COMMENTS ON The TERMINOLOGY OF The ANALYSIS OF LIBRARY SYSTEMS AND The FUNCTION OF FORMS THEREIN Available to Purchase

A great deal of effort on the part of the members of Aslib Research Department during the past two years has gone into systems studies of various types of libraries. Because the work has involved a variety of techniques, for example O & M, market survey and analysis prior to mechanization, there have arisen, from time to time, difficulties in communication within the department with regard to the description of library/information systems. In particular, the meaning and use of words in ‘orthodox’ management terminology (if there is such a thing) are not always particularly relevant in the analysis of library systems, although the techniques themselves may be very useful. Lacking any standardized terminology, a group of co‐workers can at least attempt to isolate concepts and agree, amongst themselves, what words they are going to use to denote them.