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In a recent interview for Wired News, Charles Zhang, founder and CEO of Internet Technologies China, spoke of the development of his company's product, Sohoo.

The philosophy behind banks' current High Street profiles is based on four main guidelines: the need for cash movement; security of staff/money from robberies; indication of stability/substance; and wide facility for in‐/out‐payments. This has led to a perception of bank branches as cold, unfriendly places, discouraging customer visits. The retailing approach will impact on branch style and structure, possibly creating individual, business‐specific banks within banks which can deal with both the heavy user cash customer and the high net worth customer, in the same way that aircraft travel is sold as business, economy and first class services through the same aircraft and facilities. With ATMs and home banking (such as the Minitel system being pioneered in France) reducing cash security requirements, bank branches will be able to exploit the freedom from counter barriers to make customers feel more welcome. Finally staff must be trained and helped, through incentives, to take a more positive and welcoming attitude.

The Centre for Science and Industry in Paris, which is one of the most attractive high‐tech science museums in Europe, hosts a unique multimedia library holding some 330 000 documents in scientific and technological fields (books, periodicals, films, educational software, cassettes and CDROMs) with an average of 4000 users per day. Ever since its opening to the public in 1986, the library has been fully automated with an integrated system and presently it operates under GEAC GLIS (running on a GEAC 9000 computer) for acquisition, cataloguing, OPAC and circulation. The OPAC is also available on videotex (French Minitel). After a brief review of the background of CDROM installation in French public libraries, the particular case of the use of CDROMs at La Villette Library is discussed. CDROMs made available to the public are differentiated from those used by the staff, mainly for cataloguing and reference purposes. Other than cost, problems related to the design of hardware and software configuration, as well as the importance of testing pilot products, are analysed. Finally, future developments including the replacement of the existing hardware, upgrading of the software and the necessity of systematic evaluation of CDROM usage by patrons are discussed.

As Chief Reporter on the monthly newspaper Information World Review, the writer keeps a constant watch on developments in electronic and optical information services. In every issue of the new‐look Online & CDROM Review he will give his personal summary of recent events of interest.

The 1990s are shaping up to be the decade of interactive information services. The French Minitel videotex system, now five years old is internationally recognised as a resounding success, with four million terminals in place and access to thousands of information providers.

There has been some recent discussion that online, as we know it, is now old‐fashioned and out‐dated—being superseded by CD‐ROM and other technologies. The paper examines the various arguments and looks at where online is going by briefly reviewing some of the developments and trends happening in Europe and elsewhere. It does not purport to be a detailed technical report, but merely provides an overview.

This special issue of Facilities on “Strategic Issues for Facilities Managers” is very different in style from the editor‐generated issues of this journal, but it has been designed to achieve a particular purpose. It focuses on the business issues about which facilities managers need to be aware in order to plan the most effective deployment of corporate physical assets. In order that readers can acquire a good understanding of a wide variety of topics in a short period of time, the material is presented in the form of précis and short articles.

“‘Personable’ is management‐ese for ‘crumpet’”. Thus observed an old friend late last Sunday; much too late indeed for the subsequent dialogue about equal opportunities, in which we drew heavily upon anecdotal evidence, experiential learning and totally unsubstantiated surmise. What better cocktail for an evening's imbibing, and where better than the pages of NLW to air one of the hidden agendas of professional life?

In 1972, the first laboratory prototypes were shown to the public, with a further fifteen years passing before the appearance of tangible economic results. French telematics, which may be considered as probably the world's most highly developed union of telecommunication and computer technology, has therefore had to undergo the usual long testing process by which a technical innovation is transformed into an economically feasible product.

Examines the relationship between marketing theory and actual marketing practice in British public libraries today. Marketing theory, as applied to libraries, is looked at first. This idealized view is then compared with what actually happens in the public library services of Newcastle upon Tyne and Liverpool, with special reference to thc Central Library in eaeh case. The conclusion is that marketing af library services in the two cities bears little relationship to marketing theory, and that this situation must change if library services are to have a long future.