarians provide the MSU community with access

to bibliographic databases
and humanities.

in the sciences,

social

sciences

Most of the databases are computer readable

versions of printed indexes such as the
Science Citatio n Index and MLA B i b l i o g r a p h y .
such as INFORM,

a business database,

machine-readable form only.

But a few,

are available in

Librarians conduct interactive

searches of the databases which result in customized b ib li ­
ographies.

Many databases

include abstracts or annotations

which may be printed as a part of the bibliography.
Usually,

the bibliography is printed offline at a remote

location and is delivered to the Library several days after
the search has been conducted

(MSU,

1983).

14
Figure 1:

ADMINISTRATIVE/SERVICES STRUCTURE

IDirector of University Libraries

Business Manager

Assistant Director
Systems & Planning

— Copy Center

Assistant Director*
General Readers' Services
-Circulation
Assigned Reading/
Circulation Services
•— Audio Visual
•Conrad
-Document Delivery
-Information Services
Microforms
Periodicals Reading Room
Remote Storage
•Reference* *
Documents

r
E

Assistant Director
Technical Services
•Monographs**
— Monographic Acquisitions
— Online Shared Cataloging
— Original Cataloging
— Catalog Management
•Serials
-Serials Acquisitions
Mail Room
-Bindery Preparation
-Serials Cataloging

Head
Resource Development
and Special Services
Head
Science Libraries

■Bibliography**
i— Humanities
— Science Library
j
!
J— Art
Col lection Development
!
I
r— Humanities/Romance
Reference Services
i
— Maps
Technical Services **
j
— Music
•-Science Libraries - Branches]
— Social Sciences
f— Animal Industries
!
Ag. Economics
— Chemistry
Contin. Educ.
— Clinical Center
i— Labor
— Cyclotron
7— Social Sciences
— Engineering
(General)
— Geology
— Planning & Design
j— Gull Lake
Urban Policy
1 Mathematics
■Stacks Management
Physics/Astronomy
— Undergraduate
— Ve terinary Clinic
•Business
-International Programs
-Special Collections
■Voice

E

t

F

*Acts in absence of Director
**Acts in absence of department head

15
2. CLSI

(A multi-process minicomputer system of

Computer Library Services,

Inc.):

CLSI can save library

users time and energy by indicating whether copies are
checked out,

on Assigned Reading,

or on the shelf.

It

provides users with information for approximately 950,000
monographs and 30,000 of the most commonly checked out
serials

in the MSU Libra ry system

(MSU,

CLSI database does not include all

1983).

(1) monographs acquired

system-wide prior to July 1979,

and

Undergraduate Library,

Browsing,

Reading collections,
Science,

the

library holdings.

Although it is a complete record for

Careers,

However,

(2)

the entire
and Assigned

it lacks records for most Research,

and Branch monographs acquired since July 1979.

During the year of 1984,

it is anticipated that the post-

1979 holdings on CLSI will be completed

(MSU,

CLSI database can be searched by author,

1983).

title,

The

or call

number from a terminal of a microprocessor with dial-up
capabilities outside the Library.
3. Circulation:

The CLSI microprocessor minic om ­

puter maintains circulation records for materials from the
Research,

Science,

Undergraduate,

Department of Agriculture

Documents,

(USDA), Browsing,

Assigned Reading collections

U.S.

Careers,

and

in addition to serving as a

supplement to the card catalog.
out material on the CLSI

Art,

Before a new user can check

system for the first time,

the

borrower must take his or her current MSU ID card to the
Circulation Desk, where a bar-encoded zebra label

is

16
t

attached.

Once the borrower's record has been added to

CLSI, his or her MSU ID card becomes a library card.
maintains circulation records using laser scanners
bar-encoded zebra labels on borrower's
inside library materials.

(MSU,

to "read"

library cards and

In 1983 alone,

were checked out in this way

CLSI

1,011,855

1983).

items

The MSU Library's

collections provide for most research needs of its faculty
and graduate students,

but the Library usually borrows what

it does not have through its formal and informal cooperative
interlibrary

loan systems.

The Document Delivery Service of

the Library borrowed 4,712 items from other
MSU faculty and graduate students and
belonging to MSU to other

libraries for

loaned 6,840 items

libraries in 1983

4. Guide to the computerized system:

(MSU,

1983).

Detailed

printed information on how to search the CLSI database is
posted near each in-house t e r m i n a l , or brief individual
instruction can be obtained at the Information and Reference
Desks.

In addition to these,

is available.

For instance,

the Main Reference Library
of "Library Updates"

more detailed CLSI
five years ago,

instruction

librarians at

launched an experimental

series

in an attempt to find some means to

alert the faculty and graduate students to major new
reference tools and to radical changes in bibliographic
access to published research.
(MSU,

1983).

The response was favorable

Now known as the Library Seminars series,

the

program has expanded considerably to include all academic
disciplines.

Its focus

is shifting gradually from print

17
resources to the various examples of technological
mations within the Library.

transfor­

Many of the seminars highlight

some aspects of computerized systems within the Library.
Two such sessions describe and teach the use of CLSI
and of OCLC
network).

at MSU

(Online Computer Library Center's bibliographic
In addition to these,

other sessions describe the

structure and content of online bibliographic databases for
particular disciplines and delineate the process of online
literature retrieval

in various divisions of the Library.

Overview of the Study
Automation at university

libraries is considered an

effective way of coping with multiple problems created by
information expansion and new demands of library patrons for
rapid access to materials.

The study of computer a p p l i c a ­

tions at the Michigan State University Library,

therefore,

is significant in terms of the improvement of university
libraries in general.

The aim of this study is to inves­

tigate in detail the present realities of the automation
process at the MSU Library through the librarians'
perceptions.
Qualitative research methods were employed,

em­

phasizing techniques such as descriptive data collection,
inductive analysis,

and examination of the population's

perceptions through in-depth interviewing.

The substance of

the dissertation consists of the following parts:
One,

an introduction,

Chapter

has included the purpose of the study,

and the importance of the study.
the literature,
networking,

Chapter Two,

a review of

concerns the application of computers,

implications of automation,

library automation.

Chapter Three,

and future trends in

research procedures,

covers tools and techniques of data collection,

the research

population and research sample,

strategies for analyzing

data,

Chapter Four, description

and reporting the study.

and interpretation,
tion,

consists of responses favoring aut o m a ­

responses opposing automation,

favor of and opposing automation.
and conclusions,

and responses both in

In Chapter Five,

a disc u s s i o n of the findings,

general observations,

summary

summary,

and recommendations for future r e ­

search will be covered.

CHAPT ER II

RE V I E W OF THE LITERATURE

The purpose of the literature review was to provide
a background of related studies in the diverse areas of
automation at contemporary university libraries.

Particular

attention was given to reviewing recent publications p e r ­
taining specifically to the most frequently reported
categories:
(3)

(1) a p p l i cation of computers,

implications of automation,

and

(2) networking,

(4) possible future

trends in library automation.

A p p l i cation of Computers
According to L a n caster

(1978), a typical academic

library, while doubling its expenditures in less than a
decade,

finds itself w i t h a budget that buys proportionately

less and less of the newly published literature because the
cost of the literature and the personnel to handle it are
both increasing much faster than general
inflation in the economy.

indicators of

At the same time as the litera­

ture continues its inexorable growth,

many libraries,

despite being unable to "keep up" with this growth,
acute shortage of space.

face

Lancaster suggests some solutions

to these problems w hich include increased reliance on

19

20
library automation and increased sharing of resources
through networking.

It is generally accepted that there are

real advantages to automating.

Automation almost always

speeds the rate at w hich work is performed,
reducing the unit cost of that work,
accuracy.
rapidly.

In addition,
Boss

(1979)

a computer today costs
years ago."

(p. 3)

consequently

and improving the

the cost of computing is coming down

reports,

"Each operation performed by

less than 3% of what it cost seven

Chapin

(1967)

believes that one of the

sources of pressure to use automation in libraries is users.
He wrote:
niques,

"Not only are they familiar wit h automated tech­

many using them in their own research programs,

but

their information needs have increased at such a fantastic
rate that they see automation as the only hope."

(p. 57)

The literature includes some topics on closure of
the card catalog which can be expected as an inevitable
steps in the process of computer application at university
libraries.

Gapen and Juergens

(1980)

attempted to assess

the problems associated with catalog closure,

presented the

experiences of libraries that closed their catalogs,

and

suggested alternatives for coping wit h these problems.

The

main card catalogs in the University of Toronto Library were
closed in 1976

(DeBruin 1977).

DeBruin admitted that the

decision to close the main card catalogues was a budgetary
one.

Maintenance of card catalogues was

labor intensive,

and the single fact was that in five years'
not be able to afford to do so.

time UTL would

Another closing of the card

21
catalog at the University of Oregon was reported by Dwyer
(1979) .
There are several options available to the library
seeking to automate.

Boss

(1979)

discussed advantages and

disadvantages of each of the major options as summarized
below.
(1)

The Turn-key system— Acquiring a turn-key

stand-alone system.

The turn key system is generally the

most cost-effective and reliable.
vendor supplies the hardware,

Wit h this system,

software,

the

installation,

ing and maintenance necessary to start operations.

train­

Most of

the turn-key systems installed in libraries have been stand­
alone online circulation systems.

These systems are

entirely maintained on a minicomputer and do not rely on a
large computer for any part of the processing.
(2)

In-house D e v e l o p m e n t — Doing the project within

the library using a stand-alone mini or mainframe computer.
The great benefit of in-house development is substantial
control over the design of the system.

O utstanding examples

of in-house development are the integrated or comprehensive
systems of the University of Chicago, Northwestern,
and Toronto.
Toronto,

Two of these systems,

those at Stanford and

have subsequently been developed as network systems

serving dozens of libraries under the names RLIN
Libraries

Stanford

Information Network)

and UTLAS

Toronto Library Automation S y s t e m s ) .

(Research

(University of

While most institu­

tions have not had the human or financial resources to

22
develop integrated systems w i t h acquisitions,
serials and circulation functions,

cataloging,

more than 400

libraries

have accomplished in-house automation of a single function.
The most popular have been acquisitions,
serials holdings

lists.

more widely available,

circulation and

As turn-key systems have become
there has been less incentive for

libraries to create their own systems.
(3)
a commercial

Distributed Processing S y s t e m s — Contra c t i n g for
turn-key distributed cystem, or utilizing the

mainframe computer of the municipality,

corporation or

academic institution of w hich the library is a part.

In the

turn-key distributed system the host computer already ex­
ists,

and the predictable operating costs and features of a

standard turn-key package.

Utilizing

a mainframe computer

elsewhere in the organization has an advantage of d r a m a t i ­
cally reducing the capital expenditure required for
automation.
(4)

Library N e t w o r k s — Contracting w ith a library

network has been highly successful
cataloging.

in the area of

The extremely large databases necessary for

cataloging require a very large capital investment and a
skilled staff of library automation specialists.
database of a library network,
it is often called,
records.

The

or bibliographic utility as

may have several million bibliographic

That large a file requires dozens of disk drives

to store the information and more than one computer to
manipulate it.

23
The options most frequently adopted by libraries in
the past years have been the acquisition of a turn-key
stand-alone system and affiliation wit h a library network or
bibliographic utility.
Services provided by various vendors include such
operations as database searching,

local record input,

catalog card and label printing-,and p h o t o c omposition of book
catalogs

(Markuson).

system marketplace,
perspectives:

Matthews

(1984)

reviewed the automated

of 1983 in particular,

from four

turn-key circulation systems,

library-

developed software which may be purchased by other
libraries,

the microcomputer segment of the market,

production of computer output microform
According to Matthews,

(COM)

and the

catalogs.

by the end of 1983 a total of 475

turn-key circulation systems had been installed worldwide.
In 1973,

the number was only four.
The literature review reveals that computer a p p l i c a ­

tions at university libraries have been increasingly
expanding in scope.
of librarians'

For example,

the scheduling procedures

hours at the reference desk of the University

of Alberta Library was discussed by DeHaas
and Bommer

(1983)

(1983).

Chorba

highlighted the approach to designing

decision support systems for academic

library management by

exploring online retrieval of profiles of user productivity,
resource utilization,

and resource availability.

An outline

of the operation and services of the Data Library at the
University of Florida,

including development of collection

24
of machine-readable data-files,
ices,

data uses,

technical

and reference services was provided by Jones

serv­

(1982).

The organization of the University of British Columbia Data
Library was discussed by Ruus
Libraries Group
University,

(1982).

In 1983 the Research

(RLG), wit h headquarters

located at Stanford

announced the availability of a computer t e r ­

minal that can be used to create and retrieve bibliographic
information in Chinese,
nacular scripts,
Fisher

(1984)

Japanese,

and Korean

(CJK)

as well as in Roman alphabet

ver­

languages.

introduced this system with a comment:

use of this new terminal

in American East Asian

"The

libraries

promises to profoundly change the way in w hich librarians
and scholars create and retrieve bibliographic information."
(p. 398)
In applying computers to library operations,
our biggest problems",

as Black

(1983)

pointed out,

"obviously is not the technologies themselves,
use them,

and in particular,

but how to

how to use them effectively".

In connection with this problem,
six criteria,

"one of

Chapin

(1967)

established

against w hich to measure the possible success

of automated programs, which are still relevant and should
be met before a system is accepted.
The first criterion is that of cost.
Will the
system be more economical than the manual system it
is replacing?
Will the system save space w hich can
be translated into dollars?
Will the system save
time for the user? . . . Another criterion against
which a new program should be measured is its
capacity to handle an increased load.
. . . We
should probably consider geometric growth rather
than arithmetic growth.
The third criterion relates
to the better utilization of resources, specifically
the use of library materials.
. . . The fourth

25
criterion is that of more complete and/or additional
reports.
. . . We are better off with too much than
w i t h too little information.
. . . Acceptance of a
system by the user, and even by the staff, is
another criterion to be considered.
. . . If po s ­
sible, the user should be informed as to why
automation is being installed and how it will work.
. . . The last criterion to apply to a system is
that of accuracy and currency.
Will we be provided
wi t h more accurate and more up-to-date records? (pp.
62-65)
To date,
in many ways.

libraries have been affected by computers

In addition to the immediate impacts of

computers on libraries there have been many secondary
benefits.

According to Lancaster

(1982) , the ability to

link libraries through telecommunications and to link
libraries to computer facilities has greatly increased the
o pportunities for library cooperation.

Library automation

procedures have also led to greater standardization within
the library profession.

Finally,

automation facilities have

given the library manager more extensive evaluation data.
It is also Lancaster's idea that automation has had a
profound impact on the economic aspects of information
services.

When a library purchases a book,

make it accessible to library users.

it does so to

However, because of

the difficulties of d etermining need and predicting demand,
many items added to library collections are never used at
all.

The ability to access a database online changes this.

An electronic publication can be accessed "when needed";

the

library pays only for the amount of access used at the time
it is used.

"In other words",

as Lancaster puts it,

d istinc tion between w h a t a library owns

"the

(i.e., has within

26
its four walls)
(p.107)

and does not own begins to break down."

Through the capabilities of electronic access,

libraries are becoming "disembodied".
of the future",

he predicted,

materials at all.
terminals."

"A research library

"need not contain any printed

It could be a room containing only

(p.108)

Acquisition
Most libraries continue to utilize manual a c q u i s i ­
tions systems because their rate of collection building has
not- put excessive pressure on the acquisitions operations
(Bennett,

1979).

to be automated.

Acquisitions

is an area that has been slow

A fully automated acquisition system

requires a complex interaction among several data files.
O nly several

limited acquisition systems have been writ t e n

on microcomputers

(Woods,

1981).

Perhaps the most s o p h i s t i ­

cated automated acquisition operation is Stanford
University's Bibliographic Automation of Large Library
Operations Using a Time-Sharing System
is an "integrated"

(BALLOTS).

technical processing system,

both acquistion and cataloging functions
Foster

(1983)

stated:

BALLOTS

and includes

(Bennett,

1979) .

"With exciting changes and e x p e r i ­

ments among publishers in electronic data transmission and
with library vendors or in-house programmers designing
systems for acquisitions,
if not prominent already."

the computer terminal
(p. 4)

is close by,

Only in recent years,

some library networks have assumed additional

functions

27
through the provision of value a d d e d - s e r v i c e s . For example,
according to Wolters

(1983),

U T L A S 's ACCORD subsystem is an

online acquisitions control module which enables clients to
perform pre-order searching and to create purchase orders,
claim orders,

and cancellations.

Participating vendors

receive orders electronically from UTLAS clients and use the
system to communicate on the status of any given order.

Online Cataloging
Although card catalogs will predominate for some
time as a means of access to library collections,
(1982)

stated,

as Horny

"many technological options for bibliographic

organization have been implemented by libraries."

(p. 14)

Online catalogs were developed from circulation systems
since vendors responded to increased c ompetition by p r o v i d ­
ing additional features to circulation systems such as
public access.
online catalog

And public access led to demands
(Beckman,

1982).

development of online catalog,
the most successful

for an

In the course of the
shared cataloging has been

library automation effort,

thanks to the

early efforts of bibliographic utilities such as the Online
Computer Library Center

(OCLC), Research Libraries

Information Network .(RLIN), University of Toronto Library
A utomation Systems
(WLN).

(UTLAS)

and Washington L i b r a r y Network

Microcomputers have found a place in the cataloging

area also.

