Computer processing of the bibliographic records of a small library

Abstract

A project has been conducted to automate the processing of the records associated with a small, restricted-access collection of undergraduate reading material in the Library of the University of Durham. The functions of a suite of programs written by the author for an IBM 360/67 computer, and now in regular use by the Library are described. Through a simple command language, the (non-programmer) user may specify a wide variety of processes on files of bibliographic data as combinations of basic operations. He also has fine control over the layout of catalogues and other lists printed oh the line-printer. An account is given in this thesis of some of the problems which face those working on the automation of the maintenance of large library catalogues: conversion of old records to machine-readable form, filing catalogue entries and the role of computers in producing book catalogues. There is a discussion of programming and programming language in this context and a selection of new or improved features are suggested for incorporation in any future version of the Durham system. Full technical program documentation is supplementary to the thesis.