FROM AMOEBA TO REQUEST:A HISTORY AND CASE STUDY OF CONNECTICUT'S CD‐ROM‐BASED STATEWIDE DATABASE

CircCess, a 35‐member library network, was moving toward a major system upgrade when it discovered that the planned system would not support Boolean functions. An alternative approach to providing a shared catalog and linked circulation functions was sought, resulting in a CD‐ROM‐based solution. The process of developing the concept, unexpected problems associated with selecting a vendor, delays and problems resulting from an expansion of the original concept, and related issues are detailed.