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Standards are important in all areas of library automation. Standards will facilitate the linking of different types of systems within one library as well as systems that perform similar functions in different libraries. Stephen Salmon (Carlyle), George Sidman (INLEX), Richard Woods (Biblio‐Techniques), Mike Monahan (Geac), Richard Goldberg (CLSI), Stephen M. Silberstein (Innovative Interfaces), and M.E.L. Jacob (OCLC) express their views on existing standards, and the need for and probable course for developing additional standards.

The Western Library Network software, installed at such libraries and networks as the National Library of Australia, the National Library of New Zealand, The British Library and the Universities of Illinois and Missouri, is also available through Biblio‐Techniques as a fully vendor‐supported system called BLIS. Currently installed at six major research libraries, BLIS supports an online union catalog; a catalog management facility, including authority control, acquisitions, and accounting control. Circulation and other modules are under development.

As librarians consider adopting an automated circulation system, early tasks will be to 1) scan the literature, and 2) contact librarians who have already been involved in the process. The literature itself repeatedly urges the value of communicating with other libraries and librarians. For this purpose, most books on turnkey systems append a list of the systems and their installations in particular libraries.

Questions whether, in the USA, faith‐based communities can have an important effect on politics. Contends that other areas, where there are poorer communities, are more likely to be influenced politically in civil society although does not preclude other income sectors from being similarly affected just that deprived areas are more likely to listen to faith‐based organizers.

Six vendors discuss the issues that most affect their role in the implementation of integrated systems within libraries. Major areas of concern include: 1) expectations versus reality, 2) the nature of the vendor‐library relationship, and 3) the challenges of incorporating new technology and standards.

With the development and growth of the Washington Library Network Computer System in recent years, it has emerged as an effective and efficient automated system to support acquisitions, cataloging and other technical processing functions in libraries of all types and sizes. The online union catalog and COM catalog production has greatly expanded the effectiveness of reference and interlibrary loan services. This article covers all features of the computer system. It outlines system hardware, software, and the file structure as well as providing a description of the use of the system. Also discussed are system features such as authority and bibliographic quality control, precision database searching, and automated fund accounting for acquisitions and fiscal management. Other areas covered in this paper are: governance, administration, training, research and development, and types of users, both online and those which want to transfer software as in the recent successful installation of WLN software at the National Library of Australia.

The purpose of this paper is to introduce librarians, faculty, and other interested individuals to contemporary German literature in English translation.

German‐language authors born in 1950 or later and listed on the Contemporary Living Authors Comprehensive List developed by the German vendor Otto Harrassowitz are searched in OCLC's WorldCat database to determine the existence of English translations. A bio‐bibliographical list is then developed featuring all contemporary German‐language authors who have achieved an English language translation of at least one of their literary works.

Of the approximately 1,400 writers on Harrassowitz's comprehensive list, a surprisingly large number of almost 80 authors of the younger generation (born in 1950 or later) have been translated into English.

This bio‐bibliography of contemporary German belles lettres (of the younger generation) in English translation is the first of its kind. It can be used by librarians to check their current library holdings and to expand their collections of German literature in English translation.

Biblio‐Techniques, which was incorporated in 1980, developed a product based on IBM hardware, a commercial database management system, and the Washington (Western) Library Network software. The company's product was innovative and promising but complex and incomplete, and required further development. The company tried to bootstrap that development through up‐front fees from customers who believed in the product. However, the lack of coherent management doomed the effort to failure. This article presents a candid discussion of the rise and fall of Biblio‐Techniques, and details the remarkable relationship between it and its customers. The article is accompanied by four sidebars, two of which are contributed by former customers of Biblio‐Techniques.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss what “online” means in 2006.

The paper examines items in the popular press on this issue.

The paper finds that online means anything digital, from any source, at any time.

The paper provides useful information on the current definition of online with respect to information mangement.