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Minicomputers provide an alternative means to access on‐line bibliographic retrieval systems. As the use of on‐line retrieval continues to grow and to spread into the nontechnical community, users and potential users will find it imperative to establish new methods to maximize the benefits of available on‐line systems. The paper explores the effects minicomputers can have on the on‐line retrieval environment. The experience at Editec indicates that minicomputers used in on‐line retrieval offer substantial benefits not possible using computer terminals, the major benefit being the increased acceptance of the on‐line search product by the end user community. Variable costs are held down to acceptable limits, the major consideration for those interested in their use being their high capital cost. The primary difference in using minicomputers rather than computer terminals is the ability to work at higher speeds. This enables many changes to be made which can affect the on‐line retrieval product. The decision to use minicomputers for on‐line retrieval entails lengthy analysis of current and projected use of on‐line retrieval within an organization, the availability of qualified staff, the costs of equipment and software development. It is hoped that some of the considerations in the paper may be helpful in analyzing these questions.

Over the past few years considerable interest has been shown in the use of computers for library and information retrieval applications. Despite this interest surprisingly little practical development has been carried out particularly in the smaller institutions. The reasons for the lack of implementation are many but some of the more major reasons are:

The main automation systems at the British Library Lending Division are based on three minicomputers. A Digital Equipment minicomputer is used for the Automated Request Transmission system for receiving users' loan and photocopy requests as well as being used for the Address Database system which holds relevant information about the Lending Division's users. A Unit Accounting system will be added to service users' deposit accounts. The Systime minicomputer runs the Serials system which maintains details of serials received by the Lending Division and provides various working tools which are to include online retrieval by keyword of serial titles. Serials check‐in and invoicing functions may be implemented. The Systime minicomputer also supports part of a system to produce a publication British Reports, Translations and Theses (BRTT) as well as a system for record creation of UK input to the System for Information on Grey Literature in Europe (SIGLE). The Geac minicomputer has been installed with software packages to implement the Monograph Acquisitions and Records system starting with cataloguing of monographs. The minicomputers may eventually be linked to the British Library Wide Area Network recently extended to the Lending Division.

In an attempt to meet a rapidly increasing demand, the minicomputer industry has expanded. This resulted from a void by mainframe systems with respect to speed and a decrease in facility access. Mini‐computers have been defined to be:

‘Distributed’ or ‘dispersed’ computing is one of those jargon phrases which can cover all kinds of situation. Crown Wallcoverings have installed a network of minicomputers which serve the total information processing needs of this major UK company, and which are successfully operated by local management and staff.

This paper addresses the concept of automated library systems of the 1980s as a marriage of traditional bibliographic transaction processing applications and those now emerging under the rubric of the advanced office system. This is the concept of CESS—the Comprehensive Electronic Service System for the library or information center. The basis of CESS will be a distributed data processing system eventually linking the local library, via computer to computer communication, to institutional parent, regional and national level systems and their associated services. Functional application distribution for this system is discussed with Computer Consoles, Inc., Office Power and Prime Computer, Inc., Prime Office Automation System (POAS) used to show the office automation capabilities and their integration aspects with online bibliographic systems for the library. Present and near term solutions to creating CESS concept systems are presented.

Describes the development and use of GRIP, an online information storage and retrieval system for personal indexes, using a Hewlett Packard 2100S minicomputer. Users are able to compile their own files consisting of completely unformatted records, and searching is carried out online from remote terminals often in the user's own laboratory. The potential use of the system is indicated and further possible developments outlined.

A method to provide control of continuous type robots by means of a process minicomputer was developed and patented by FIAT‐SPE in 1974. The minicomputer acts as a robot controller using data stored in its magnetic core memory to reconstruct previously learned trajectories. It is possible to maintain within strict limits the memory size, thanks to an original processing method which limits the stored data to the “significant points” along each path. A prototype of the above system was developed during 1974 and operated in connection with a commercial 5‐axis manipulator. An engineered system is being developed and the first unit is scheduled for operative testing in early 1976. The system is capable of controlling several robots in time‐sharing. The reproduction speed of the original cycle can be continuously varied over a wide range and also controlled by the feeding rate of the parts to be processed.

A total of 1641 questionnaires were mailed in March 1990 to members of the US Medical Library Association and the European Association of Health Libraries and Librarians, requesting information on the status of automating the processing of serials and books. Of the 1641 questionnaires mailed, 626 (38%) valid responses were received for analysis. Depending on geographic area, between 37% and 46% of the medical libraries surveyed process all serial functions manually. A greater number of US libraries have automated all procedures for processing serials (11% as opposed to 9% in Canada and 8% in Europe). A greater proportion have automated some procedures (42% in Europe and 40% in both the US and Canada). Between 23% and 34% process all book functions manually. A greater proportion of Canadian libraries have automated all book functions (26% as opposed to 14% in the US and 13% in Europe). A greater proportion of European libraries have automated some book functions (58% as opposed to 47% in the US and 34% in Canada). Personal computers are used more often than the mainframe/minicomputers to process both serials and books. Not all libraries use the same system throughout for automating all library functions, and a number of libraries ‘mix and match’ multiple systems or use systems which are specific to a geographic location. The most frequently used systems on the personal computer and mainframe/minicomputer for processing serials and books are given by function within geographic location.

Based on the sales figures reported to Library Journal's annual survey of the library automation marketplace, Ameritech Inc., Geac Computers Inc., Sirsi Corporation, IME Systems Inc. and Innovative Interfaces Inc. dominated the sales of minicomputer‐based integrated online library systems (IOLS) software in 1995. Data Trek, Inmagic, Follett Software Corporation, Winnebago Software Corporation and COMPanion dominated the microcomputer‐based IOLS software sales for the same period.