28
Features of online catalogs which were unavailable
with conventional card catalogs were presented by many
writers:

access from physically separate locations,

tional bibliographic access points,

availability of updated

information concerning circulation status,
attaching printers to the system,
raphies,

1982);

the provision for

self-tailoring of bibl i o g ­

limitation of searches by publication date

or language of material,

a ddi­

and their reliability

, format

(Horny,

access from.many places other than the library,

remote delivery,

multiple access points,

access union catalogs by subject
capabilities of subject access
access points to the catalog,
records,

(1983)

(Aveney,

(Lipow,

1984);

1983);

public access,

standardizing of input

and merging of records

Lawrence et al.

and the ability to

(Salmon et al.,

1982).

discussed features of online catalogs

in terms of their cost characteristics.

Kilgour,

C hairpe rson of the Board of Trustees of OCLC,
lustrated the power of the online catalog:

Vice

(1984)

il­

"Like the jet

airplane, w hich cannot be considered simply as a more e f f i ­
cient glider,

the online catalog is a far more powerful

instrument than any of its predecessors.

It will profoundly

change the way people go about the business of living."
320)
Van Pulis

(1981)

made a detailed study of the

development of an online public access catalog from a
limited-purpose online circulation system at Ohio State
University and the negative and positive aspects of this

(p.

29
transition.

It is noted that the online system,

the Library Control System
operational

in 1982.

(LCS)

known as

is designed to be fully

Four problems with LCS are discussed:

(1) LCS is a full online catalog for only 20% of OSU titles;
(2) the card catalog must still be used to obtain full
records of pre-1974 and non-Roman alphabet materials;

(3)

LCS has design problems related to terminal operation,
use of c omplicated search keys,

the

and the interpretation of

different types of online displays,

primarily because it was

originally designed for staff use only;

and

(4) the gradual

development of LCS and resulting system changes have n eces­
sitated much retraining of staff and library users.
advantages are also briefly discussed,

LCS

noting that LCS

provides circulation status information for each title,
remote access to the library catalog,

the opportunity for

economically feasible catalog change and expansion, and
functions that speed technical

service operations.

Similar

studies concerning the development of online catalogs at
academic

libraries were made by Hoadley and Payne

for Texas A & M University;

Matthews

(1983),

(1982), based on a

survey of 1,152 users and 1,315 non-users of six computer
systems at seven libraries;

Brownrigg and Lynch

the University of California;

and Kallenbach

(1983),

for

(1980) , for the

University of Pennsylvania.
The literature includes discussions of the online
cooperation among libraries.
Research Libraries

For instance,

Information Network

a description of

(RLIN), an automated

30
technical processing and information retrieval
provided by McDonald and Hurowitz
Many libraries,

(1982) .

according to the literature,

shown interest in the attitudes,

reactions,

library users toward the online catalog.
(1983)

system, was

have

and opinions of

Corey et al.

made a study of the problems of involving faculty and

students in the University of Missouri's decision to develop
an online catalog.
catalog

(LCS)

A survey of 430 users of the online

at Ohio State University Libraries found that

the majority of users

(95%)

chose the online catalog as

their first source of information
McClintock

(1983)

(Alzofon,

1984).

reported the summary of the proceedings of

a conference that brought together 35 libraries,
representatives,

network

and system vendors to exchange information

on the training of users of online public access catalogs.
A study was done by Gouke

(1982)

which compared patron

success in finding the same group of titles in both the
online catalog and the card catalog at the Ohio State
University.
(RLG)

In 1981 and 1982,

the research Libraries Group

and four other organizations participated in a c o o r ­

dinated study of public online catalog users and non-users.
In this study, general patron acceptance of public online
access catalogs was noted

(Ferguson et al.,

conducted by Pease

showed that 90 percent of online

(1982)

1982).

users preferred the online to the card catalog.

A similar

study of the online system was undertaken by Pawley
in an attempt to examine the attitude of users.

A study

(1982)

Some

31
problems confronting the users of online catalog were dis­
cussed by Moore

(1981).

An in-depth study completed at the

University of Guelph in 1980-81 revealed that 80 percent of
students surveyed enthusiastically endorsed the "online
catalog",

the public access

"Book Inquiry" function,

over

the card catalog and COM catalogs with which it was compared
in the study

(Beckman,

1982).

Beckman stated:

"This ex­

perience has been duplicated at many other academic
libraries

in North America."

(p. 2045)

Circulation Systems
The online circulation system provides public access
to monographs and documents in the collection via call
number,

author,

and title.

It also supplies access to an

individual's borrower record.

As Rorvig

(1981)

stated,

"Up

to the present time the most likely candidate for co m ­
puterization within any library has been circulation."

(p.2)

C irculation usually involves a large number of transactions,
and requires extensive filing,
clerical

staff.

checking and sorting by

The first recorded application of automa­

tion in any library occurred at the University of Texas in
1930.
A detailed description of the process of implement­
ing an online circulation control system in a
multidisciplinary Canadian university was presented by North
and Bishop

(1983).

They describe origins of the system,

agreement w ith the area library network,

ordering equipment,

32
planning and preparing the physical
code labels,
system,

site,

the use of b a r ­

student identification cards,

activation of the

and overdue fines.
The Integrated Library System

Library of Medicine

(NLM)

(ILS)

at the National

includes a circulation subsystem.

Its developers emphasize that it is a collection control
system,

not just a circulation control

general terms., it is an "inventory"
system.

system,

In more

not an "absence"

It has all the standard features of systems running

on larger machines,
pens.

system.

including bar-code

labels and light

It attempts to specify the exact whereabouts of all

books at all times

(Woods,

Library Computer System
which linked campus

1982) .

(LCS)

at the University of Illinois

libraries and provided circulation

information to numerous public
Carothers and Aguilar
respectively.

Implementation of online

libraries was reported by

(1983) , and by Foster

Kansas. State University planned and imple­

mented an optical character recognition
project,

(1983)

(OCR)

labeling

the first stage program of conversion from a manual

to an automated circulation system

(Thierer and Bower,

1982).
Included in the literature are studies of the im­
plications of a computerized circulation system.

In order

to study the effects of introducing an automated circulation
system at Oberlin College in Ohio,
1978 until
facilities,

data were collected from

1982 on book availability,

usage of library

attitudes of library users toward the library,

33
and the efficiency of c i r c u lation activities
Moffett,

(Frohmberg and

1983).
Bennett

(1979)

wrote about benefits of the automated

c irculation system.
One has to admit that computers provide speed,
accuracy, and convenience, and they can also m ain­
tain records involved in circulation control faster
and more accurately than human.
In addition, new
computer circulation systems employing light pens
for input of book and borrower information can to a
large extent solve the problems and cost of c o n v e r t ­
ing library records into machine readable form,(p.
31)
The major vendors of stand-alone circulation systems
are Computer Library Services,

Inc. and Data Phase Systems,

Inc., which have both installed systems in libraries of
various sizes and types. -

Serials Control
Serials control has been the most difficult activity
for libraries to automate.

Even a small

library checks in

thousands of items per year and faces the headaches of name
changes,

subscription expiration,

c onfusion about correct entries.

irregular receipts and
According to Woods

(1981),

even though few really good systems have been written,
on larger machines,
impact

.

even

microcomputers have begun to have an

A major development in the creation of machine-

readable serials databases
Serials program.

is CONSER,

the Conversion of

The Council on Library Resources

(CLR)

managed the project during its file building phase and the

34
Library of Congress assumed responsibility for operation of
the project after N o v ember 1977

(Boss,

1979).

Networking
The concept of library networks is very recent,
dating essentially from the 1960s.
stated,

"...

networks."

And,

as Markuson

(1976)

a wide range of topics is seen as related to

(p.34)

DeGennaro

(1984)

emphasized the in­

evitability of library networking.
It should be clear to all by now that no research
library can meet its users' needs solely, or even
largely, from its own book, journal, and manuscript
collections.
. . . The library will have to rely
increasingly on the collections and services of
other libraries, library consortia such as the
Research Libraries Group, and commercial information
vendors.
(p. 2)
Markuson

(1976)

attributed the recent network

development to the standardized Machine-Readable Cataloging
Records

(MARC)

large extent,
developments

format of the Library of Congress.

"To a

current networks are possible because of
like the standardized MARC format and the

resulting MARC tape services."

(p. 48)

The Committee on Institutional Cooperation,

an

informal group representing the Big Ten universities and the
University of Chicago, has
Upper-Midwest region.

Stanford University's BALLOTS has

included online cataloging;
control;
1976).

and author,

launched a network system for the

acquisition;

authority file

title and subject retrieval

(Markuson,

Markuson commented back in 1976.

Looking
back over the past five years, it is a p ­
parent that, increasingly, the focus of interest has

35
been shifting away from automation of individual
libraries.
The limitations of independent au t o m a ­
tion, such as rising costs, the need for more
complex computer support services and highly spe­
cialized staff, have shifted attention and funding
to the automated library n e t w o r k .(pp.40-41)
Markuson's perspective is apparently still
applicable.
databases

Due to the high cost of maintaining

locally,

it is likely that,

large

in the future,

an

increasing number of information services will be marketed
using the online network approach.

As Boss

(1979)

pointed

out, a very attractive aspect of all automation using b i b l i ­
ographic utilities is the small capital
on the part of the library.

investment required

More and more libraries are

obtaining magnetic tapes of their online cataloging from the
networks to generate computer output microform

(COM)

catalogs or to build circulation files.
A very detailed analysis of the characteristics of
library networks was attempted by Markuson
cussed:

(1976)

centralized vs. decentralized development,

hierarchical vs.
membership,

non-hierarchical

structure,

public vs. private organization,

n on-integrated membership,

open vs. closed
integrated vs.

blanket vs. membership networks,

information retrieval vs. processing networks,
cooperative management,
works,

who d i s ­

general vs.

central vs.

single vs. multiple-purpose n e t ­

special

subject or source networks,

controlled vs. uncontrolled databases,

and commercial vs.

non-commercial networks.
The literature reveals the rapid growth of b i b l i o g ­
raphic utilities in terms of library networking.

For

36
example,

information on the growth of bibliographic

utilities and academic

library networking,

interlibrary activity at six academic

profiles of

libraries,

and issues

for the future in regard to a national network of libraries
were reported by Troc h i m

(1982) .

Wolters

(1983)

presented a

study on data sharing and library networking in the United
States and Canada at the 102nd semiannual meeting of the
Association of Research Libraries
Alberta.
years,
Network

According to Battin

the Library of Congress

(ARL)

(1984),

held at Banff,

for the past three

(LC), the W a shington Library

(WLN), and the Research Libraries Group

(RLG)

have

worked on a cooperative project funded by the Council on
Library Resources

(CLR)

to develop a standard network inter­

connection w hich consists of a seven-layer communications
protocol which will permit computer-to-computer
communication.

This project represents an extraordinary

example of library leadership in the application of c o m ­
munications technology for academic purposes.
In recent years
tional

library networks have assumed add i ­

functions through the provision of value-added

services.

Systems such as OCLC, RLIN,

and WLN,. in addition

to providing shared c ataloging and processing functions,

now

offer an array of integrated services including electronic
messaging,

online document ordering,

interlending protocols,

and turn-key installation support for specific housekeeping
functions, w hich in turn interact wit h centrally maintained
databases

(Wolters,

1983).

37
In addition to above mentioned studies,
reported on library network systems.

McCoy

many writers

(1983)

discussed

current problems and future prospects of library networking
from perspectives of the Research Libraries Group

(RLG),

whose principal programs are collection development,
vation,

resource sharing,

others'

collections.

Information Network

preser­

and providing access to each

Development of the Research Libraries
(RLIN)

in particular was highlighted.

The inception and hist o r y of the Research Libraries Group,

a

member-owned corporation of 25 universities begun in 1972
and dedicated to improving the management of information
necessary for the advancement of scholarship was also noted
by Beyers

(1983).

Brown
networking.

(1983)

analyzed the recent trend in library

"Networking is occurring at all

levels, but it

seems to be moving more and more toward smaller or special
purpose groups"

(p. 8 6).

For instance, we are aware that

there is an increasing number of state-funded systems,
largely at state resource sharing,
development.

automation,

aimed

and database

Below the state level, we expect to see the

formation of more local clusters such as the Five Colleges,
Inc. and the Triangle Research Library Network to meet local
shared catalogs and c o m m unication links,
circulation systems.

and even shared

Regional networks are independent,

local organizations that contract with non-regional broader
network systems such as OCLC and RLIN to provide online
services to their member

libraries.

Currently,

there are

38
many regional networks
Base Services

including Illinois Bibliographic Data

(ILLINET), Indiana Cooperative Library

Services Authority

(INCOL SA), Michigan Library Consortium

(MLC), N e w England Library and Information Network,
(NELINET), and Southeastern Library Network

Inc.

(SOLINET).

The

regional networks are called "service centers" b^ some
people including Avram

(1983).

According to Avram,

are some twenty-two service centers,

there

or regional networks,

providing various services to their members, within either a
state or a region.

In the past,

these centers served

primarily as middlemen between libraries and bibliographic
utilities,
Recently,

providing c ontracting and training services.
several of the service centers have procured or

are planning to procure computer facilities of their own and
have begun to take on the characteristics of WLN, w hich is
also a regional system.
The regional network can reduce communications costs
for its members and assume telecommunications maintenance by
contracting a d istributed processing provided by a large
scale bibliographic utility.

For instance,

the NELINET has

reached an agreement w i t h OCLC to set up a communications
processor that will funnel all communications between OCLC
and its user libraries in N e w England through the NELINET
office

(Boss,

1979).

If library terminals are connected

directly to a remote computer,

communications costs increase

because the terminals are much slower than the computer.
The NELINET processor or minicomputer is a data concentrator

39
that collects information on low-speed lines, concentrates
it and transmits

it to the host computer at OCLC over a

single high-speed line.
NELINET is one of the oldest library networks,
having been established in 1966.

It was organized as part

of the N e w England Board of Higher Education.
focus was on academic

libraries.

Its initial

NELINET provides its

members with c a taloging services via a contract wit h OCLC as
one of the important member services.

INCOLSA is of inter­

est for its organizational approach to networks.
1967,

Since

Indiana has had legislation to enable libraries to

create cooperatives.

Under this legislation,

the INCOLSA

state network center was established in 1974.

SOLINET

covers the largest area, comprising ten states in the
Southeastern part of the U.S.
profit organization,

It is an independent no n ­

chartered in Louisiana

(Markuson,

1976) .
One cannot discuss the automation in an academic
library environment and its changing nature without co n ­
sidering networks as an external force acting upon and
existing within many libraries.

Even though not all u n i v e r ­

sity libraries participate in a large scale network such as
RLIN, OCLC,

or WLN,

or regional networks, what these struc­

tures introduced to and imposed on libraries has caused,
Markuson

(in Foster,

very short time".

1983)

Foster

reflect a truly dramatic,

put it,
(1983)

as

"enormous change in a

stressed that in order to

cohesive environment,

library

40
administrators and staff must rethink services and a p ­
proaches to them,

retrain,

and redefine goals and

objectives,

and take a long, hard look at the organizational

structure.

He quoted Naruson's views:

"...

networking

provides unparalleled opportunities for dramatic r e s t r u c t u r ­
ing of the library as an operational unit and for ah
astounding array of ne w information services better designed
to meet the needs of an increasingly complex user
community."

(p. 9)

Bennett

(1979)

stated:

"It appears that

perhaps in the long run the greatest impact of the computer
in libraries will be in the area of networking."

(p. 18)

In accordance with the development of library n e t ­
work systems,

a number of network vehicles have been

established and emerging.

For example,

cable utilities

in

the U.S. and Canada are now in the pilot project stages of
delivering audiovisual
software,

and textual services,

including

to subscribers in their home and business markets.

This development will give a local

library system sig­

nificant opportunities for the delivery of services
(Wolters,

1983).

The impact new technologies and networks

(bibliographic utilities,
networks)

distributed networks,

will have on academic

of collection space and access,

local area

library buildings in terms
user needs,

functions was discussed in detail by Beckman

and changing
(1983) .

41
Bibliographic Utilities
A bibliographic utility is an organization that
provides processes and products to libraries by maintaining
large online databases.
Center,

Today Online Computer Library

the Research Libraries Group's Research Libraries

Information Network, W a s h i n g t o n Library Network,

and the

University of Toronto Library Automation Systems are c o n ­
sidered bibliographic utilities.

The striking development

of bibliographic utilities is considered

largely a t ­

tributable to one of the significant contributions made by
the Machine-Readable Cataloging Records

(MARC)

format,

standard bibliographic tool of the Library of Congress.
Hammer

(1976)

commented about the MARC:

That machine-readable communication format was the
key without which there would be no sophisticated
library network nor many of the bibliographic ser v ­
ices that we now take for granted.
MARC has been
more than c o m m unication format. . . . it has become
a stimulant for standardization, a unifying factor,
and internal gantry, and a precursor of the c o m m e r ­
cialization of library processes and services.
(p. x)
All of the bibliographic utilities hope to offer
comprehensive or integrated services,
through cataloging,

to circulation.

from acquisitions,

At one time it was

thought that all services would be developed and offered on
the large mainframe computers at the headquarters of the
utilities.

But now,

according to Boss

(1979,

the prevailing

v iew is that distributed computer systems will be more
effective.

That is,

local online catalogs and local c i r ­

culation files will be maintained on micro or minicomputers

42
in the library.

These will be electronically connected to

the larger computers of the bibliographic networks.
In the sense that the Library of Congress
provides products and services to libraries,
bibliographic utility

(Avram,

1983) .

(LC)

it is also a

The LC is the largest

producer of bibliographic data in this country,

cataloging

more items than any other single institution.

It operates

the MARC distribution service whereby bibliographic and
authority records are made available on magnetic tape to the
national and international

library communities.

Information on the growth of bibliographic
utilities,
Trochim
Center

including OCLC,

(1982)
(OCLC)

country.

