APPLICATIONS OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN AN AMERICAN LIBRARY: THE CASE OF OHIO UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

摘要

The recent technological advances in computers, telecommunications, optical discs, etc., provide many opportunities for libraries to address the mushrooming quantity and format of information as well as the variety of demands of information seekers for easy and prompt access. The Ohio University Library, one of the founding members of OCLC and the first member institution to enter a bibliographic record online into the OCLC database, uses many of these emerging information technologies in its daily work. This paper describes these applications of information technology at Ohio University. The foundation is an online locally integrated library system, ALICE (using Virginia Tech Library System [VTLS] software). ALICE interfaces with OCLC for online shared cataloging and inter-library loans and offers an online public access catalog, circulation control, and serials control. The acquisitions and fund accounting module of ALICE is now being installed. Through microwave connections and telephone lines ALICE is also being extended to libraries at five regional campuses in a network mode. Planning is underway to network with a technical college library nearby.