Applications of microcomputers in the European Community

Susan Martin identified in 1986 three factors responsible for a dramatic change in automated networking environment; the first of which was the use of microcomputers, which enable libraries to accomplish locally, what once could be achieved only by joining with others. Microcomputers are used either in a stand‐alone mode or in connection with mainframes. There are no longer microcomputers for small libraries and mainframes (or minis) for large libraries; both use microcomputers. But we can wonder if there is not an automation configuration for poor libraries with stand‐alone functions on microcomputers, and another for wealthy libraries integrating functions in a total information system.