Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!mailrus!ames!ucsd!sdcsvax!ucsdhub!hp-sdd!hplabs!hplabsz!taylor
From: sac@well.UUCP (Steve Cisler)
Newsgroups: comp.society
Subject: Re: Electronic Card Catalogs
Message-ID: <1880@hplabsz.HPL.HP.COM>
Date: 12 Apr 88 16:13:40 GMT
Sender: taylor@hplabsz.HPL.HP.COM
Organization: Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link, Sausalito, CA
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Approved: taylor@hplabs

As former automation manager for a new library circulation system in
Northern California, I was interested in the previous comments about
online catalogs.

I gave a presentation at American Library Association about using micros
for terminal emulation in online public access catalogs.  This includes
dialup mode and connecting within the library.  Of the 100 people inthe
audience, about 45 came from libraries where people could dial in and
access their system.  Most were academic libraries (MELVYL in the U.  of
California system is the most famous example) but some were public
libraries.

In this area Sunnyvale and Mountain View, CA will provide free dialup
access to any caller.  More and more will be providing that.  I was
working on providing other databases as well:  community information and
eventually computer conferencing (Usenet, picospan, cosy, p-net, or
caucus) for the general public.  But with tight budgets, I think you
won't see more than bibliographic data online for a while.

But do let your needs be known to the libraries, and I'd like to hear
more comments from comp.  society readers/posters about what online
services would be useful to you.

Steve Cisler
625 Barnacle Way
Suisun, CA 94585.