R L I N , and WLN, was presented by

who noted that the Online Computer Library
is the major bibliographic utility in this

OCLC was the first online utility to be developed,

and has the largest membership and database.

OCLC is the

only utility that is both nationwide and serves
libraries.
catalog,

Even though the online OCLC file

is not a

it fulfills the purpose of sharing bibliographic

records and providing
loan.

all types of

location information for interlibrary

Other functions include acquisitions,

in, and circulation

(Avram,

1983).

The

serials checks

letters

"OCLC"

originally represented the Ohio College Library Center which
was incorporated in 1967 to develop a cooperative,

com­

puterized regional newtwork for its Ohio member college
libraries.

In 1977,

OCLC,

to reflect expansion of services

Inc.,

the corporation changed its name to
to all types of

libraries throughout the country and in foreign countries.
In 1981,
Center,

the legal name became OCLC Online Computer Library
Incorporated.

OCLC currently has over 3,300 member

libraries.

Approximately 52% of these are academic

libraries.

The Online Union Catalog,

the OCLC database,

currently contains approximately 9.5 million records
1983).

Markuson

(1976)

viewed the OCLC as the "creation of

one of the most important organizations
library scene in many decades."
stated:

(OCLC,

to appear on the

(p. 36)

DasGupta

(1981)

"Since the emergence of the OCLC online system,

manual activities of the technical
been eliminated,

services department have

the w o r kflow in the cataoging department of

a library using it has changed remarkably."
Stratford

(1984)

the

(p. 398)

presented a detailed discussion concerning

frequently cited advantages and disadvantages of OCLC.
Included in its advantages
particular.

is a function of its size,

Its most unfavorably viewed

in

limitation is the

fact that the database can not be searched by subject.
O C L C 's positive features including reduction of costs for
the material

processing at individual

reported by Kallenbach

(1980).

Battin

O C L C 's feature of "user-friendly"

libraries were
(1984)

introduced the

interfaces, w hich involves

interaction between information seekers and computers.
the other hand,

librarians'

perceptions of OCLC,

innovative system was reported by Luquire
study,

(1983).

On

as an
In this

job security was identified as the single most i mpor­

tant factor in technological change.

44
As the bibliographic utility for RLG,

RLIN has been

developed to respond to the special requirements of research
libraries.

At this time RLIN includes such components as:

a catalog system,

an acquisition system,

tion retrieval capacity,
In addition,

powerful

informa­

and an interlibrary loan system.

co mputer-to-computer

links provide RLG members

with online access to other systems and authority data
exchange between WLN,
1983).

LC,

and RLIN

(Kass and Schroeder,

RLIN was formed when the Research Library Group

selected BALLOTS,

the automated bibliographic system

developed by Stanford University,
raphic component.

as its automated b i b l i o g ­

Stanford University became a member of

the Research Libraries Group and BALLOTS emerged as the
Research Libraries

Information Network

(RLIN).

operates as a partnership among universities,
libraries,

and independent research libraries,

support the needs of research,

scholarship,

It is owned equally by all of its members
1980).

RLIN
their research
organized to

and instruction.

(Kallenbach,

The searching facility, which is a powerful

retrieval

system,

includes subject access and therefore

satisfies the reference and research function.

RLIN cur ­

rently has twenty-five RLG members and approximately sixtyfive non-RLG members
unanimous
powerful

(Avram,

1983) .

The literature is

in its positive evaluation of the feature of the
searching capability of RLIN.

RLIN is also

credited with higher quality and more detailed member input
records than OCLC.

In general,

RLIN is viewed as more

45
ambitious.

As Stratford

(1984)

as being the present advantage,
as the system of the future.

put it,

"Where OCLC is seen

RLIN is repeatedly praised

A part of that praise

is due to

R L G 's efforts to promote network cooperation and allow
unrestricted access to its database."
WLN has,

(p. 126)

from the beginning of its development,

offered its services as a regional

system.

WLN is a system

offering services regionally to all types of

libraries.

WLN

has an acquisition system and a pilot project is underway
for a decentralized circulation system.
a well developed retrieval
access.

(Avram,

1983) .

The most inter­

according to Markuson

development and operational
pected to continue,

there is

system which includes subject

WLN has 73 members

esting feature of WLN,

Like RLIN,

funds have come,

from state

(1976),

is that

and are e x ­

(Washington State)

tax money.

Databases
Publicly accessible files of machine-readable
databases have grown from just one in 1965
Literature Analysis and Retrieval System)
today

(Lancaster,

resources online,

1982).

(MEDLARS,

Medical

to several hundred

The ability to access

these

a development of only the last decade,

has

given a highly sophisticated literature-searching capability
to libraries of all types and sizes.

A single online t e r ­

minal can now provide entry to several hundred databases,
allowing access to several million bibliographic records.
Information processing and storage technology have made

46
possible the creation of these massive databases.

An

analytical discussion on reference use of online databases
was provided by Friend and Bonta

(1981),

and by Weaver

(1982) .
The literature includes a number of articles treat­
ing individual databases.
Catalog,

O C L C 's database,

contains bibliographic

the Online Union

information created through

the cooperative cataloging efforts of participating
libraries.

Bibliographic records

in the Online Union

Catalog are derived from information entered by OCLC par ­
ticipating libraries,

and from the Library of Congress

National Library of Medicine
Office and other national

(LC),

(NLM), U.S. Government Printing

libraries.

OCLC users contribute

over 78% of the bibliographic records in the Online Union
Catalog

(OCLC,

1983).

Members search a central database

through cathode ray tube

(CRT)

terminals and either use

records in the database or input local
According to Miller
database now contains

records as required.

(in Stratford,

6.2 million records.

includes LC MARC records,
and authority records.

1984),

the RLN

This database

original records input by members

Particular attention has been given

to following MARC format.
Slayton

(1983)

termed Dialog

Bibliographic Retrieval

Services

Development Corporation

(SDC)

Information Systems,

(BRS), and Systems

the "Big Three"

puterized information retrieval

vendors.

All

of the c o m ­
three vendors

act as middlemen for information and reference products

47
available in machine-readable or electronic format.

Each of

the big three vendors carries databases unique to its
system.

In addition,

the federal government generates a

number of machine-readable databases
College and university libraries'

(Bennett,

1979).

reference librarians are

expanding their ability to meet the bibliographic needs of
their patrons through the increased availability of machinereadable databases.

Recently studies of online databases

were conducted by Atkinson and Dolan
Zgrzywa

(1982), Adams

(1982), Boss

(1983) , Kowalski, and

(1979), and others.

Online Searching
Recent years have seen dramatic growth in the q u a n ­
tity as well as the quality of online database research
services offered by academic
states:

libraries.

Smith

(1981)

"What eight years ago seemed clearly a highly

specialized service for the elite of the research community
is now recognized as an important new dimension to the
public service programs of most larger academic
(p. 206).

Boss

(1979)

libraries"

cited the benefits of online sea rc h­

ing to the user set forth in a 1974 report from the
Northeast Academic Science Information Center,

one of the

first library consortia:
(1)
Searching is faster than with manual methods,
especially for subject searches.
(2)
Only one
search need be done for several years of coverage.
(3)
Physical handling of many volumes is avoided.
(4)
Complex combinations of terms can be used which
may be or may not be possible in manual searching.
(5)
The number of access points is greater than in
printed tools.
(6)
Computer printouts of the

48
relevant citations are quickly and easily obtained,
(p. 31)
Many years
the same.

later these benefits appear to be still

A manual de scribing the online search services at

Austin Peay State Univers ity was published in 1982
1982).

This manual contains a description of the types of

searches generally performed;

an explanation of the criteria

for patron-requested retrospective searches;
actual

(APSU,

search routines,

collection of fees;

an outline of

from the presearch interview to the

and a description of the administrative

duties and responsibilities of the librarian in charge of
online services.

Kobelski

student use of online

(1978)

presented a study of

literature searching services at the

University of Delaware Library.

This study showed that 98

out of 107 students used the computer search in relation to
coursework, while 39 used it for independent study or thesis
research.

Evaluation forms returned by 107 students showed

that 82 percent of the students were satisfied with their
researches.

Eighty-seven percent reported they saved time

by using the search, with the majority of these saving at
least 10 hours.

Kobelski emphasized the importance of

online search services:

"The single most important co n c l u ­

sion that can be drawn from these data is that online
bibliographic retrieval

services are an important

searching tool for students."

(p. 17)

literature

The most important

advantage cited by students using the online search was the
time saved.

Another major advantage was that the students

were searching resources of which they might not otherwise

49
have been aware.

A summary of the impact database searching

may have on libraries was provided by Williams

(in Bennett,

1979) :
(1)
. . . either increasing or decreasing acquis i­
tions by either pointing out the non-use of some
journals or the need for other journals; (2) it may
affect the interlibrary loan traffic of the library
as either a borrowing organization or as a lending,
organization; (3) the library may expand or deepen
its services by offering database search services
from databases it processes; or (4) the library may
fun ction as a referral center directing its clien­
tele to the appropriate databases and service
centers . (p. 44)
Online searching is likely to be the fastest growing
area of automation at academic

libraries.

Implications of Automation
Parat
fact that,

(in Lancaster,

1982)

called attention to the

"Between 1970 and 1980,

the information occ up a­

tions formed the largest component of the work force,
trend that will
circumstances,
libraries,

likely continue."
library automation,

Two

In such social

specifically in academic

has become an accepted prerequisite for effective

library service.
put it,

(p. 1)

a

"is not

The question now faced,
'if' but rather

'how'

and

as Uluakar
'when'

(1981)

" (p. 78)

major reasons,- in addition to several other reasons,

why colleges and universities should encourage a move to
library automation were given by Farber

(1981):

First, their primary responsibility is to train
undergraduates, who will be well into their careers
over the next 20 years.
These students will need
training in the ways of an information-based society
to function as professionals, business people, or
just active, concerned citizens.
Second, the new
technology will permit small libraries to have

50
bibliographic resources at their disposal that
heretofore have been available in only the largest
libraries. It will be possible, virtually, to
reproduce or borrow books or articles from wherever
they may be physically located, (p. 353)
Shank

(1983),

in relation to the phenomenon that the

information age has broken through to encompass everyone,
provided several illustrations of computing at campuses by
means of citations from the literature.

Stevens and

Rochester Institutes of Technology are asking students to
buy microcomputers.

Brown University just finished building

a 120-seat amphitheater equipped with a network of mic ro co m­
puters designed and programmed to teach computer concepts.
Some engineering students at Case Western submitted p a p e r ­
less homework on DEC personal computers in the fall of 1983.
Stanford estimates that 80 percent of its faculty will own
microcomputers by 1987.
According to the literature,
implications in academic
of information services.

one of the outstanding

libraries is the decentralization
The relatively sudden availability

of personal computers promises a major revolution in re­
search information services

in the near future.

Many

American universities are planning the "wiring" of their
campuses to support the demand by students and faculty for
computerized information services.

Both RLG and OCLC are

planning technical architectures which will permit the
orderly and effective decentralization of many currently
centralized information services

(Battin,

1984).

51
Implications of the automation environment in
academic
(1983,

libraries were discussed by such writers as Brown

implications of online environment),

the library profession's renewed

identity),

Foster

(1983,

Beckman

(1983,

the impact of new technologies on library b u i l d i n g ) , and
many others.

Foster

(1983)

computer in this way:

summarized the influence of the

"None of the three typical

within the library --technical

services,

areas

public services,

administration — has escaped online information systems."
(p. 3)

Cohen, Elaine and Cohen,

of automation on the physical
facilities within the

Aaron stressed the impact

organization of space and

library and the importance of a n ­

ticipating the psychological

needs of patrons and personnel

in adjusting to the implementation of new technology.

The

authors believe that the planning process for change in the
library depends on three elements — aesthetics,
and behavior —

function,

and that these elements are intrinsic to the

comfortable adaptation of the human being to his or her
environment.

Technological developments are helping to

transform the ways in which libraries have traditionally
done business.
For librarians,

the undeniable element of automation

and information systems means that the world of books and
computers must be merged;

skills must be acquired in order

to effectively meet the future information needs of a new,
more sophisticated library patron and a different
organization.

Foster

(1983)

suggested:

library

"The blending of

52
technology and intellectual content means that
must be generalists and specialists
technological

fields."

(p. 13)

a librarian must be changed;
routine performance and,

librarians

in subject areas and

The professional

attitude of

he has to detach himself from a

instead,

as DasGupta

(1981)

put it,

"resume the responsibility for making decisions and acting
as a resource

specialist for the academic community.

. . . The ability to do research and publication and b ib li ­
ographic instruction for the academic community has to be
acquired."

(pp.

406-407)

There is little evidence that

libraries have reduced

the size of their staffs as a result of automation
1979).

Instead,

and expanded.

(Boss,

the role of the librarian has been changed

Foster

(1983)

believes that the effect of

computer-based information systems has been felt most
strongly in reference services.

"...

librarians are

already becoming information brokers who formulate search
strategies,

conduct extensive interviews with patrons and

enter key words
citations."

into a terminal

to produce bibliographic

(p. 6)

M a r t e l 1 and Untamale

(1983)

feel

that computerized

systems continue to alter work relationships:
the way in which we
one another."

look at our work,

(p. 339)

"They change

at ourselves,

A case study of academic

personnel conducted by Martell and Untamale

and at

library

(1983)

explored

important quality of work life strateg y— job redesign--by
demonstrating how the introduction of automated systems at

53
the University of California,

Berkely,

led to restructuring

and enrichment of jobs.
Reasons for which automated

library systems may be

justified were summarized by Matthews

(1980):

(1)
The tasks of a function may be eliminated or
completed more accurately, more quickly, and with
increased control than with other alternatives.
. . . (2)
Increased demands for service and their
accompanying library work loads must be count er ­
balanced with improved productivity. . . . (3)
Automation may facilitate the collection of data
that will assist the librarian in the management of
the library's collection.
(4)
Automation may
provide the means to offer new or improved services
to patrons, provide valuable by-products, and
facilitate cooperation between libraries.
(5)
Automation may eliminate staff positions and the end
result may be reduced unit costs for a particular
activity.
(6)
Au tomation may avoid the need to
have additional staff, even with increased demands
for service, (p. 1)
Edelman

(in Savage,

1984)

world far more problem-riddled.

described a technological
He reminded us that we have

created bibliographic giants with OCLC and RLIN,

and the

cost of maintaining them is far greater than imagined.

He

stated:
Computers are competing with people for valuable
library space:
it's often the reading room versus
the terminal room.
We see an increased use of our
facilities thanks to automation, but what is needed
is space for thinking. . . . More money must be
spent for the core co llection and for acquiring
multiple copies to meet volume of use. (p. 414)
He reassured that the ordinary print book,
human than the machine,

would never die.

infinitely more

Hoyt

(1982),

was critical:
. . . anything w hi ch can be specified can be
automated.
Anything which we cannot specify we
cannot automate.
All those activities of the first
category belong to the province of the machine.
They should be automated.
Human intelligence,

too,

54
imagination and creativity are too precious to
expend energy on them,(p. 43)

Integrated Library System
DeGennaro noted:

".

benefits of automation until
tegrated system."

. .no library can reap the full
it can implement a fully in­

(in Kass and Schroeder,

1983,

p.

83)

The

profession seems to be beginning to recognize the inter­
relationships among the various practices of- computer
application in the academic

library.

Uluakar

(1981)

presented a project that took a step-by-step approach to the
development of an online comprehensive system running on a
dedicated computer.

Fundamental

is the recognition of

online computer processing as the most effective means of
simultaneously handling inventory control,
retrieval,

and networking of large,

stores of data.

Boss

(1979)

information

complex,

and volatile

also stated:

The integrated or total systems approach was
ph ilosophically and t echnically sound— a single
bibliographic file supporting all functions:
circulation, acquisitions, cataloging, etc.
Only
one input or update need be done to keep the entire
database current for all functions, and a query from
any terminal need be made only once to search the
entire database,(p. 35)
Hoadly and Payne
integrated automation:
row's research

(1983)

emphasized the importance of

"Almost inevitably part of tomor­

library is the online catalog in the context

of an integrated automated system."
Library Information Systems
Research Libraries)

(ILIS)

(p. 138)
in ARL

Integrated

(Association of

were reported in detail by Hirshon

55
(1983).

His report is based on an October 1982 survey of 31

selected members of the ARL.

An ILIS is defined as a fully

interactive integrated database containing bibliographic and
other data used for four functions:
ing, maintenance,

circulation;

public access catalog.

acquisitions,

c a tal og­

and provision of an online

It is indicated that approximately

90% of the respondents reported some plans or actions toward
developing an ILIS.

A totally integrated automation system

at Northwestern University in Illinois,

an integrated

library system at University of Maryland Health Science
Library,
Foster

and a system at Hunnold Library were reported by

(1983),

Freiburger

(1983), and Newman

(1980)

respectively.
Matthews

(1984)

interpreted the present situation in

terms of the marketplace:

"The current thrust of turnkey

system vendors is to provide a truly integrated
system.

library

These vendors are announcing and delivering a d d i ­

tional modules to move the circulation system to an
integrated system".
of this movement:
benefits for

decline."

"An integrated system has positive

libraries since an expensive

the computer,
for several

He f-urther commented about the benefits

disk drives,

functions;

(p. 58 7)

"fixed"

res ource—

and software— is being utilized

hence the costs for each function

56
Microcomputers

in Library Automation

Recent literature in the field of computer applica­
tion is characterized by a proliferation of articles on the
use of microcomputers.
marvel machines"
Cook

(1982).

