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To report the highlights of the annual Library and Information Technology Association (LITA) Top Technology Trends program at 2007 American Library Association Annual Conference in Washington, DC.

Provides a brief review of the conference program on technology issues in libraries.

This summary of LITA section Top Technology Trends program with presentations and information. The presentations focus is on new technologies and their applications in a variety of library environments. The program offered a wide variety of timely presentations that were on new and emerging technologies and the application to the library environment.

Provides descriptions of opinions on technological trends in library and information services from industry professionals.

Unless you’re an inveterate upgrader, you’ll replace your personal computer every few years. Computer crazies say “every 18 months,” and a few retrograde managers might say “when it dies” ‐ but for most of us, three to four years is about right. The author replaced his home computer in August 1996, after three‐and‐a‐half years and several upgrades. Almost a year later, he looks at that buying decision and how it looks today. This article could be considered an update from Trailing Edge 15, when the issue of buying your next PC was most recently raised ‐ before the author purchased his previous system. Those with long memories may be as surprised by what hasn’t changed as well as by what has.

Five years is several lifetimes in personal computing–or is it? The first “Trailing Edge” for 1992 (written in 1991) was “Reality Check: A Personal Quiz on Personal Computing,” It featured 66 true‐or‐false statements on all aspects of personal computing and provided comments on why the answers might or might not be significant. In a blatant attempt to reuse old material, the author reviews each of those 66 questions and answers and updates the answers more than five years later. Which topics are now irrelevant? Which continue to be interesting? The author adds some notes on aspects of personal computing that weren’t “on the radar” in early 1992 but that require attention in 1997 and 1998.

Before shopping for a new computer, you should make a plan detailing what you can afford, what you expect to do with the computer, and how much the computer is worth to you. The author suggests factors to include in such a plan and argues that, while games and other non‐productive uses may legitimate part of a computer's worth, worries about computer literacy should not influence decisions. Some terms used in defining personal computers and other microcomputers are discussed.

Once in a while, you should take stock of your personal computing environment. What is on your system? How did it get there? What do you actually use? How did you arrive at your hardware configuration, and does it still meet your needs? You may find that you can free up some disk space in the process; at the very least, you'll understand your situation better. The author goes through this exercise both as an example of what it can show and because full disclosure is important for this series of articles. You need to know the background for the advice that appears here. The author discloses his current computing environments, how they got that way, and what that may mean. He also points out the real limits within which he operates as a PC commentator. When you go through the software on your system, you should check to see whether it represents ethical computing. The author offers a few notes on ethical issues related to software. The author also provides notes from PC literature for January‐June 1992.

Somehow, without loading up on games or owning a sound card, the author has 28 CD‐ROMs at home, with more on the way. How did all these discs get there and what do they say (if anything) about the CD‐ROM marketplace? When are CD‐ROMs marvelous new publishing media, when are they essentially compact diskette replacements, and when are they wastes of good polycarbonate? The author goes through his motley collection, noting some highlights and some messy situations. After all this grumbling, the author adds notes on the personal computing literature for April through September 1994.

Because of the special “State of the States” issue of Library Hi Tech and other circumstances beyond my control, the four quarterly “Comp Lit” compilations for 1996 appear here in a single and possibly peculiar chunk. A lot changes in a year of personal computing, but on reflection it seemed useful to include the citations and comments as I originally wrote them.

How can you call yourself a serious computer user if you don't have a 33MHz 486 system with a 16″ 1024×768 Super VGA screen and 300MB disk drive? Run right out and get the new goodies—otherwise, you're wasting your precious time. The above is an extreme position. On the other hand, if you're still using the equivalent of an IBM PC/XT (or, worse yet, an original PC), you're at the other extreme. Quite apart from the hype, you would almost certainly benefit from a more powerful PC. For most of us in the real world who are spending real dollars for equipment to serve real needs, the decisions can be tough: upgrade, replace, or let it be? And, if upgrading is the answer, what should you upgrade? This column deals with hardware questions. While there are few firm rules, there are some reasonable guidelines to consider. The author also provides notes from January‐June 1991 PC literature; it's been a great period for powermongers!

Price and performance: that was the theme of Crawford's first Library Hi Tech article on PCs, way back in 1984. It's still an important theme, and one of the most unpredictable but enjoyable areas of personal computing. To celebrate the completion of Library Hi Tech's first decade, and as part of the tenth year of writing for Library Hi Tech, the author is preparing a brief series of articles that look back at the last decade in microcomputing. This “Looking Back” installment includes graphic analysis of how prices have changed in the direct‐market PC arena since 1986, with additional price/performance notes from previous articles going back to 1984. The author explains why “PC prices keep going down forever” is a myth and notes how difficult it is to predict the rate of price/performance changes. Trailing Edge #15, later in this issue, discusses factors to consider in buying a computer today, and includes the usual citations from the PC literature.

If confession is good for the soul, this is Crawford's personal revival meeting. Yes, the hardcore text maven and trailing‐edge devotee has gone GUI: most of his home computing now uses a true graphical user interface. The author says that the taste of crow has passed and that the new environment works very well, albeit not without a few frustrations. This article discusses the author's move to Windows and some of the good and bad points of that interface. The author includes some tips on Windows, as seems inevitable for any article on that topic. The author also provides some additional notes related to previous columns, on clip‐art collections and the actual construction of TrueType typefaces. As usual, the article concludes with notes on the recent PC literature.