No abstract

Our object is to develop computer aided systems to alert our staff to current literature relevant to their interests. In the last few years a fair proportion of the rapidly growing current scientific and technical literature's bibliographic references have become available on magnetic tapes. Our policy is to exploit these tapes by using information retrieval systems which are available from external sources, have been developed and proven, and are compatible with our computer facilities.

In his paper to the Aslib conference on Cooperation in Cataloguing David Batty mentions the development of two systems to enable a library to exploit the MARC II format for bibliographic data, including of course the BNB and Library of Congress literature tapes. These systems were (a) at the Fondren Library, Rice University, Texas, and (b) the AMCOS (Aldermaston Mechanised Cataloguing and Ordering System at AWRE which will commence full operational tests in March 1970.

To the two aspects of the title—external information and attitudes—I would like to add a qualifying extension, namely, observations of a pragmatic special librarian seeking some necessary development routes from the passing conven‐tional library to the current and future library/information centre concept. I will keep to practical matters and problems of today and not fly into ‘futurology’ which appears to have become a fashion.

The Workshop, promoted by the Aslib Computer Applications Group and held within the overall framework of SCOLCAP (Scottish Libraries Cooperative Automation Project), gave invited Scottish librarians an opportunity to discuss the exploitation of computer‐based cataloguing services. Descriptions of the services available from the British Library, Birmingham Libraries Cooperative Mechanisation Project, Oriel Computer Services, Blackwell Bibliographical Services, ICL DILS, and Telecomputing's TeleMARC, were followed by general open discussion and then the discussion of specific topics (input techniques; output techniques; integrated systems; problems of local classification schemes when using MARC records; pre‐publication cataloguing). The report concludes that automation is accepted as beneficial; collaboration can help to cut costs; automation provides an opportunity to define requirements afresh, but new systems should be as flexible as possible.