For example,

for today's

Fosdick

(1982)

microcomputers as "new

libraries were described by
commented:

"Microcomputers— it

is a word many of us first heard only a couple of years ago.
Yet the technology this word represents holds promise of
tremendous change.

. . . This,

of course,

means that

libraries and information centers will be profoundly af ­
fected by this new technology."

(p. 13)

By using microcomputers dedicated to single func­
tions,
overall

a library is able to significantly increase its
service delivery.

According to Rorvig

(1981), at

UCLA,
. . . microcomputers have been programmed to provide
user self-instruction for reference tools.
This
application would have two advantages:
first, the
total workload on reference would be decreased;
second, users would be able to learn at their own
pace through the feedback and review routine
pro vided by the self-instructional programs.
Another function readily handled by microcomputers
is control of and access to vertical file materials.
. . .Other specific microcomputer applications for
libraries are:
(1) information and referral, (2)
patron and document database creation and searching,
(3) index production, (4) OCLC/CLSI data conversion,
(5) delinquent patron detection and fine ca l c u l a ­
tion, (6) circulation system transaction recording,
(7) user access to online systems such as Dialog
(Lockheed) and Stairs (BRS), (8) Patron e n t er ta in ­
ment, and (9) thesauri production, (p. 3)
At Brown University,

microcomputer-based turnkey

system offers databases built by librarians providing infor­
mation on such topics as:

use of

library,

book reviews,

and

57
community and library events

(Urbanek,1982).

Potter

(1983)

studied the use of personal computers connected to a large,
multilibrary bibliographic system
Computer System network)

(Illinois'

to model an analysis of record

duplication across the entire system.
interfaces to bibliographic utilities
were studied by Genaway

Library

(1983).

Microcomputers as
(OCLC, RLIN,

etc.)

The use of microcomputers

in libraries is making online processing less expensive and
more effective than traditional

manual and batch processes.

Procedures followed by the University of Maryland in select­
ing a computerized

library information system were reported

by Sherron and Gattone

(1983).

The University of Colorado

Library used a microcomputer to develop an index to a c o l ­
lection of vocal

sheet music

(Carter,

1983).

Based on

online searching experiences with microcomputers at a small
liberal arts college,

advantages and disadvantages of mi cr o­

searching and future trends were reported by Casbon

(1983).

The limitations of microcomputers and their potential uses
on college campuses were discussed by Harris

(1983).

The acceptance of microcomputers by the general
public has been astonishing.

According to Rorvig

Mid-1981 more than 250,000 Radio Shack TRS-80
computers had been sold.

In a practical

(1981) , by

I and II

sense,

this means

that microcomputers are fast becoming something routinely
used in many homes,

offices,

schools and libraries.

considered that the acceptance of microcomputers by

It is

58
educators and students will change the nature of library use
for large classes of patrons.
Rorvig viewed:
the most useful tool

"The microcomputer is potentially

for the control and delivery of infor­

mation in libraries since the invention of the card
catalog."

(p. 4)

He also stated:

"It is no exaggeration to

compare the emergence of the microcomputer to the invention
of movable type."

(p.

1)

Intel has released prototype

systems for a 32-bit CPU

(Central Processing U n i t ) .

Such

processors would be capable of addressing over
4,225,000,000,

characters of main memory storage.

Intel

analysts estimated that by 1986 microcomputers employing
this processor would provide the functional capacities of
any of today's powerful
the present cost

minicomputers at virtually 20% of

(Rorvig,

by the mid-1980's will

1981).

Another development which

su bstantially affect the power of

microcomputers to retrieve and organize information is the
development of mass storage employing the video disc.

It is

estimated that over 100 billion characters can be stored on
a single disk.

Rorvig says:

*'This is equivalent to storing

the entire 11th edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica on a
disc."

(p. 103)

The availability of this storage capacity

combined with the new 16- and 32-bit microprocessor CPUs
would bring
all

large-scale p rocessing power within the reach of

libraries,

Rorvig's

idea:

large and small.

Battin

(1984),

shared

discussing that the relatively sudden

availability of affordable personal computers promises

59
another major revolution in research information services
within the next five years,

and that the new powerful

microcomputers will have storage and retrieval capacities
equal to the large mainframes of the past decade.

Perceptions and Attitudes
Luquire

(1983)

emphasized that technological change

as a force in libraries should be coped with from the attitudinal

or psychological point of view.

He proposed:

To deal with the new technology, and to maintain
balance between human considerations and the
technology of library automation, better
understanding of the complexities of the perceptions
and attitudes of people becomes mandatory.
Most of
the process of human and organizational management
is at the mental and psychological plane rather than
the physical, (p. 344)
And Luquire identified selected variables and at ­
tempted to determine to what extent they affected
librarians'

perceptions of an innovative system, OCLC,

as

the follows:
(1) Style of decision making in the library.— The
more participation there was in library decision
making by respondents generally, the more positive
was the evaluation of the innovation. . . . (2) The
organization and size of the library (by volume
co u nt ) .— The organization and size of the library
had pronounced effects on the acceptance or r ej ec ­
tion of OCLC.
The larger the library, the less
positive was the evaluation of the new system, and
staff members in the larger libraries perceived that
fewer benefits were derived from the innovative
system. . . .
(3) The amount of preparation for the
new system .— Two types of preparation for the new
system were considered:
attitudinal or ps yc h o l o g i ­
cal preparation, and technical preparation.
Regarding attitudinal or psychological preparation,
there was support for the hypothesis that the more
familiarity the staff had and the earlier it had
become acquainted with the new system before its
actual arrival, the more positive would be the

60
overall evaluation of the system.
Another important
aspect of psychological preparation beside the
period of awareness, was the amount of emphasis
placed on job security by the library administration
during all phases of the planning, introduction, and
arrival of the innovative system.
The more that job
security was emphasized prior to and during the
introduction of OCLC, the more positive was the
evaluation of the system.
This relationship was one
of the strongest associations found in the, entire
study. . . . There was a positive relationship
between the amount of preparatory technical training
and the overall evaluation of OCLC.
As the amount
of training increased, so did the evaluation.
. . . (4) Selected demographic factors affecting
staff perception!?.—
the more recent the librarian's
training, the more positive was his/her evaluation
of the new system.
It was apparent that a number of
older persons who obtained library degrees recently
must have evaluated the overall innovation very
positively.
The hypothesis was supported that the
more
additional graduate degrees a librarian had,
the more positive his/her evaluation of the innova­
tive system would b e . . . . There was no apparent
correlation between the amount of computer e x ­
perience or training and the overall evaluation of
OCLC. . . . There was a positive relationship be ­
tween the number of years a library had participated
in OCLC and the overall evaluation of OCLC.
As
libraries participated in the system longer, they
evaluated it lower, (pp. 346-347)
On the other hand,

Kallenbach

(1980)

reported the

fo l l o w i n g :
Through continued and expanding use of the system,
the traditional fear and anxieties associated with
computers and techno log y— computers replacing
people, the dehumanization of tasks, the need for
specialized training and skills to operate these
futuristic mac hin es— quickly faded as the benefits
and rewards of automated cataloging became apparent.
. . . Staff members not only became comfortable
with, but even preferred, automated processing, (p.
264)
Bennett

(1979)

concluded:

automation with caution,
time,

labor,

but all

"Librarians have received
in all

and cost saving process."

they regard it as a
(p. 18)

61
A few objections,
literature.

For example,

may feel their

however,
Boss

traditional

(1979)

jobs are threatened,

reallocation of resources.

have been reported in the
feels that some people

others may resist a

There are many who like the

library of books and journals and will

resist

attempts to change it even in the face of a crisis.
library staff feel that the quality of their work

Some

life is

un sa ti s f a c t o r y .
Anderson and Miller

(1983)

reported the result of an

opinion survey of user groups conducted at the University of
Cincinnati

as follows:

The users were expected to demonstrate considerable
mistrust, even fear, of library automation.
"Buy
books, not computers", was expected to be the
resounding response to the open-ended question.
It
was not.
There were many comments highly favorable
to the ideas of automation. . . . There was, of
course, concern over the future quality of the
collection, but this was not to the exclusion of
automated access to that collection.
The users, it
seems, wanted both better collection and the greater
convenience and access that could be offered by
automation of library record systems, (p. 252)
Users'

views of the online catalog,

friendly versus user-hostile systems;

and user-

and attitudes of

library users toward the library at the Oberlin College,
Ohio, were reported by Lipow
Moffett

(1983)

(1983)

and by Frohmberg and

respectively.

Future Trends

in Library Automation

Numerous predictions about the future of the library
have been made.

Scale of the forecasts ranging from the

62
conservative

(the library of the future

cally different from that of today)

looks only cosme ti ­

to the revolutionary

(libraries as we now know them essentially disappear)
summarized by Lancaster

was

(1982) :

(1) Libraries'provide much the same type of service
that they do today.
Their internal functioning,
however, is greatly improved through technology,
such as microform storage and the application of
computers, and they deal with an ever-increasing
diversity of materials.
(2) Networking activities,
facilitated by computers and telecommunications,
improve the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of
library service in general and make every library a
point of efficient access to a vast national library
resource.
(3) Libraries reduce or even eliminate
dependence on print on paper and deal primarily with
resources in machine-readable form.
(4) The need to
visit libraries declines as technology permits
libraries to deliver services directly to offices
and homes.
(5) Local libraries decline substan­
tially in importance, or even disappear, as
individuals can access information resources
directly through telecommunications. . . .
(6)
Individuals become members of online "intellectual
communities".
The distinction between formal and
informal communication tends to blur, since online
networks provide access to individuals. . . . (7)
New information service capabilities emerge, includ­
ing the ability to guery data banks that will answer
guestions directly. . . . (pp. 125-126)
According to Lancaster
squarely into

(1982), we

the first two phases and an

third phase has already been reached,

are already
early stage of the

and libraries also

seem to be moving even into the fourth phase.
catalogs can already be searched in the home
Home Delivery

Library Service Program) or

more complete

texts become accessible

Library
(e.g.,

the OCLC

in the office.

in digital

As

form,

delivery of various kinds of materials can be made directly
to domestic television receivers or their terminals..
ability to access information resources

The

from privately owned

63
terminals suggest that the local
bypassed.

Instead,

libraries of today could be

individuals could go directly to data

banks maintained by publishers or by some form of national
information center
the paperless

(Lancaster).

library:

obviate the need for
capacities,

Boss

(1979)

also forecast

"Terminals in homes and offices will

library buildings with large seating

and mass electronic

storage of bibliographic and

full-text data will eliminate miles of shelving."
According to Matz

(in Savage,

1984)

(p. 2)

electronic

transmission will be commonplace in the next five years.
Libraries of the future will buy fewer books because of
static budgets coupled with rising costs.
improve bibliographic
Print".

Risher

new competitor

tools

(in Savage,

Automation will

like the now online
1984)

"Books in

announced the arrival

in the not-too-distant future:

leather binding housing a flat-screen CRT

of a

a book-sized

(cathode ray tube)

that takes a chip containing the literature of tomorrow.
Black

(1983)

believes

that there are a number of trends

which one can identify:

trends towards increasing mini ­

aturization of all parts of the chain,

trends towards higher

speed distribution of data and generally speaking
costs,

lower

trends towards much higher capacity offline storage

devices,

and trends towards increasing potential

for

decentralization of access and decentralization of the
creation of data.
Kilgour

(1984)

predicted the future integration:

In the next few years, online public catalogs a c ­
cessed from remote devices will widely replace
traditional forms of catalogs, . . . They will

64
enlarge availability of information to individual
users wherever they may be. . . . The most exciting
prospect for the next several years is the integ ra ­
tion of catalog and information supply functions,
whereby it will be possible for the information
seeker at his personal computer to obtain an item
almost as rapidly as he can locate a catalog entry.
. . . The electronic files of documents currently
coming into existence will soon be the logical
equivalent, and replacement, of collections of
publications in classical 1i b r a r i e s . (p. 321)
Kass and Schroeder
will

(1983)

also think that libraries

soon be patronized by users who,

professional computers,

armed with personal-

will demand access to the online

catalogs of the major university

libraries in the country.

The growing capacity of the individual

to create,

store,

and

distribute information will have a tremendous impact on the
future course of computer system development

in the uni ve r­

sity context and place new demands and strains on the
research library.

Woods

(1982)

predicted:

"The most impor­

tant breakthroughs will be in the area of reliable
networking.

. . .

As network protocols are worked out, we

will have access to a truly national resource on our own
personal computers in the comfort and privacy of our
rooms."

(p. 41)

living

CHAPTER III

RESEARCH PROCEDURES

Tools and Techniques for Data Collection
In order to conduct this study,

the researcher

decided that in-depth interviewing would provide the best
result as a method of data collection.

This decision was

made on the assumption that in-depth interviews with library
personnel would elicit their actual perceptions of the
effects of automation on the Library.

Other methods for

data collection were not completely ruled out,
were supplemented by participant observation,
ments,

and other secondary sources.

and the data
library d o c u ­

Specific techniques

employed to collect the raw data were as follows:
1.
research.

In-depth interviewing was the primary tool of the
This method of research was respected and

regularly employed.

This type of in-person measurement,

rather than q u e s t i o n a i r e s , was strongly recommended by Boss
(1979)

with the reason that,

"People interpret questionaires

differently and define activities differently."

(p. 83)

2. The researcher frequently placed himself in the
place where the events he was interested in were naturally
occurring and where the automation was functioning.

He

attempted to enter the world of the people and site he was

65

studying,

and,

as Bogdan and Biklen

to "get to know, be known,
who were involved.

(1982)

and trusted."

These people,

in turn,

put it, attempted

(p. 2), by those
had to know why

the study was being done and had to cooperate in achieving
the objectives of the study.
3. Collection of the raw data was augmented through
sustained contact,

as far as circumstances permitted,

with

people in automation settings where subjects normally spent
their time.

The researcher systematically kept a detailed

written record of what was heard and observed.
were collected in the form of utterances.

The data

The data included

audio-taped materials and their transcripts of interviews,
field notes, diagrams,

and librarian's personal

extensively covering all

documents,

intended areas of study so that the

final report might represent all meaningful

instances o c c u r ­

ring in the research site.
4. The data mentioned above were supplemented by
other types of data such as library records,
cations,

library p ub li ­

and additional perceptions of librarians obtained

through informal,

casual

interviews.

Research Population and Research Samples
Before proceeding to the work of selecting pa r­
ticipants for conduct of this project,
procured

the researcher

permission to interview librarians by obtaining a

written approval from the University Committee on Research
Involving Human Subjects

(UCRIHS)

(See Appendix).

Following

67
an approval from UCRIHS,

the researcher received permission

also from the Director of the Libraries to use the Library
as a research site and to interview the library personnel.

Selection of Interviewees
Two hundred and eighty-eight staff members of whom
seventy-five are professional

librarians,

serving MSU students and faculty members
Directory,

1983).

librarians'
tivities,

are currently
(American Library

To guarantee a cross-section of

perceptions and a representativeness of a c ­

subjects were selected from across the entire

1i b r a r y .
From among the seventy-five professional

librarians,

fifteen were selected to represent all four major d e p a r t ­
ments,

one top management office,

and one special office

which is responsible for the Library-wide automation
programs.

Fifteen people seemed to be the optimum sample,

being not too small

to represent all major sectors

Library and yet not too
is 20% of 75)

large

in the

to interview personally.

(15

This method of selecting participants was

suggested by C h a p i n1 .

Based on an in-person interview conducted by the
researcher with Richard E. Chapin, Director of MSU Libraries
on February 17, 1984.

68
They were selected as follows:
General Readers'
Technical

Services Department;

Services Department;

Libraries Department;

three from the
three from the

three from the Science

three from the Resource Development

and Special Services Department;

two from the Main Office;

and one from the Systems and Planning Office.

The first

participant candidate was recommended by the Director of the
Libraries to be the first interviewee,
in another department,
one,
one.

the second candidate

in turn, was recommended by the first

and the third one in the third department by the second
This method of selecting a particular person from

among members of a department was employed until
interviewee was selected.

the last

This approach was taken so that

participants could be recommended not by a single person but
by as many people as the total number of participants.
Those individuals who recommended their colleagues as the
next interviewees to themselves were most likely to be in a
position to best judge the suitability of a person as an
interviewee,

making it possible to ensure the maximum degree

of representativeness of key library personnel's
perceptions.
The researcher chose this sampling method on the
assumption that library personnel's perceptions could best
be represented by interviewing individuals who have already
been recognized by their colleagues as persons with some
degree of familiarity with the automation situation in the
Library.

This approach of selecting samples is recommended

69
by Bogdan and Biklen
sampling technique".
by Hunter

(1982)

under the name of ".snowball

This sampling technique was also used

(1953) .

In addition to the formal participants,

several

librarians were asked to casually and informally participate
in the interview process

in order to augment the research

data.

Interview Process
The interview session for each participant took
approximately 30 minutes.
individual

Interviews were scheduled at the

participant's convenience.

ticipation was voluntary,

Even though p a r ­

all recommended candidates

accepted the offer to participate in the project
Appendix for samples of the

(See

letter and research abstract

sent to the recommended interviewees

in order to ask their

co o p e ra ti on ).
In the course of interviewing,
used to maximize the accuracy.
views,

a tape recorder was

After each session of inter­

the audio-taped material was dictated into interview

transcripts

(See Appendix for the interview schedule which

includes samples of typical questions).
subjects'

responses

in the interview was maintained by not

identifying information by personal
report.

Confidentiality of

names

in the final

70
Strategies for Analyzing Data
To analyze data it. was necessary to develop
categories which best depicted the participants'
Schatzman and Strauss

(1973)

stated that,

responses.

