Education and Automation—Present and Future Concerns

The automation process has a tendency to reveal strengths and weaknesses in a library, its management style, its organizational structure, and the abilities of its staff members. What are the educational and training requirements needed by professional librarians to manage effectively the automation process? This question is discussed by representatives of five major library vendors: Michel Ridgeway and Dean Gattone (Geac), Alison Curtis, (Utlas), Susan Olson (OCLC), James J. Michael (Data Research Associates), and Gene Robinson (CLSI). They stress the need for a solid foundation in management and communication skills, and a commitment to continuing education. Technology changes so rapidly that detailed knowledge of a current system is less important than knowing how to evaluate the capabilities of a future system.