Micro‐automation — the problems of selection

Two major issues to face many libraries today stem directly from the increased processing power and the consequential increased availability of the microcomputer. As the public become increasingly aware of the potential which microcomputers possess, a second wave of professional use is catching up with the first wave of enthusiast and hobbyist use. This second wave includes small businesses, industry, schools and increasingly, libraries. Initially use centred on word processing, spreadsheet and database management packages, and any further diversification tended to centre on these types of activity. One immediate issue — with which this paper does not deal — is the need for libraries to meet a new demand, and supply both machines and software — either on loan or for use within the library. The second issue, which forms the basis of this paper, is the acquisition of small computer systems by libraries for their own use. Before the microcomputer became available as a solution to the problem of automation — or partial automation — only two possibilities presented themselves and both were really only practicable to the larger library. Automation could be achieved via an expensive minicomputer or via substantial access to the mainframe of a parent institution; alternatively automation has more recently been possible through one of the larger consortia such as OCLC or SWALCAP. However, budgetary considerations or stock movement may determine that many libraries are too small to consider either of these possibilities and most industrial, government or school libraries would usually be included in this category. It is for these small libraries that microcomputers offer an excellent in‐house answer to automation.