"Probably the most

fundamental operation in the analysis of qualitative data is
that of discovering significant classes of things,
and events,
110).

and the properties which characterize them"

The researcher,

responses,

persons
(p.

after initially reviewing all of the

concluded that three major categories could be

developed into which nearly all responses could be assigned.
These three categories were:
at the Library,

responses favoring automation

responses opposing automation,

both favoring and opposing automation.

and responses

Each of these

categories was then sub-divided into more specific
categories as follows.

Responses favoring automation were

divided into sub-categories such as automation's success,
shift of emphasis,

changing the notion of the library,

the librarian's role change.

and

Responses opposing automation

were divided into sub-categories such as a wait-and-see
attitude in automation,

no shift of emphasis,

the notion of the library,
functions.

and unchanging

no change in

librarian's

Responses both in favor of and opposing au to m a ­

tion were divided into sub-categories such as discreet
application of computers,

between two opposing opinions,

sophisticated evolution in libraries,
librarian's roles.

and expanded

71
When deciding into which category a given response
would be placed,

the researcher made the assignment on the

basis of whether the individual
positive,

negative,

statement was preponderantly

or ambivalent.

Reporting of the Study
After a careful

review of all interview data app ea r­

ing in the respective categories,

common elements were

abstracted from the responses which appeared in each
category.

These elements were reported as findings.

common elements,

in addition to being reported in a na rr a­

tive form, were also expressed in synoptic charts and
tables.

The

CHAPTER IV.

DESCRIPTION AND INTERPRETATION

Is the MSU Library in its time of transition?
by the end of this decade,

If,

it will be profoundly different

from the Library that we have known and used in the past,
how specifically will

it change?

How will

the technological

force cause a fundamental change in the way the Library
supports teaching,

learning,

and research?

The Library

personnel have different reactions to the implementation of
automation and they interpret their experiences

in diverse

ways.

From their reactions,

collected mainly through inter­

views,

the researcher identified three major categories:

reactions in favor of computer application;
favor of computer application;

reactions not in

and a third group of reac­

tions which are essentially ambivalent.

Each of three

categories was then further divided into sub-categories
concerning specific situations in which the Library staff
indicated favorable,

unfavorable,

or ambivalent responses.

The three categories and their respective sub­
categories are as follows:
Responses favoring automation
Automation is successful
Shift of emphasis

72

73
Changing notion of

library

Librarian's role changes
Responses opposing automation
Wait-and-see attitude in automation
No shift of emphasis
Notion of library is the same
Librarian's functions are not changing
Responses both in favor of and opposing automation
Discreet a p p l i c a t i o n .of computers
Between two opposing opinions
Sophisticated evolution in libraries
Librarian's roles are expanding
Each category and subcategory is substantiated
respectively by supporting evidence and direct quotes.

Responses Favoring Automation
Automation Is Successful
In general

it would appear that the MSU Library's

application of online computer and communications technology
is likely to expand the range and quality of library serv­
ices to users.

The new information processing technologies

seem to be revitalizing the Library's functions by enlarging
their scope and capabilities,

and the Library's functions

will become more important in the electronic age than they
were in the print age.

It is considered that the computer

facilities themselves provide greater services to users, who
through the computers have both greater overall access to

74
materials and more individualized control
what they need.

Consequently,

in seeking out

providing access to resources

and coping with technology and change will be the principal
driving forces of the MSU Library in the future.
1. Application of new technology:

A librarian in a

managerial position advoca ted the idea of inevitability of
computers

in the Library saying that,

"If a library does not

begin to provide t' ese kinds of new services
database searching,

online catalogs,

like the

etc., people will cease

coming to the library because it won't be the place for
information anymore,

it will

be, a place of just one

just be like what it used to

little piece of information".

One of the administrative personnel admits that
humanities have been much slower in terms of the mecha niz a­
tion of literature,
that,

art,

and music,

but she doesn't think

"it's going to remain that way forever."

tion is that,

Her sugges­

"There are more and more online databases that

are available for searching,

and people have to learn how to

use them."
A librarian joined in, claiming the necessity of
computer application with these words:

"After all,

wonderful

but I think that an

awful

to sip the book in your hand,

it's

lot of the current material will be available in what

I would call a

'quick access mode'."

One science librarian said,

"I think this

library is

pretty forward-looking in the transition toward automation.
There are lots of things happening out there,

and I think we

75
are not sitting back and waiting.

I think we are going

ahead of something."
Some successful

aspects of computer application at

the Library were illustrated by one of the administrators as
follows:

"We had two areas that were extremely successful.

One was in our technical
our circulation.

services area,

and the other was in

In 1975, we joined the OCLC

Computer Library Center)
searching operation.
tioned immediately,

(Online

in our cataloging and pre-order

It was introduced,

accepted,

and worked extremely well.

func­

And the same

holds true for INNOVACQ which is our automated acquisition
system.

That was plugged in and worked well

day we had it.

from the first

Then the second area is with circulation.

think we've had enormous success with ways
public has used the terminal

I

in which the

in lieu of the card catalog."

One librarian emphasized the potential of com­
puterization by saying that,

"To computerize the public

catalog and to develop a variety of new electronic forms is
the only way to deal with a large quantity of information."
2. Advantages of computerization:

The efficiency of

automation was discussed by one of the librarians as
follows:

"I think one of the big things is that we haven't

been able to reduce staff or cut budgets,

but we have been

able to process more materials better and faster, which in
turn has provided much better services to our users."
It was also pointed out by a librarian working for
computer programs for the Library that,

"Hardware and

76
software become less and
cated,

less expensive,

much more sophisti­

and more capable than we are actually capable of

making use of them."
One of the librarians working at the Technical
Services Department stated that,
people are saying,
a lot of staff.

"Contrary to what some

the automation does not permit you to cut

However,

staff simply gets more and does

more."
3. Online acquisition:

Online acquisition is p e r ­

ceived by many librarians as one of the most successful
features of automation.

An actual operation of the system

was introduced by a staff member at the Science Library as
the following:

"Within the past year the Library has

installed an automated book ordering system,

an automated

acquisition system, and the Science Library orders its own
books in the sense that we decide what we want to order.
This system has been interfaced with our circulation system,
so that we can tell by typing in on the circulation system a
title to see whether it's not been ordered.

The circulation

system also indicates whether a book has been ordered,
received,

or cataloged."

A person in a management position also viewed this
system with satisfaction.
INNOVACQ,

She said,

"With respect to

I think the system itself is sort of an evidence

of success.

We were able to order materials the first day

we had the system and it did work as we wanted it to do."

77
One of the Assistant Directors regarded this system
as one of the very important applications:

"Our acquisition

system interfaces with the circulation system,

so when we

order a book it will appear in the circulation system.
has a big impact,

I think.

That

For one thing, we could put a

lot of filings in the public catalog.

So there have been a

lot of impacts, which may not seem terribly large to someone
from outside,

but to us are really important."

A similar interpretation has been provided by
another staff member at the Acquisition Section:
we have got an automated acquisition system,

"This year

the INNOVACQ,

and we interface that with our CLSI circulation system,

so

that when something is ordered it appears on CLSI as an onorder record,

and when the title is received it appears on

CLSI as received record and the impact that this has had
has been tremendous.

The patrons access to those automated

CLSI files and they find these as on-order records or
received records,

and they send back requests for those

books which we find in -our pre-catalog or cataloging b a c k ­
log, and so the number of those requests has been,

I say,

25

percent increase over the last ten months."
The following advantages of the computerized ac ­
quisition system were given by one of the professional
librarians at the Technical Services Department:

"The good

points as far as an automated acquisition system goes are
that we've vastly increased our access
files.

When you had manual

records,

internally to our own

you filed in one way,

78
so the on-order file was always

just by title,

have access by author,

title,

O C L C 's ISBN

Standard Book Number),

and by series.

and now we

(International

Basically we just

have multiplied the ways that we can access files and so our
ability to solve problems has increased.
eliminate duplications,

Ability to

to produce reports,

. . . all of

those things have just increased geometrically."
Good points in automated book acquisition were also
discussed from another angle by one of the participants
working in a management position:

"In book acquisition or

information acquisition of most formats here at MSU, we' have
installed a new computer system for handling the flow of the
generation of orders for information.
many respects,

This has changed,

the nature of our work.

in

It allows us to have

an easier access to the order process; we can more quickly
locate where orders are as they are coming.
generate statistics.

And we can now

We can keep tabs on our ordering so

that we can make some estimates about how much information
flow is going on in any one subject area and what subject
areas perhaps haven't been as well tended as others."
4. Online cataloging:

Online shared cataloging is

considered by many staff members as still more successful
achievement in the Library.

One of the members of the

Library staff commented with confidence:
cataloging has, until

"Online cooperative

now, been the most outstanding a p ­

plication of library automation.

The giant bibliographic

79
utility

(OCLC)

tion possible,

has made this enormously successful a p pl ic a­
saving original cataloging time

tr e m e n d o u s l y . "
One management

librarian stated:

"Prior to having

this automated online shared cataloging system, we had an
enormous backlog of materials to be cataloged that all had
to be done through original cataloging or through making
photo copies of Library of Congress cards.
has been reduced,

Now that backlog

and we don't have a backlog

like that at

all any more."
One of the interviewees working in a management
position for technical
the following:

services narrated her experiences as

"We do not have to do original cataloging as

much as we used to. We can use what other people have sup­
plied to us and add it to our file to fit our needs here at
MSU.

Now that we have this online system, we can just look

if there is a cataloging record there that fits the title
that we have.
cards.

We merely add it and push a button to order

At the same time we make a computer tape of that

data which we hope in the future to use,
are using,

. . . even now we

in constructing online cataloging of our own

unique information"
The efficiency of this newly introduced cataloging
system was repeatedly interpreted by many participants.

One

of the personnel who has been working at the Library for
more than twenty years provided the following explanation:
"By using the database in Columbus

(OCLC), we don't have to

80
rely just on ourselves to process all these books,
settes,

records,

find some other

cas ­

or whatsoever that are coming so long as we
library in the country which happens to be

tied in the OCLC and has already cataloged those materials.
We can catalog just using those

copies.

non-professional

it's done twice as fast.

librarians but

It can be done by

Even the cards that go into our catalog are produced at this
facility,

so we not only save time but,

to turn out better work,

I think, we are able

so you are really getting a good

return on your dollar when you do that.
really good increase of efficiency,

It has been a

thirty percent or some­

thing like that with the same staff size."
say/

"I think that we have taken away,

some of the deadliness,
using the database.

She went on to

in many instances,

the boring part of cataloging,

by

The librarian does truly more profes­

sional work than ever before."
One of the catalog librarians told the interviewer
the following:

"In the old days people did very meticulous,

detailed cataloging,

but if you

did only one or two titles a

day it would not be helping patrons,

because it isimportant

that patrons have good access to as many books as possible."
A staff member at the Cataloging Section viewed
that,

"The online catalog will profoundly change the way the

Library is operated and used in the future.
only replace the card catalog,

It will not

but it will provide a system

that will unify the now physically separate MSU Libraries
into a single comprehensive information network."

81
5. Online serials control:

Online influence seems

to be extended to the area of serials control.

One of the

personnel who is mainly responsible for the processing of
serials revealed:
serials online.
pay for them,

"We are going to start checking-in our
We can use terminals to order serials,

and to make fund accounting.

to

We do our work

differently from the way we used to do it."
Another librarian in the Serials Section also a p ­
peared to be rather optimistic:
control

"I think that serials

is one of the areas where automation is affecting

services to patrons.

I mean our automated serials check-in

system where the check-in records are available to either
the reference or information desk staff or the patron.

The

patron can actually see what is in the library even before
it is added to a shelf-list or serials holding

list.

Those

serials holding lists seemed to be notoriously hard to keep
updated in the past.

It is now instantly updated.

A librarian at the Science Library gave the inter­
viewer the following illustration as an example of one of
his favorite automation features at the Library:
binding process of periodicals,
a great extent.

"In the

computers are helping us to

We actually started only

last week at our

library to process binding of periodicals by computer
process using standardized forms in which,
titles and other necessary information,
volume numbers,

as you see,

just except for the

are mechanically provided in advance.

We

82
can handle rapidly growing volumes to be bound only through
c o m p u t e r s ."
6. Online circulation system:
Science Library commented:

A librarian at the

"Probably the biggest impact on

our services down here has been CLSI,
system.

the circulation

What that's done for our department has been to

allow us to close our card catalog.

We closed our card

catalog in 1981."
One

librarian in an administrative position c o n ­

siders the online circulation system as one of the most
successful

features

in the Library:

"With respect to CLSI,

the fact that increasing number of people use it in finding
what they want on it,
In addition,

I think,

is evidence of its success.

in a survey that we did of users this past

year, we found that 60 percent of the people do use CLSI to
verify whether or not items are in fact available on the
shelf,

so that while it's not the most user-friendly system

we could have,

it's easy enough for people to use."

One staff member in the Humanities Section
suggested:

"The circulation system here,

computer access to the whole collection,
is still growing and being developed,
year we will be adding subject access.
title for a long time,

in allowing a
is a feature that

and we hope that this
We've had author-

so that'll be something new that we

all have to get used to it."
A participant in the Technical
revealed the fact that,

Services Department

"Basically those materials were

83
accessible prior to the automated system only in the public
catalog,

but now they are accessible on machines as well

instead of being accessible in the drawers of the card
catalog alone,

so I think that has had a tremendous impact

on the ways of patron service.

Patron demand has gone up.

Basically we've given patrons double the access as we used
to have."
The impact of the automated circulation system on
the reserve reading operation was discussed by one of

the

senior staff members working at the Circulation Section as
follows:

"A huge portion of our assigned reading is un-

cataloging materials:

articles,

personal copies of books.

chapters,

It used to be,

before we computerized these,

in the old days

that the public couldn't even

know that we had certain material.
instructor told them

professors'

They only knew it if the

'go to the library and get t h i s 1, and

then they would come over,

but even when they came,

there

was no public access to this information because we kept the
card file.
system,

Now we enter all those records on a computer

and anybody who uses any of the terminals

in the

building can find those by author or title of the article."
7.
computers:

Online database

Benefits of database searching are perceived by

many library staff members.

One of them is a reference

librarian at the Science Library.
following:

searching service and personal

He maintained the

"I think that the computer searching of databases

is helping the librarian a great deal

in helping the patron.

84
It helps for answering reference questions and also for many
other library functions

such as bibliographic retrieval of

articles or conference proceedings."
efficiency with an illustration:
index, MEDICUS,

for instance,

He explained its

"If a patron went to the

her topic was rather obscure,

and she spent two days or even a week without finding any­
thing useful, and if she comes to us, we can get online,
on the terminal right away,

get

and in about five minutes we can

produce twenty or thirty papers,

usually very relevant."

Personal computers seem to be favorably accepted by
librarians in general.

One of the professional

members at the Science Library said,
the IBMPC

library

"We are trying to use

(IBM Personal Computer); we are trying to inter­

face this with our searching facility so that we can store
the formulations and strategies of searching.

In the near

future we will be able to use it for storing the charging
accounts,

printing our own printouts without having them

sent to us through the mail which takes time,
the print of citations.

And there are new softwares for

that already coming out very rapidly.
IBMPC for our technical
nals,. for acquisition,

and storing

processing,
binding,

processing in the office.

Down here we use this

for checking-in jour­

claiming,

and even for word

It can be used for both

librarians and patrons."
A reference

librarian is also in agreement with the

favorable opinion about the personal
just gotten our own personal

computer:

"We have

computers for this department

85
which means that we are now doing word processing.
also using that,

We are

just beginning the last couple of weeks,

for database searching.

It's a lot faster.

We are now

purchasing access to full text databases for the first time:
newspaper databases."
Personal use of personal computers was introduced by
a science librarian:
now being
BRS

"Some of the information databases are

made available to individuals.

(Bibliographic Retrieval Services)

database.

after dark,

a vendor

Individuals can now subscribe to this for their

own use.On their own personal computers,
tap into the same databases
library.

One example is the

at

home,

they can

that we subscribe to at the

Individuals are learning how to do that on their

o w n ."

Shift of Emphasis
In general

it would appear that a gradual

emphasis from traditional
access to computerized

shift of

library collection building to

library information at the MSU

Library is perceived by the library personnel
emerging new technology,

in terms of

variety of electronic forms,

creasing availability of other library's materials,
advanced systems of information network.

in­

and

The emphasis

in

the library is beginning to shift from the collectionorientation to the service-orientation.

Users will no

longer be limited to what the Library has, as the primary
concern of a library will be to provide information.

A

86
library network system is considered

by librarians to

provide an online catalog of the system's resources with
powerful

subject search capabilities and an efficient

electronic communications

system enhancing the better access

to information for library users.
1. Emphasis on access:

One of the staff members at

the Resource Development Department

interprets the current

shift of emphasis from collection to access as the
following:

"We are much more into services providing not

only access but,

in many respects,

the information formats.

instruction in how to use

And though we don't like to, we

are frequently forced to even interpret meanings in the
various formats and sources of information.
question,

That's a big

but we are tending to change from just a preserver

and maintenance into more of an instructional

service and

some other interpretive service for the types of information
that exist."
One of the science

librarians advocated the shift of

emphasis under the automation environment:
phasis - I think it's a very good trend.
believe this is a welcome phenomenon,

"Shift of e m ­
I definitely

and it is possible

only through automation.'Otherwise it's not possible."
It is one librarian's opinion that emphasis on
access can be a good solution to the ever-increasing variety
of information sources:

"There is a possibility of

electronic solution for access to various
cation.

sources of pu bli ­

Certainly the question of access is going to

87
increasingly be an important one in terms of online access
to full-text publication which is here today.

