This work is a basic, comprehensive guide to the essential components of automation planning in medium-sized and smaller libraries. Revised and anglicized for the non-American market, the book is supported with sample forms and charts and covers the following areas: creating a basic technology plan; assessing needs and setting priorities; a model two-day process for developing a basic strategic plan; selecting and implementing systems; identifying technological options for automation; translating needs and priorities into system specifications; turning your specifications into a request for vendor proposals; evaluating proposals, putting your system into place and training; planning system databases; retrospective conversion; maintaining the bibliographic database; bar coding, machine-readable cataloguing standards; and planning for the future.
