Planning and record keeping for computer maintenance and management Available to Purchase

In today’s academic library, the reference department relies heavily on computer workstations to provide patrons with access to reference sources in CD‐ROM and Web formats. Many reference departments also supervise an electronic classroom which is used to provide hands‐on instruction. Planning for the hardware, software, and peripherals necessary to provide patrons with access and training must be an ongoing process in order to keep up with rapid technological changes, both in computer hardware and software applications. Through the maintenance of comprehensive records of existing equipment, including the purpose, capabilities and maintenance of each item, information will be readily available for use in planning for computer equipment. In this article, the authors discuss various types of records that should be kept for computer equipment and how the information contained in these records can be applied to ongoing planning and decision making for management and maintenance.