It will

become increasingly more economical."
A librarian at the Cataloging Section stated that,
"The way now that our processes and procedures have been
constructed not only should provide the best access but do
it as quickly as possible because with the information that
we have now we can do more books and get them to the patron
faster in any usable fashion than we could before."
2.

From manual operation to automated operation:

Change from manual operation to automated one is apparently
being increasingly experienced by library personal.

One

example was provided by a participant at the Science
Library:

''A

good example of how technology has changed

things is that we used to have printed copies for serials
holding

list and now we have microfiche copies instead.

There are patrons who would prefer the paper.

But now we

don't have paper at all, we just have the microfiche,

so

even if they prefer the paper they have to learn to use the
other.

Some still prefer the paper in there, but we now

explain to them that microfiche can be updated more
regularly and more easily and it's always there,

but paper

is so easily worn out that sometimes we don't have certain
p a g e s ."
The advantage that we can enjoy by shifting our
emphasis from manual processing to automated processing was
illustrated along with an example by one of the Assistant

88
Directors:

"Optical digital recording,

for example,

promises to change the ways users access materials,
will probably change the ways

and it

librarians do business.

I first entered the librarianship,

When

one of my res po n­

sibilities was the Chemistry Library.

We had two copies of

the Chemical Abstracts in the Chemistry Library - two sub­
scriptions,

so that when we sent one copy to the binding,

still would have a second copy in reserve.

However,

we

the

cost of publishing the Chemical Abstracts has increased so
enormously over the years that the Chemistry Library now has
only one copy of Chemical Abstracts.

What happens

is that

the Chemistry Library now makes the Chemical Abstracts
available through online digital disk,
affordable price.
online,

and can do so at an

Chemical Abstracts is today accessible

so the user doesn't have to subscribe.

They can pay

just for what he or she uses and the cost of individual
access is probably reasonable if it's calculated in terms of
the amount of time saved compared to having to do a manual
s e a r c h ."
One of the Technical
suggests that,

Services Department personnel

"An increasing amount of information should

be available in electronic forms."
convinced that it is essential
records of older collections
She stated that,

In addition,

she is

to convert the card catalog

into machine-readable forms.

"Information in electronic form will make

books and journals obsolete in the foreseeable future."

89
3. Better access through library cooperation:
people think that the

library network cooperation is a

necessity to ensure greater access to information.
librarian worki ng at the Readers'

A

Services Department em­

phasized the need of information sharing as follows:
think that the shift of emphasis
logical.

Many

"I

is true and actually

With the explosion of information we've had in the

last twenty to thirty years,

it's virtually impossible for

any one institution to own comprehensive collections even in
very narrow fields.

We have the capacity now at certain

expense to have an access to a lot of things online and give
them to people rather rapidly."
One of the science

librarians also maintains that,

"By necessity we go in the direction of sharing resources
with other

libraries and other information-providing

agencies because we can't afford to buy everything.
library can't afford to own everything,
resources

Every

so we must share our

in the networking system that enables us to iden­

tify and to have an access to other collections."
It is the opinion of one of the librarians at the
Circulation section that,

"The Library will have to rely

increasingly on the collections and services of external
sources such as other
commercial

libraries,

information vendors,

meet its users'

needs

library consortia,

and

because the Library cannot

solely from its own book,

journal,

and

90
manuscript collections."

She assumes that technical a d ­

vances are making it possible for the MSU Library to locate
and deliver a wide range of materials that it does not own.
One of the librarians stated:

"In the academic

world we are talking about the shift of emphasis from co l­
lection to access,, and I think that perhaps that is most
evident

in our efforts within OCLC interlibrary

loan system.

I think there is no question that the OCLC has served to
increase the 'interlibrary lending transactions and also has
served to speed up the transaction process simply because
the messages can be transmitted electronically at several
libraries.

Several

libraries can be contacted sequentially

in a processing request."
A librarian interviewed at the Reference Desk com­
mented that,

"The Library's participation in a network

system has greatly improved computer assisted interlibrary
loan,

shared cataloging,

and reference work",

and that,

"The

large online databases and the powerful communication sys­
tems that library networks make available to the Library are
reducing interlibrary

loan delivery time from weeks to

d a y s ."
A librarian at the Science Library told the inter­
viewer that,

"in checking in and out books,

in locating a

book,

and especially in sharing the cataloging process with

other

libraries through online network systems,

to do without computers".

it is hard

91
Changing Notion of Library
In general

it would appear that there is a quiet

revolution going on in the Library in terms of the aut om a­
tion process.

From the library personnel's point of view,

this revolution is being driven by powerful
forces.

The Library's

technological

increasing use of its computer ter­

minals will transform the way the Library is operated and
users are served.

Consequently,

as a result of automation,

it appears that the very notion of "library"
changing;

that is,

is gradually

a library is no longer a place where

information is provided in a limited sense,

but it is a

place where a wider variet y of information is provided in a
wider variety of ways.
A staff member at the Resource Development
Department said:

"I guess

I have never agreed with the

original premise that the traditional
unchanging in active places.

That is not true.

continually adding to the collection,
changing;

libraries have been
If you are

you are continually

you must change especially along with the advent

of new technology."
A reference

librarian stated:

"I guess what has

somewhat changed is that the more we use outside sources
like databases,

the less we are actually likely to be or ­

ganizing the data.

And when we are acquiring something, we

are not really physically acquiring it:
cally buying books,

instead of p hy si­

we are more and more buying contracts

92
with a wholesaler database and we access that.

So that's a

change significant in terms of the notion of library."
In connection with the changing idea of libraries,
one of the interviewees working at the Technical

Services

Department expressed her opinion with these words:

"It used

to be that everybody came to us and the library was this
building with this collection of books,
whatsoever.

journals,

and

Now we have to look at the fact that people

will want us to go into their offices,
dormitories,

to go into their

and maybe to have them dial-up an access to our

circulation system to see what we have and to see that it
has been checked out without coming into the library.
think that we are beginning to move in that direction.

I
And

I think we have to do that if we want to remain the center
of information on the campus."

Librarian's Role Change
In general

it would appear that as a result of

automation there is a change in the librarian's functions.
The emphasis

in the Library is apparently on the facilita­

tion of the increased responsiveness to.the needs of users.
Computers,

for effective use, will

increasingly require the

managerial

role of library personnel as information

intermediaries.
1. Quick adjustment to new environment:
quick adjustment to new and changing situations

Librarians'
is urged by

a management librarian at the Technical Services Department

93
as follows:

"It used to be that we were probably the chief

source of information,

not just information about books but

In f o rm at ion contained in them,

in the academic community,

and we never questioned that we knew more about providing
that information than our patrons.

N ow I think we have to

scramble a little bit to keep up with commercial
that provide information and online databases.

services
And even the

knowledge that our patrons have of computer access may be
greater than ours in some cases.

The commercial

firms in

particular have shown us that for cost they can provide that
information,

and that sometimes they can provide it still

faster than we can.

I think we have to make sure that we

keep up."
It is one library member's observation that,

"The

reference

librarians have had to learn how to use the

database,

and they have had to increase their skills in

this.

A few years ago, most reference

have had this kind of skill,

librarians wouldn't

but they all do now because it

has become such an important part of service."
An ideal

librarian of the present day is compared

with that of the past by one of the administrative
librarians:

"In the past it was

ideal

for a librarian to be

a generalist in terms of su bjects— to know a little bit
about a lot of different fields,

but a specialist in terms

of fu nctions— people being only catalogers,
or only reference

librarians.

have people whose functional

only selectors,

I think that now we need to
skills are broad, who can

94
understand cataloging,

who can select as well as teach and

provide reference services,

can do database searching,

but I

think they need to be specialists in terms of their subject
expertise.

We need to develop more of that kind of

s p e c i a l i s t ."
2.
catalog

Increased responsiveness to users'

One

librarian expressed her opinion about this question

as follows:

"We are beginning to look m o r e .at what patrons

really do need.

I think in the past we assumed that we knew

what people wanted,
surveys,

needs:

but we never really knew.

We never did

never did a scientific approach to determine what

our patrons really do want.
more in this

library.

We will be beginning to do that

In the past year we have done at

least two user studies to see what people do need from us,
and if they are not using the library, why they don't use
it, and how we can provide services.

We never did that in

the past? we just thought we knew without actually looking."
She added,

"I think that the

see, we've never

'client'

is the key word.

You

looked at our patrons in the sense that we

have got a product to sell to them, whether we charge for it
or not."
One of the librarians working at the Reference Desk
made the following comment concerning the impact of the
automation on user services at the Library.
will

"Library users

spend more time in searching materials by themselves

through CLSI terminals.

I can see from this desk across the

hall more people using those terminals these days than they

95
used to.

They will use their time more in searching

materials themselves,

but at the same time they will use us

still more."
Library patrons,

according to his comment, will

become increasingly familiar with the use of computer
facilities and consequently they will have

increased o p p o r ­

tunities for access to computer processed information.
needs of the library users,

The

however, will be satisfied only

along with increased assistance from the librarian.
3. Managerial

role as information intermediaries:

A

young librarian believes that the role of librarians is
changing as a result of automation.
more and more we become managers.
automation?

She said,

"I think that

That is due in part to

I believe that librarians need to be know le dge ­

able about new systems and about new ways of doing things,
and particularly need to be able to manage those resources
as well as people who work with machines.
Library community,

the MSU community and patrons,

view us differently."
experience:

I think that the
probably

She went on to analyze her own

"When I first began my career, which was about

five years ago,

I was a very book-oriented person I suppose.

I'm still a book-oriented person at heart, but now I look at
it more from a managerial point of view.
order to keep up we must automate,

I feel that in

and I feel automation

systems are exciting and so challenging because

I must keep

up with what's going on in terms of a managerial view point.

96
I think that the traditional

role of librarianship has

definitely changed."
Another librarian at the Readers'

Services

Department also agreed with the idea of managerial
librarian:

role of a

" I guess you could say that we are information

managers or middlemen.
acquirers and doers,

Maybe we are actually more than the

and in that dimension I think our role

is changing."
One of the participants interviewed at the Science
Library commented as follows:

"One of the roles that I see

for us is that we must act as middlemen in helping our
patrons.

There are lots of people out there who are not

interested in becoming acquainted with computers,

so I can

see that we need to serve as intermediaries between these
kinds of people and the machines

in helping them to use

those machines."
A staff member at the Resource Development
Department pointed out the following change in the
librarian's role:

"I think that you see a changing nature

of librarianship brought about by the introduction of the
computer into library services and the creation of numerous
databases that are accessible through computers.

We can see

that most library schools now tend to see librarians as
information managers as opposed to information m a i n t a i n e r s ."

97
Responses Opposing Automation
A second reaction to automation was essentially
negative.

These responses are discussed in the following

section.

Wait-And-See Attitude

in Automation

According to some of the library personnel's
responses,

it would appear that in the future information

will become more proliferated and more ephemeral,

and the

task of trying to hastily bring it under machine control
will become increasingly difficult,
transition to the new system.

challenging the smooth

There seems to exist some

drawbacks in a quick and indiscriminating application of
computers at a library.
progresses,

As automation in the library

a gap between fast co mputerization and the slow

pace of user education is likely to widen.
1. Problems in automation:
the Social

One of the librarians at

Sciences Section expressed a deep concern over

the rapid automation in libraries from an economical
of view as follows:

point

"I am not convinced that we can make the

computerized information affordable.

But at this point it

has not been all that expensive to buy printed materials.
Yes,

some are very expensive,

but in the general run of

information coming out in printed format,

it has basically

been affordable for libraries to have collections of that
nature.

When you get into the electronic transmission of

information,

even the system that we presently operate,

98
there are charges for it, and I've been concerned ever since
over this trend in libraries.
information,

Some people can't afford the

and if it is the only way of access then they

can't have that information.

I would be very concerned that

libraries would ever come to that state."
The economic problem in automation was also indi­
cated by another staff member at the Readers'
Department:

Services

"The continual ongoing problem will be that

until the expense of online access comes down, we won't be
able to provide that service to the mass of undergraduates.
That is a real dilemma we have in an institution like this
with huge research components.
graduate students are,

Faculty members and some

relatively speaking, well endowed to

have the money to pay for specialized services,
searching,

or things

like that,

database

but we also have 30 thousand

undergraduate students who are not prepared to pay for those
services."

He reiterated,

"The large bulk of undergraduates

still don't make use of the online service because the cost
of that is still too high.

The majority of our under­

graduates still use the Reader's Guide and all those types
of routine indexes to find citations and they don't walk up
to the database."
One of the Art Library personnel viewed that
strengthening the traditional

collections and services

should remain the main goal of the Library.
claimed:

He definitely

"The electronic capacity of the Library cannot be

a substitute for continuing to build and maintain strong

99
collections and services

in the traditional

sense."

He

commented that creative works such as novels or art works
would be the last things to be computerized because of the
formidable cost for automation.

His concern was that,

"Using computers would keep people from getting personal
help."

He went on to state:

challenge:

"Computers give people a

a challenge for users as well as staff.

get to be educated about how to use the computer.

Both

However,

staff are especially afraid that there might come an age of
diminished job opportuniti es
automation.

I, for one,

am not knowledgeable,

background about computers,
In particular,

for librarians as a result of
have no

and cannot anticipate problems.

in certain areas such as art and music,

it

would be very hard to computerize information."
A humanities

librarian emphasized that,

"Quick

computerization destroys some primary information.
intelligence,

attitude,

computers alone.

Romance,

and opinion cannot be treated by

For example,

understanding the full

situa­

tion of one hundred and fifty years of art cannot be done by
computers.

As a result of computerization,

will be lost.

some information

Library users need physical contact that

gives them something quite precious and different from What
the computer gives.

In computers,

too many things are based

on formulated materials and efficiency alone is
emphasized.

. . resulting in a loss of valuable things.

Especially in the art field,

hasty co mputerization makes us

lose and miss something which is more important."

100
2. Gap between quick automation and slow pace of
user training:

A participant at the Resource Development

Department stated that,
system is a benefit,

"In one way using the automated

but in another way it is also a matter

of continual staff updating and user training so that they,
can use the system."
A staff member working at the Readers'

Services

Department worried about the idea of hasty transition with
the following words:

"The problem is some gap which might

emerge between quick co mputerization and slow usage training
for library patrons as a result of sophisticated
automation."

He added,

"In quantity control,

new system might work wonderfully,

the

but in quality control,

the traditional way of service still

remains the best..

in certain areas such as arts and creative writing,
without saying that quali ty matters first."
his comment with an illustration:

"Musical

And

it goes

He concluded
scores might

eventually be fully representable on computer's display
screens,

but I'm sure many regard the

as important in their own right.

'hard copy'

versions

As pieces of art they are

not so easily reducible to computer-graphic forms."

No Shift of Emphasis
According to some of the key librarians'
view,

points of

it would appear that the MSU Libra ry is continuing to

make heavy a investment in its traditional collections and

101
services.

Focusing on the growth of the traditional col le c­

tion still remains the main function of the Library.
1. Emphasis on traditional ways of service:
the librarians at the Readers'

One of

Services Department believes

that most of the routine needs of the library users will
continue to be met from the Library's own collections and
traditional ways of services
in the past,

in the future as they have been

and that strengthening the traditional coll ec ­

tions and services will

remain the major goal of the

Library.
A music

librarian stated that,

"It is hard to expect

computers to help us in providing our patrons with
services of highly professional nature."
comment,

"Musical

in-depth

He went on to

records can be automatically processed and

information can be retrieved through computers under the
categories of composers,
instruments,

etc.,

performers,

types of music,

musical

but the librarian's task is not limited

to helping library users with these kinds of ready-made
in fo rma tio n. "
One reference

librarian argued:

"I don't think we

will be abandoning the undergraduates by doing away with the
paper,

the book manuals,

the book indexes that they can use

for free. We will maintain those traditional ways of o pe ra ­
tion until

such time when we can provide an alternative at

reasonable cost."

102
One of the social

science librarians

interpreted:

"I think that there is a significant number of fields re pr e­
sented basically by the humanities where people are still
traditional

library users,

information still

and the production and use of

is very much geared to the journal article

and the monograph production."
2. Emphasis on collect ion building:

One of the

interviewees at the Ci rc u l at io n Section criticized the
paperless library as follows:

"At this point,

are talking about the paperless society.
can afford to do it. For one thing,

some people

I don't think we

you can't take a

microfiche reader to bed with you to read a good story.
People are going to continue to read.

Probably it took a

long time to change from scrolls to books.
going to take just that

long.

I think it's

It's not a user-friendly

medium."
A management staff member at the Resource
Development Department advocated the value of the tradi­
tional book collection with these words:
the scope of humanities,

"Thinking within

still what the scholars need is

"the" book and they need access to the book.
that access easier a by co mp uterized system,
But there is no computer terminal
to be worth as much as a book.

If we can make
that's fine.

in the world that is going

I mean it's going to be a

long time before you find anything handier to use than
t h a t ."
The definite ne cessity of books was also discussed
by another participant in the Humanities Section:

"At the

beginning of the computer application those who believed
themselves to be forerunners would say that the book would
eventually be replaced by optical
thing.

scanners and that sort of

It's not just going to happen because there are

elements of convenience in the printed word on paper which
cannot be duplicated by electronic means of transmission of
graphic records,
simple.

and simply because a book is portable and

You don't need a plug or a machine to read it."
A science

librarian's opinion is as follows:

think in the major research

"I

libraries we still have to

emphasize the collection development aspect of things.

I

think the automation is making the access to the information
much easier,

but you still have to have the material.

