This paper was commissioned in March 1987 by the Centre for Catalogue Research (now Centre for Bibliographic Management) at the University of Bath, for presentation to the LIBER Working Group on Library Automation. It discusses the background to retroconversion, the advantages and disadvantages of the various methods of tackling the work, project costs and the problems to be faced. There is a discussion of future trends and desirable areas of research both nationally and internationally.

The state of retroconversion in the United Kingdom: a review

This case study examines the growth of collaboration among Scottish higher education institutions. Following a summary of the work of the Scottish Confederation of University and Research Libraries (SCURL), more detailed information is provided on collaboration in the fields of acquisition, licensing, selection, and purchasing. Some of the UK background is outlined, relating to NESLi2 in particular, in order to illuminate the options within Scotland. The origins of negotiations on electronic resource provision within Scotland are described, drawing on developments in other countries including Ireland and Scandinavia. After initial setbacks, the implementation of the Scottish Higher Education Digital Library (SHEDL) from 2007 to 2009 is detailed. Current benefits arising from SHEDL are explained, and some possible future developments are discussed.

Collaboration in Electronic Resource Provision in University Libraries: SHEDL, a Scottish Case Study

The basic technical components of ‘information networking’ have been in place since the mid‐1970s, when the first generation online bibliographic services such as the INSPEC databases and MEDLINE, implemented on dial‐up hosts like Dialog and ESA changed the ways in which librarians approached bibliographic searching — at least in the better funded organizations. The peak of diversification and growth of the online bibliographic database probably came around 1988 when Williams reviewed the near‐exponential growth of new services and the extraordinary diversity of the sources which appeared to be viable. At about the same time, however, it was being pointed out that despite the excitement this was generating in libraries, it amounted to less than 15% of the European market in electronic information services, with data‐oriented financial services dominating the remainder. The share of the host‐based financial data services has probably subsequently grown — at the time of writing in August 1993, Reuters (a ma...

Strategic aspects of networking

A review of the main financial trends in Scottish university libraries during the 1980s. Updates a previous study in 1986 by the same authors on this topic, covering the post‐Robbins era. Methodology based upon the use of published statistical sources, together with library annual reports. Examines the declining proportion of university finance devoted to libraries. Within the libraries′ budgets investigates the cumulative transfer of resources away from traditional collection building and staffing complements in favour of mushrooming services and automation requirements, in a period of vastly increasing clienteles, usage and demand. Spotlights various co‐operative ventures instigated by the Scottish academic library community to help meet the challenge. Argues that the decline in overall funding and continued transfer of resources from collections to services cannot proceed indefinitely if Scottish universities are to function effectively in an age of information‐hunger and accelerated growth in student ...

Safe in Whose Hands? Scottish University Library Finances in the 1980s

The Scottish Academic Libraries Bibliographic Information Network (SALBIN) is one among many of the manifestations of productive co‐operation among the Scottish libraries. Other formal and visible ones include the early establishment of the Scottish Union Catalogue and the inter‐lending system based on it, the Working Group for Co‐operation in Acquisitions, the building of the SCOLCAP mutual database which provided the bibliographic databases for most of the automated systems, and more recent initiatives in CON‐SPECTUS and in a joint training programe for library staffs. All these, of course, have as their final objective the improvement of service to the libraries' users, but mediated through the library staff, and therefore not only planned but implemented and experienced at staff level.

SALBIN: Freedom of Access for Users Unlimited

Edinburgh University Library is a classic example of distributed data, distributed processing, and distributed service, until 1982 all in manual form It is dispersed, with the University, over several square miles in the centre and south of the city The Main Library in George Square houses the central administration, the Arts and Social Sciences collections, the main Undergraduate Reading Room, the Special Collections, the Map collection, the main Reference and Statistical Reference collection, other archives, collections, and special processing and service units such as the Bindery and the Photographic Department There are also major collections in New College Theological Library, the Medical Libraries, the Science Libraries on the Kings Buildings campus, the Law and Centre for European Government libraries, the Music library and the Veterinary libraries All of these are professionally staffed, and professional library work (selection, acquisition, cataloguing and classification, reader services etc) is carried out there Greater co‐ordination is being achieved since ‘the cuts and automation’ is seen as an instrument for further beneficial rationalization and co‐operation in improved services There are also numerous class and departmental libraries of varying size, some of which the University Library controls and supports, some of which it merely advises and helps as best it can Altogether the stock is thought to comprise between one and a half million and two million items, but this includes approximately half a million un‐catalogued items in Special Collections and New College

Marion C. Ralls

Papers

SALBIN: Freedom of Access for Users Unlimited

The evolution of a retroconversion