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The article discusses the use of microcomputers for the automation of the two remaining major library functions: circulation control and serials control. Both are concerned with controlling the movement of stock and both require software which can perform several different types of operation including the creation of printed outputs and financial control. Circulation control is about the issuing, returning and reserving of stock, and the pursuit of overdue items. It is also an especially rich source of management information. Serials control is primarily concerned with the registration of individual issues as they arrive and the claiming of missing ones. Subsidiary functions are ordering, binding control, circulation to readers, searching and financial management.

This paper outlines the pattern of library services available to staff in the National Health Service (N.H.S.) and gives a preliminary report of a study of library usage and of attitudes towards libraries among clinical and pre‐clinical staff in the University of Oxford. Libraries serving N.H.S. staff are numerous but small, most commonly being staffed by a single librarian, and receive little publicity. In spite of their small size a significant number of N.H.S. libraries have a ‘special library’ character. Teaching hospital libraries represent the intersection between the university and the N.H.S. library systems and are the largest of the libraries serving N.H.S. staff. Data on usage and attitudes were collected by several different methods (questionnaires, interviews, observation, library statistics, feedback forms an analysis of ‘failures’ in finding documents) in the expectation that this would give a richer picture than would be provided by any one of the conventional survey techniques. The use of modelling methods for interpreting data is discussed.

After selecting Hardwareand software, consideration needs to be given to their installation. This includes any necessary cabling and the design of the vdu workstation(s) for staff well‐being. Important decisions also need to be made about data security. The software may need to be tailored to meet library requirements and staff and readers trained in its use. Automation changes the nature of a job and consequently will have an impact on job design and on library procedures. These effects, as well as the software itself, need to be evaluated after the system has been operating for some time, both with a view to improving the existing system and considering possible future developments.

The bibliographic record is the link between the software packages discussed in this article: cataloguing and acquisitions. Cataloguing software ranges from sophisticated online public access catalogues to cheaper and simpler software designed to produce catalogue entries for an existing manual system (e.g. cards). The range of acquisitions software is equally wide encompassing packages which simply print an order from data which is keyed in to those which incorporate the whole process of acquisitions from the recommendation stage through to receipt and full fund accounting. This article, the fourth in the series, describes the different features with examples, and concludes with a discussion on the nature of integrated systems.

The first article in the series (The Electronic Library, 3, 3, July, 1985 pp. 200–209) introduced the reader to microcomputer terminology and to the main components—hardware and software—of a microcomputer system. This second article is largely devoted to more detailed description of the main hardware components: processors, internal memory, buses, external memory, printers and communications hardware. The importance of ergonomic factors in vdu and keyboard design is stressed. Multi‐user and network configurations are compared. Finally, the discussion of the role of the operating system, introduced in the first article, is extended.

Applications software of two types is discussed. First communications, file transfer and search assistance software which enables the microcomputer to be used for intelligent access to external databases. Second, software designed to support database creation and searching on local microcomputers. The facilities which may be offered by each type of software are described with examples of commercial packages.

Modern information technologies (ITs) are increasingly being applied in the administrative and housekeeping functions of libraries. These ITs are, however, not extensively utilised in Nigerian libraries and the reasons for this have been advanced. Among the reasons identified are:

The soft systems methodology developed by Checkland was chosen as a way of relating the evidence of a user survey to the practical problems of library management. The user survey has been described in a previous paper. This paper presents the methodology and discusses it in terms of the systems approach, before showing how it was used in this case. The outcomes of the study were an indication of the content of a useful model of the users and guidelines for deriving criteria for effectiveness based on the model. Difficulties in using the methodology are described, and conclusions for library management and implications for library and information science research are presented.

The following bibliography focuses mainly on programs which can run on IBM microcomputers and compatibles under the operating system PC DOS/MS DOS, and which can be used in online information and documentation work. They fall into the following categories:

VINE is produced at least four times a year with the object of providing up‐to‐date news of work being done in the automation of library housekeeping processes, principally in the UK. It is edited and substantially written by the Information Officer for ctdirary Automation bused in Southampton University Library and supported by a grant from the British Library Research and Development Department. Copyright for VINE articles rests with the British Library‐Boards but Opinions expressed in VINE do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the British Library. The subscription for 1983 for VINE is £22 for UK subscribers and £25 for overseas subscribers. The first copy will be charged at normal rate, but all others will be supplied for only £12 per year UK and £14 per year overseas. VINE is available in either paper copy or microfiche and all back issues are available on microfiche.