I

just don't think you can deemphasize the buildings and good
collections because you have a better access.
the age of paperless

I don't think

libraries is going to come in my life

t i m e ."
The idea of emphasis on the strong book collection
was also stressed by one of the participants at the
Humanities Section:

"The library's book,

journal,

and

manuscript collections are and will continue to be the
mainstay of our

library and its services to users through

this decade and the next.

We cannot build our new computer-

based information capabilities at the expense of our
traditional

collections and services."

One of the Readers'
argues:'

Services Department personnel

"I'm not one of the people who think that we are

104
going to have an electronic transmission of all documents.
I don't think it's going to come as soon as people talk
about it.

I think that the written page is still the basic

thing."
Another staff member working at the Acquisitions
Section viewed that,

"The Library has made a heavy invest­

ment since its foundation in acquiring its book and journal
collections," and that,

"those collections will become more

valuable with the passage of time."

She says that until

now, collection building and growth has been the dominant
driving force in this research

library,

that libraries are

still ranked by the size of their collections,
Library must continue

to strengthen and provide for the

growth of its traditional
One Technical
commented:

"In this

and that the

collections and services."

Services Department
library,

librarian

I don't feel that there has

been any deemphasis of collection building.

I feel that

there has been a greater emphasis on improved access to
collections for patrons, but I think this library and most
other academic

libraries continue to feel that if you don't

have the right collection it doesn't matter how good access
you could have.

You won't be able to serve the people if

you can't give them information. , This

library still has

strong emphasis on collection building."
One of the bibliographers

interviewed strongly

disagreed with the idea of shift of emphasis in the Library:

105
"If it came to the point where we have to make a real de c i ­
sion on,

say, cutting our book budget in order to bill

accessor or computer service,
personally.

I would have a hard time

Shift of emphasis in the library— that may or

may not be happening,
on the wrong track.
view,

some

but I think if it's happening we are
N ow in this library,

from my point of

that has not happened yet because I know that our book

budget is held up."
A librarian at a management position commented on
this problem as follows:

"I think that libraries for a long

time in the future are still going to be the big
repositories of books.
time.

I don't see that changing for a long'

Three million volumes we have here are not going to

disappear and we still have to provide access to them,

and

still have to provide an environment for them."

Notion of Library Is the Same
According to some of the library personnel's
responses,
processing,

it would appear that the idea of collecting,
and dis seminating information in a traditional

sense must be central

to the function of the Library and

will not change.
A participant at the Science Library said;

"I think

that with electronic publishing and that sort of thing
coming,

the way some people use materials will be changed,

but somehow I think in educational

institutions you are

going to still need certain things readily available for

106
people to use.

We may change in some ways,

but I don't

think we will get to the point where we just have computer
terminals.

At this point it's still too expensive to put

everything into the computer.
A member of the reference librarians maintains that,
"The MSU Library may be fulfilling its missions in new ways,
but the building,
still be there.

bookstacks,

and the reading rooms will

The collection,

tion of information will

processing,

still remain central

and d i s se mi na ­
to.the

function of the Library."

Librarian's Functions Are Not Changing
According to some of the library personnel's
responses,

it would appear that the traditional role of

librarians is not changing,
the library personnel will

and that in the electronic age
still be performing the same

functions as they did in the
One

past.

of the reference librarians argued: "I think

the role of

the librarian is still the same.

The tool that

you use and

the methods that you use may change, but I think

that whether we access the book up on /the fourth floor,
book of reference,
Room,

or

or magazine in the Periodical Reading

or some data on a computer database somewhere off in

New York City, we are still functioning and providing as
information dispensers."
A staff member at the Humanities Section commented:
"When we think in terms of services to our clients,

no

107
matter how excellent a computerized system you might have,
that system can never take the place of a good librarian
saying

'this is the best book in this a r e a . 1"
One staff member at the Circulation Section

suggests:
change,

"People are afraid that their jobs are going to

and they don't want change.

I think people are

naturally afraid of change because they don't know what's
going to happen."
One of the resource development
viewed this problem as follows:

librarians also

"One thing that does happen

definitely in library automation is.that introduction of
anything new is a little bit threatening for people who work
in libraries because they are concerned about what it means
vis-a-vis their own job.
use new,

People are a little bit hesitant to

innovative machines.

They are hesitant because

they are afraid that their job performance is going to be a
little bit less attractive if they don't understand the
machine.

So I think they want to remain in the same roles

as much as possible."

Responses Both in Favor of and Opposing Automation
In addition to both positive and negative reactions,
a third set of responses was essentially ambivalent.
responses appear in the following section.

Their

108
Discreet Application of Computers
It seems to be the majority of librarians'
view that we should be careful

point of

in applying computers

in

order to attain the maximum degree of efficiency in every
relevant situation.

Selective application best fitted for

the actual circumstance is likely to be preferred by
librarians in general.
A participant interviewed at the Resource
Development Department maintained:

"I think it depends upon

the purpose and the function of the library.
ceive of the library in

If you c o n ­

very pragmatic terms and are

interested only in information which is very clearly and
accurately circumscribed and about which there are no sub­
tleties,

then the databases are needed,

not books,

and

databases are much better because it can be updated,
manipulated.

You can do all sorts of things with it.

can retrieve it at long distance,
thing.

can be

However,

You

and all that kind of

in the social sciences and humanities,

questions are asked about which not even the question itself
is completely exact nor the answer predictable.

And in

these situations the computer is not quite as useful

simply

because in order for it to deal with information it nearly
always needs to categorize and classify the information and
put it into some sort of frame work,

prejudging the

qu e s t i o n . "
One of the science

librarians views as follows:

see users coming in, new users and old users.

New users

"I

109
have no difficulty at all

in using our computer terminals.

They are accustomed to doing that kind of thing,

but there

are a number of other patrons who are not used to those
sorts of things.

They don't

you know that they don't

like to use them and they let

like to use them.

I think that we

must be prepared to serve both groups of patrons."

Between Two Opposing Opinions
Most of the librarians apparently believed that
there could be a compromise between the two measures-:
collection-emphasis vs.

a cc es s - e m p h a s i s .

Computerization

and facilitating the easy access to electronic information
must be basically accepted,

but traditional book collections

and traditional ways of services should not be replaced by
computers;

rather they should be supplemented by

computerization.
1. We need both collections and access:

A staff

member interviewed at the Science Library told the inter­
viewer as follows:
libraries,

"Some people talk about paperless

no more books,

all

in electronic forms, but I

don't think that will be the case.
equally important.
still

important.

I think that both will be

Paper copies and print materials are
I don't think the electronics will ever
«

replace books although many databases have full texts now.
Both are indispensable.
tional

Even in the future I think tradi­

library services are still going to be very important

in parallel with computerized

library services."

110
One of the R e a d e r s ' Services Department members
stated:

"The changes that I've seen in this

library during

the recent years are not moving away from the old tr ad i­
tional values of what the library is.
do all those things of traditional

We still continue to

nature,

but there is a

whole new awareness of the importance of getting the user to
the information that he wants and to make him sure that it
is successful.

There is more of an attitude that you really

want to teach the patron how to use that card catalog and
how to understand,
I guess

and get to the information that he needs.

I don't really see that there is anything we've

stopped doing which is one of the reasons that it's so
frantic around here.
comment:

We need both."

She continued to

"The focus has changed a little- to realize that

access is so much more important.

You have to have more

than just a big museum for books.

You also have to have

people using those books.

But still we cannot ignore the

good collection."
A management member of the Science Library staff
stated her opinion as follows:
the paperless

"I think it is possible that

library will happen in the future even though

I don't think that books themselves will cease to exist in
the near future.
two extremes:

It's more likely to fall

somewhere between

A mixture of books and futuristic kinds of

t h i n g s ."
Another

library staff member at the Technical

Services Department has an opinion that,

"Information in

Ill
electronic form will

increasingly replace the print versions

of many indexing and abstract services,

but it will not make

books and journals obsolete."
2. Not a substitute,
personnel
that,

but a supplement:

One of the

at the Acquisitions Section emphasized the fact

"Resources sharing with other

work systems

is a precious thing,

and not a substitute for,

libraries through net ­

but it is a supplement to,

strong working collections

in the

Library."
One of the management

librarians discussed:

is a shift of emphasis in some sense,

"There

but I don't think that

it's a shift for leaving behind traditional

services.

We

seem to be trying to do everything as well as we can.

In

other words,

I think there are additional

than replacing of something we did before.

services rather
We are simply

adding to it and I think that would continue even the tr adi ­
tional

print material

is in some cases being replaced by the

non-print, material."
One of the resource development
contended:

"Personally I feel

to get out of the electronic
useful

librarians

that what you generally tend

information transmission is a

beginning in a research project,

but that in many

respects you still have to go back to some printed source,
whether it is a traditional
printing,

printing or it is a computer

or it is on microfilm or microfiche,

you still

have to get back to that original data and the electronic
transmission in most cases is just the beginning."

112
Sophisticated Evolution In Libraries
The majority of the library staff apparently viewed
that the MSU Library is undergoing a gradual and partial
alteration as a result of computerization,
total revolution;

instead,

it is a sophisticated evolution.

It is not an abrupt transition,
The notion of "library"
is not a simple change.

but it is not a

but a promising reformation.

seems to be slowly changing,

but it

It is an expansion towards a much

broader notion including in it added functions of better .
service.
A humanities

librarian interpreted the current trend

in the Library with these words:
taking place,
there.
tinue,

"I think an evolution is

not a revolution.

The evolution certainly is

The use of technology is certainly going to c o n ­
and some traditional

going to disappear:

features of the library are

the card files would disappear because

a computer can do the job better,

but of course there are

other things that computers cannot do as well."

Librarian's Roles Are Expanding
Under the present situation of automation,

most

librarians are likely to be perceiving that they are re ­
quired to assume more-diversified roles:
responsiveness to users'
the research process,

needs,

improved

more positive involvement in

and enhancing their

usefulness.

1. Improved responsiveness to users'

needs:

the staff members at the Science Library commented:

One of
"I

113
think that today's
dividual

users.

library personnel work more with in­

In an institution like this you've got so

many different kinds of people.

For undergraduates we will

still be going to show them traditional ways of using
materials,

but graduate students and faculty have different

needs and we are probably going to be

serving them

in d i f ­

ferent ways than we did in the past."
A catalog

librarian stated:

"If a professor has a

microcomputer at his desk in his office and he can im­
mediately dial-in to some commercial database for the
information he wants,

he can use that

service even

if he has

to pay because for him the convenience of having the infor­
mation immediately is worth the cost.

So I think we have to

show that we can get to him the information that he wants as
quickly as the commercial

services can.

We like to think

that we are the only ones for the professional
provide information.
bit,

service to

I think if we don't change a little

though, we may find there are people out there without

library degrees who are taking patrons away from us."
One of the management personnel delineated the role
of contemporary

librarians as follows:'

divisions between various functions

"I think that the

in the library and the

divisions between what a cat.aloger does and a reference
librarian does are becoming less distinct.
a real

I think there is

merging of the various roles that people play.

And I

think that means we have to have people who are multifaceted
in their talents and who have a number of different skills

114
that can be used whether it is teaching people, whether it
is using computers,

or whether it is being a detective who

is able to find information."
2.

Involvement in research process:

interviewed at the Science Library said:

A participant

"I'd like to think

that in research libraries at least we're going to become
more part of research process.

With database searching

already you can see that's true because we're doing litera­
ture searches for people, whereas in the past we would just
say

'there is the Biological Abstracts,

use it.', but you had to do your

I'll show you how to

literature search,

but now

we're doing that search for people."
A library member stated:
more time of reference

"I think we see more and

librarians devoted to accessing

databases or that kind of thing for patrons:
search.

the one-to-one

I'm sure it will take a growing amount of their

daily hours."
3. Feeling more useful:
opinion is as follows:
patron.
users.

"I feel

I'm being more useful

to the

I just think we are more and more serving our
I.don't feel that I am a simple robot even though

things are being automated.
nology,

Using these tools of new tech­

I feel more helpful and feel more deeply involved in

their research life.
all.

A science librarian's

I'm not overwhelmed by these tools at

They are at my command,

and I just feel more useful."

One of the staff members working at the Technical
Services Department expressed her opinion in this way:

"I

115.
think the most part of the staff welcomes this newly e m e r g ­
ing librarian's role in terms of automation.

I think the

renewed role makes positions more interesting for people,
and I think people can see the immediate outcomes of their
services.

With the database search,

immediately see the outcome,
it.

for example,, you can

so there is an immediacy about

I think that will be quite satisfying."

Synoptic Tables and Charts
As further evidence of the three types of perc ep­
tions discussed above,

synoptic tables and charts were

developed as follows.

Locus of Opinion about Computerization
Opinions of library personnel concerning the aut om a­
tion at the MSU Library in terms of pro- and an t i ­
computerization are presented in the form of a tree diagram
(See Figure 2).

It is not a standard diagram of taxonomy

but a diagram of relationship - i.e.,

it does not represent

exhaustive relation of all activity sections in the Library.
Instead it traces the relationship between only major work
areas which have a close connection with automation and are
represented by the research population.
transcripts of formal

interviews,

By analyzing the

the writer

identified all

utterances having some significance in terms of library
automation,

particularly from the standpoint of pro- and

116
Figure 2: LOCUS OF OPINION ABOUT CO MPUTERIZATION
(+ mark shows the number of pro-automation
utterances; - mark shows the number of
anti-automation utterances)

overall library
operation +369
-58

collection

processing
+ 94
-18

+ 86

-30

dissemination
+ 189

-10
circulation
+ 42
V
-3

monographs'
acquisition
+ 18
-3,

online
cataloging
+ 54
database
searching
+ 80

serials /
acquisition/
+ 30
original
cataloging
-17

reference
service

humanities
col lection
+ 12

+ 20

/

-18

-5

/

serials
[cataloging
+30

-1
social
sciences
collection
+ 11

-9
science
\
col lection
+ 15

binding
preparation
+ 10
interlibrary
loan
+39

-1

117
anti-automation.

As indicated in Chapter I, the word

"utterance" means one unit of expression in which one single
set of pro- or anti-automation expression is included,

as

distinguished from a sentence which is a unit of expression
longer than an utterance and includes one or more
utterances.

For example,

process of periodicals,
extent.",

in the sentence,

"In the binding

computers are helping us to a great

one unit of pro-automation utterance is included;

in the sentence,

"I'm not one of the people who think that

we are going to have an electronic transmission of all
documents.",

one anti-automation utterance is included;

while in the sentence,

"Information in electronic form will

increasingly replace the print versions of many indexing and
abstract services,
obsolete.",

but it will not make books and journals

one pro-automation and one anti-automation

utterances are included.

Ambivalent utterances were not

included in the diagram on the assumption that even these
ambivalent responses could be analyzed into the final units
of distinctive pro- and anti-utterances.

These utterances

were classified into some synonymous clusters and then
divided further into more specific subheadings.

Frequency

of these utterances across the total sentences

in the inter­

view transcripts is shown by both positive
favor of computerization)
computerization)

numbers.

and negative

(expression in

(expression against

So each number

in the diagram

stands for the total number of pro-a.utomat.ion

(designated by

118
+ marks)

or anti-automation

sion of people in

a

(designated by - marks)

given work unit.

utterances made by participants,

exp re s­

It is the number of

not the number of p a r ­

ticipants who made the utterances.

For example,

concerning

the appropriateness of computer application in the area of
circulation,

42 utterances are supporting of automation

while 3 are opposing of automation in this particular
section.

In other words,

positive expressions

this category is supported by

(in favor of automation)

by negative expressions

42 times,

and

3 times.

The reason for counting the number of utterances
instead of the number of people expressing their opinions
was that the same individual

frequently expressed some pro ­

automation opinion for one area and at the same time some
anti-automation opinion for another area.
It can be seen from the diagram that the library
personnel's concern is likely to be focused more on the
dissemination of library information than on collection or
processing of materials:

the fact that people have referred

189 times in favor of and 10 times against computerization
in the ^spect of dissemination of information means that
definitely more people approve of automated dispensing of
information.

In particular,

the da tabase’ online searching

turned out to be the most frequently mentioned services area
in terms of supporting it.

This

indicates the fact that the

majority show deep interest in the service function of the
library for its users.

Humanities and social

sciences

119
collections under the category of collection development are
the two most controversial

areas:

in humanities collection

development 12 utterances are in support of automation,
whereas 18 are. against it; and in social
development

sciences collection

supporting expression is uttered 11 times,

while negative expression is uttered 9 times.
category of material processing,

•

Under the

online shared cataloging

received 54 supporting utterances.

Distribution of Perception between Two Opposing Opinions
The following chart.(See Figure 3)

shows that the

distribution of library personnel's perceptions range b e ­
tween two opposing opinions:

collection-centered

traditional ways of library functioning vs. access-emphasis
computerized library services.

By the same process taken

for the Table 2, transcripts of formal

interviews were

analyzed in order to identify all of the utterances support­
ing either collcction-emphasis or access emphasis.

The

frequency of these utterances expressing those two opposing
ideas was classified into several groups according to the
categories of work areas of participants,
experience of participants,
participants hold,

period of library

and types of library degrees

respectively.

Again these were further

divided into subcategories of work areas such as overall
management,

technical

services,

readers'

services,

120

Figure

3:

DISTRIBUTION OF PERCEPTION BETWEEN TWO OPPOSING
OPINIONS
(average frequency of supporting utterances
per person)

categories

number
of
people

collection
centered
expression•

access
centered
expression

3

4

13

i

1 overall
management

i

work
areas
of
personnel

technical
services

3

4

15

readers'
services

3

9

7

3

7

8

3

11

3

science
libraries
resource
development
sub total

1 to 10
years

15

i

5

5

8
■

11 to 20
period
years
of
pr o f e s ­
more than
sional
20 years
experience
| sub total
MLS
types
of
library
degrees

Ph.D.
j sub total

7

10

3

4

9

1

:

12
■

15
12

7

10

3

7

4

15

121
science

libraries,

and resource development that are r e pr e­

sented by subjects;

of periods of professional

participants such as 1 to 10 years,
than 20 years;

experience of

11 to 20 years,

and more

and finally of types of library degrees

as Master's degree in Library Science and Ph.D.

such

Average

number of frequency of these utterances per person was shown
under the specific subcategories of each group,

collection-

emphasis and access-emphasis being differentiated by
separate columns.

Each number,

therefore,

in the chart

horizontally stands for the average frequency of utterances
per person expressed by those people under the same sub ­
category,

and vertically the number of utterances of p r o ­

collection,
the Readers'

and pro-access.

For example,

participants

in

Services Dep artment made utterances 9 times for

collection-emphasis and 7 times for access-emphasis per
person.
When we examine the chart closely, we can see that
under the categories of work areas,
collection to access

the idea of shift from

in the library is most predominantly

supported by personnel at the technical
the overall management positions:

services areas and

access-emphasis was

positively mentioned 13 times per person by those from the
overall management and 15 times per person by those from
technical

services areas,

against 4 times for collection-

emphasis from each of these two areas respectively.
other hand,

On the

the idea of traditional collection-emphasis was

mostly supported by staff members working at humanities and

122
social

sciences areas:

uttered 11 times,
emphasis,

emphasis on collection building was

against 3 times utterances of access-

per person by staff members from the resource

development areas.
Under the categories of period of work experience,
access-emphasis was supported more by those who had a longer
period of experience.

Those who worked in the library for

more than 20 years made utterances

12 times per person for

access-emphasis and only 4 times per.person for collectionemphasis, while those who worked from 11 to 20 years made
utterances 9 times for access-emphasis and 10 times for
collection-emphasis per person.
With respect

to the opinion distribution under the

categories of types of library degrees,

more utterances for

access-emphasis came from the personnel who had the MLS
degree than from those who had Ph.D.s:
10 times for access per person
On the whole,
emphasis.

emphasis .

while Ph.D.s 4 times.

more support was given to the access-

In total count,

of access emphasis,

MLS holders uttered

136 utterances were made in favor

and 104 times

in support of collection-

CHAPTER V.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

Discussion of Findings
Through the analysis of the data collected by means
of interviews with the MSU Library personnel

the writer

identified some significant features commonly perceived by
librarians concerning the computerization at the Library.

Positive Perceptions
The majority of Library personnel's perceptions are
on the positive side of the automation:
and qui cker access to more information;

broader,

easier,

and expanded serv­

ices to users are possible through computerization.
believed that material-centered

It. is

library management will be

gradually replaced by the service-oriented administration.
The emphasis in the Library has begun to shift from the
traditional collection building to the access electronic
information,

apparently owing to the Library's

use of its computer systems for various

increasing

library functions.

The Library is experiencing a quiet revolution - a shift of
emphasis is believed to be transforming the way the Library
is operated and patrons are served.
notion of "library"

Consequently,

is considered to be changing,

123

the very
that is, a

124
library is no longer a place where information is provided
in a limited sense,

but it is a place where a variety of

information is provided

in a variety of ways.

Especially

it is believed that the growing tendency of library networ k­
ing is accelerating quick and convenient access to
computerized information.

Negative Perceptions
Some other perceptions,
total and quick change

on the other hand,

in terms of automation.

some other group of perceptions,
problems

oppose a

According to

there seems to exist some

in a hasty application of computers at a library.

They do not agree with the idea of "shift from collection to
access".

It is their pe rception that traditional co ll e c ­

tions and services
Library.

should remain the major goal of the

They think that co mputerization cannot be a sub­

stitute for continuing to build and maintain strong
collections and for providing services
sense.

Collecting,

providing,

in the traditional

and disseminating information

in the traditional way must remain central to the function
of the Library.
tional

It is also their perception that the t ra di ­

role of librarians is not changing.

Ambivalent Perceptions
As the researcher reviewed the preceding two c o n ­
trastive groups of librarians'

perceptions,

he came to the

co nclusion that most participants showed attitude variations

125
towards computerization at the Library ranging widely b e ­
tween two opposing opinions:
computer opinion.

pro-computer opinion vs.

anti­

At the same time the writer found that a

librarian does not consistently represent only one group of
perceptions, but that it is often the case that one in­
dividual has both the contradictory perceptions:

the same

person often expressed a pro-automation opinion for one
aspect and at the same time an anti-automation opinion

for

another aspect.

have

In other words,

some library personnel

ambival ent opinions with respect to particular areas of
automation.

However,

in most cases,

it appears that they

have been able to reach a compromise with respect to the
adoption of automation.
sideration in advance,

Automation lacking careful c on ­
they think,

might, result in an

unwelcome situation for certain areas such as creative
literature and art.

Librarians also view thar what the

library has and how it provides information are equally
important.

It would be increasingly user-oriented.

Less

and less time would be put into the processing of materials,
and instead more and more time would be invested in serving
patrons'

needs.

However,

collection-emphasis vs,
contradictory matter,

the dispute between the ideals of

access-emphasis would not be a

but a complementary one, making both

extremes happy at the middle point.

It is considered by the

library staff that the Library is undergoing a gradual and
partial alteration as a result of computerization,
the notion of "library"

and that

is gradually expanding to include in

126
it not only the information the library has but the subtle
way of providing that information to the library users.

It

is also viewed by librarians that the Library will have to
rely increasingly on the collections and services of ex te r­
nal sources such as other
commercial

libraries,

information vendors,

library consortia,

and

in addition to relying on

its own resources.
The library personnel's perception is that they will
be increasingly required to play more diversified roles with
improved responsiveness to u s e r s ’ needs and more active
involvement in the research process,
managerial

and to play the

role as information intermediaries.

Summary
By analyzing the perceptions of
toward automation at the MSU Library,

library personnel

the researcher has

found that there exists three major perception groups with
respect to the use of automation:
negative perceptions,

positive perceptions,

and ambivalent perceptions.

The majority of perceptions support the computer
application at the Library.

It is perceived that quick and

extensive services to users are possible through automation,
and that the emphasis in the- Library has begun to shift from
the traditional books collection to user-oriented and
access-oriented services.
It is also perceived that the Library is in the
stage of quiet revolution,

shifting its primary emphasis

127
from one of collection to one which has a more broader scope
of functions.

In addition,

this group of perceptions

ports the idea that rapidly growing

sup­

library network systems

are making access to automated information increasingly
easy.
On the other hand,

the second group of perceptions

opposes a quick automation of the Library.
this group of perceptions,

According to

a quick application of computers

at a library will bring about some problems.

It is p e r ­

ceived that there will be no "shift of emphasis from
collection to access",

that traditional

collections and

services should remain the major goal of the Library,

and

that computerization cannot be a substitute for traditional
collections and services.

This group of perceptions s u p ­

ports the idea that collecting,

pr ocessing and disseminating

information in the traditional way must remain central
the Library functions,
library personnel

and that the traditional

to

role of

should not change.

The third group of perceptions is essentially am ­
bivalent,

being pro-automation for one aspect and at the

same time anti-automation for another aspect.
this group of perceptions,

automation

According to

lacking careful

c on ­

sideration will result in some unwelcome situations for
certain areas.

It is perceived that both the Library c o l ­

lections and how it provides information are equally
important,

and that the dispute betwe en the ideals of

collection-emphasis vs.

access-emphasis would not be a

128
contradictory matter but a complementary one.
perceived that the notion of "library"

It is also

is expanding toward a

broader one,

and that in addition to relying on its own

collections,

the Librar y will have to increasingly rely on

external

sources.

This group of perceptions also supports

the perspective that

librarians will be increasingly re­

quired to play more diversified roles with added
responsiveness to users'

needs and to play the managerial

role.

General

Observations

As a result of this research project,

the writer has

been able to make the following observations:
1.

It is likely that since the computerization is

rapidly expanding in the

library,

mation will be accelerated,

standardization of infor­

because computers will

increasingly demand the structuring of information.
2. As a result of automation,

library information

seems to be increasingly expanding which in turn strongly
influences the composite nature of the library collection:
the main source of information in the library is likely to
shift from book collections to serials collections.
3; As automation is being encouraged,

library

users are apparently having fewer and fewer opportunities
for physical contact with the traditional
collection.

type of book

129
4. Future libraries will become more and more
"dependent" on external

sources in their functioning as a

result of increased network cooperation among libraries.
5. Due to the growing sophistication of computers
and subsequent demands for highly specialized reference
services from the librarian to meet the library user's added
needs,

the librarian's role will be greatly expanded,

his or her social

and

status will be raised accordingly. ,

Recommendations for Future Research
The following problems are recommended for future
study.
1. Based on the foregoing discussion of the library
personnel's perceptions
library,

in a computerized university

there seems to exist some correlation between

information expansion and serials

increase.

This re la ti on ­

ship should be studied.
2. Librarians'

social

status should be studied in

terms of the effects of computer application.

The social

status of librarians appears strengthened as the

library is

computerized.
3. As library automation progresses,
that a new phenomenon of "shared governance"
across the nation-wide or even world-wide

we can expect
of information

libraries

is

likely to become a reality as a result of more and more
intensified network systems among libraries,

especially in

130
the form of interlibrary
deserves a careful

study.

loan systems.

This question

APPENDICES

APPENDIX A
LETTER FROM THE UNIVERSITY COMMITTEE
RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMAN SUBJECTS

(UCRIHS)

131
MICHIGAN STATE UNIV ERS ITY
U N IV ER SIT Y C O M M IT T E E O N R E SEA R C H IN V O L V IN G

E A S T L A N S I N G • M I C H I G A N • 18825

H U M A N S U B J E C T S ( U C R IH S )
238 A D M I N I S T R A T I O N B U I L D I N G
( 5 1 ' ) 5 5 5- 2 I8 h

March 2 3 ,

1984

Mr. Hyung- gi P a r k
A d m i n i s t r a t i o n and C urri cul um
De a r Hr .

Park:

Subject:

P r o p o s a l E n t i t l e d , "A S t u d y o f A d m i n i s t r a t i v e A s p e c t s i n
t h e P r o c e s s o f C o mp u t e r A p p l i c a t i o n a t t h e M i c h i g a n
S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y L i b r a r y 11________________________________________

I am p l e a s e d t o a d v i s e t h a t I c o n c u r w i t h y o u r e v a l u a t i o n t h a t t h i s p r o j e c t
i s e x e mp t f r o m f u l l UCRIHS r e v i e w , a n d a p p r o v a l i s h e r e w i t h g r a n t e d f o r
conduct o f the p r o j e c t .
You a r e reminded t h a t UCRIHS a p p r o v a l i s v a l i d f o r o ne c a l e n d a r y e a r .
I f you
p l a n t o c o n t i n u e t h i s p r o j e c t b eyond o n e y e a r , p l e a s e make p r o v i s i o n s f o r
o b t a i n i n g a p p r o p r i a t e UCRIHS a p p r o v a l p r i o r t o March 2 3 , 1985.
Any c h a n g e s i n p r o c e d u r e s i n v o l v i n g human s u b j e c t s mus t be r e v i e w e d by t h e
UCRIHS p r i o r t o i n i t i a t i o n o f t h e c h a n g e .
UCRIHS mus t a l s o be n o t i f i e d
p r o m p t l y o f any p r o b l e m s ( u n e x p e c t e d s i d e
e f f e c t s , complaints, e t c . ) involving
human s u b j e c t s d u r i n g t h e c o u r s e o f t h e w o r k .
Thank y o u f o r b r i n g i n g t h i s p r o j e c t t o my a t t e n t i o n .
help, p i '
* do n o t h e s i t a t e t o l e t me know.
Since r e ly ,

He nr y E. B r e d e c k
C h a i r m a n , UCRIHS
HEB/jms
cc:

Nonna ma ker

M SU is an A ffirm a tive A ctio n /E q u a l O pportunity Institution

If

I c a n be o f an y

future

APPENDIX B
LETT ER TO INTERVIEWEES

132

March 12, 1984
Hyung-gi Park
Ph.D. Candidate in
Higher Education
Dear Librarian at MSU Library:
Automation at university libraries is considered by many
people as the most effective way of coping with multiple
problems created by the information expansion and new
demands made by library patrons for rapid access to materials.
To study the computer application at the Michigan State
University Library, therefore, seems to be really significant
in terms of educational point of view.
I am planning to conduct a focused study of the present
situation of automation process at the MSU Library through
library personnel's perception.
Qualitative research methods rather than quantitative ones
will be employed, putting stress on techniques such as
descriptive data collection through interviewing with
librarians and inductive data analysis.
The interviewing will take approximately 30 minutes per
person.
It will be scheduled only by consulting yout convenience
to solicit your opinion on the questions relating to the
research project as summarized in the attached abstract
statement.
Your participation is voluntary.
I will be
telephoning you in the near future to see if you wish to
participate in the project.
Confidentiality of your responses
in the interview is assured because no information will be
identified by personal names.
This research project is undertaken as part of a Ph.D.
program, is directed by Dr. Eldon Nonnamaker, Professor
of higher education at the Michigan State University, and
is assisted by Dr. Richard E. Chapin, Director of the
MSU Libraries.
Your cooperation will be deeply.appreciated.
Sincerely,

133

ABSTRACT OF RESEARCH PROJECT
An Ethnographic Study of Library Personnel's Perception
concerning Administrative Aspects in the Process of Computer
Application at the Michigan State University Library
Hyung-gi Park

1.

Purpose of the Study

It is the purpose of this study to examine in detail through
the library personnel's perception and to describe as accurate­
ly as possible the current situation of computer application
- including its educational value, its problems, and its
future potential - at the Michigan State University Library
in terms of its administration and application.
The value
of this study lies in the degree to which it generates a
better description and understanding of the problems associat­
ed with computer application to the Library.
2.

Research Questions

1)

What are the salient features characteristic of computer­
ization at the MSU Library from the point of view of library
personnel?
2) What are the library personnel experiencing as a result
of automation in particular and how do they interpret their
experiences?
3) What are the perspectives of the library personnel for
future potentential of computerization in the Library?
How is the traditional notion of "library" changing in
terms of emerging new technology?
3.
1)

Methods of Data Collection

The research tool of indepth interviewing will be particular­
ly respected and regularly employed.
2)
The researcher will systematically keep a detailed
written record of what is heard and observed.
The data
collected will be in the form of words rather than the
numbers.
Subject identities will remain confidential

13^

and no answers will be associated wi t h individuals when
reporting the study.
3)
The data mentioned above will be supplemented b y other
data such as library records and library publications.

Delimitations of the Study
1)

This study is limited to administrative aspects of
automation at the MSU Library and purely technical matters
are out of its concern.
2)
The goal of this study is limited to understanding and
describing the situation under study as correctly as
possible through librarian's perception, trying to find
out values from pedagogical point of view, attempting to
add to knowledge, and not passing judgment by labeling
the particular research setting concerned as "good" or
"bad".

APPENDIX C
INTERVIEW SCHEDULE

135

INTERVIEW SCHEDULE

Name of Interviewee:
Date:

A.

Time:

Position:
Place:

Tape # & Side:

General Questions

1.

Are you experiencing any kind of new perceptions as a
result of computerization? How do you think your perceptions
or attitudes have been affected by automation in the library?

2.

Do you think the traditional notion of "library" is
changing in terms of emerging new technology? How do you
think it is changing?

3.

Some people think that a gradual shift of emphasis from
traditional book collections to access to computerized .
information is occurring in the university library.
What
is your reaction to this idea? Do you think this is a
welcome phenomenon or unhappy one?

B.

Suggested Items in Asking

First Group:
Increased responsiveness to the needs of users.
How to provide than what to provide.
Users' overall access and individualized access control.
Increased service functions of librarians.
Second Group:
Gap between quick automation and slow pace of user training.
Heavy investment in traditional collections.
Drawbacks caused by hasty, indiscriminating automation.
Third Group:
Traditional book collections and service functions plus
computerization.
Not a total but a partial revolution.
Notion of "library" is not changing but expanding with added
functions.
C.

Specific Questions

1.

Could you identify some unique features of automation

136

in your department in terms of:
(T)............ acquisition?
(T)............ cataloging?
(T)............ serials control?
(R)............ circulation?
(R)........ ....online literature search services?
(R.S. )-(S.L. ). . .user services?
(S.P.)........ overall management of automation programs?
(M)............ general management of the
entire library
system?
2.

Do you have any other comments or suggestions concerning
the computerization in this library?
............in your
department in particular?

D.

Demographic Questions

1.

What is your period of experience in the library profession?

2.

How long have you been working in the MSU Library?

3.

What types of library degree are you now holding?

E.

Would you please recommend and introduce to me another
professioanl librarian in a department other than yours?
Name :

F.

Field Notes (Observations)

Impressions; Gestures;
Participation.

*

D e p t .s

Atmosphere of Surroundings;

Vignettes;

(T); Technical Services Department; (R): Readers' Services
Dept.; (R.S.): Resource Development and Special Services
Dept.; (S.L.): Science Libraries; (S.P.): Systems and Plan­
ning; (M): Main Office.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Adams, Margaret O'Neill.
"Online Numeric Data-Base Systems:
A Resource for the Traditional Library".
Library
Trends 30, 3 (Winter 1982): 435-454.
Alzofon, Sammy R. and Pulus Noelle Van.
"Patterns of
Searching and Success Rates in an Online Public Access
Catalog".
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