Commemorative Publication:
Program 1966-2006: Celebrating 40 Years of ICT in Libraries, Museums and Archives
ISBN-13: 978-1-84663-324-9
ISBN-10: 1-84663-324-9
Guest Edited by: Lucy A. Tedd
Program has been charting developments in the application of ICT in libraries, museums and archives for 40 years. To celebrate this milestone, a special series of articles has been published in 2006 in the 40th volume of the journal.
Significant articles from each of the four decades were reprinted in each of the 4 issues of the anniversary volume along with a contemporary article from leading authors commenting on more recent developments in that specific area. These articles have all been brought together in this special publication as an overview record of the incredible developments in the area of computer systems in libraries in the last 40 years. Also included is a reprint of the first issue of Program.
Themes
- The history of Program
- Library automation
- The Porter stemmimg algorithm
- The Follet Report and the work of the Information Services Sub-Committee of the Joint Information Systems Committee
- The advent of digital libraries
This special publication includes contributions from
- Lynne Brindley, Chief Executive of The British Library
- Mel Collier, Chair of the Program Editorial Board and Chief Librarian at the Catholic University of Leuven
- Graham Jefcoate, Director of the Radboud University Library, Nijmegen
- Derek Law, Head of the Information Resources Directorate and University Librarian, University of Strathclyde
- Maurice Line, former Director General of the British Library Document Supply Centre
- M.F. Porter, formerly of the Computer Laboratory, University of Cambridge
- Lucy A. Tedd, Editor of Program and Lecturer in the Department of Information Studies, University of Wales Aberystwyth
- Peter Willett, Professor of Information Science, Department of Information Studies, University of Sheffield
Contents:
The first issue
A reprint of the first issue of Program from March 1966
Program: a record of the first 40 years of electronic library and information systems
Lucy A. Tedd
This article provides a broad overview of the history of the journal Program: electronic library and information systems and its contents over its first 40 years. The publication has grown from modest beginnings as a newsletter for British university librarians to a respected refereed journal with a wide international readership.
Automation of acquisition records and routine in the University Library, Newcastle upon Tyne
Maurice B. Line
This article
reports on the trial of an automated order routine for the University Library in Newcastle which began in April 1966. It presents the author’s experiences of the manual order processing system, and the impetus for trialling an automated system. The stages of the automated system are described in detail.
Forty years of library automation: a personal reflection
Maurice B. Line
This paper provides an overview of one person’s involvement with computer systems in libraries over the last 40 years. There have been very many developments in libraries in a comparatively short period of time as a result of using computer systems, and this may only be the start of a revolution.
An algorithm for suffix stripping
M.F. Porter
The automatic removal of suffixes from words in English is of particular interest in the field of information retrieval. An algorithm for suffix stripping is described.Although simple, it performs slightly better than a much more elaborate system with which it has been compared. The paper provides a useful historical document on information retrieval.
The Porter stemming algorithm: then and now
Peter Willett
In 1980, Porter presented a simple algorithm for stemming English language words. This paper summarises the main features of the algorithm, and highlights its role not just in modern information retrieval research, but also in a range of related subject domains.
Joint Funding Councils’ Libraries Review Group (the “Follett”) Report - The contribution of the Information Technology Sub-Committee
Lynne J. Brindley
This article aims to look into a review of library provision in higher education, which was originally set up in 1992 by The Funding Councils of England, Scotland and Wales, and the Department of Education for Northern Ireland. It was intended that the programme should raise awareness, encourage use of networked services, and ensure that those working in libraries can provide appropriate training and support of users.
Remembering history: the work of the Information Services Sub-Committee of the Joint Information Systems Committee in the UK
Derek Law
This paper records the work of the committee and its interaction with the much better known Electronic Libraries (eLib) Programme. It also examines the principles which underlay the development of content acquisition and supporting infrastructure in UK university libraries in the 1990s.
Gabriel: Gateway to Europe's National Libraries
Graham Jefcoate
This paper seeks to look in Gabriel – the Worldwide web server for those European national libraries represented in the Conference of European National Libraries (CENL), providing a single point of access on the internet for the retrieval of information about their functions, services and collections. Above all, it serves as a gateway to their online services.
Strategic change in higher education libraries with the advent of the digital library during the fourth decade of Program
Mel Collier
This paper reviews how the business of libraries in higher education has changed with the impact of the digital library during the latest decade of Program, in which the content of the journal swung decisively from being primarily about library management systems to primarily being about digital library issues. The observations build on the author’s original work on business planning for digital libraries, and are based on experience of library and information services management in the Netherlands, Belgium and Great Britain.
About Program
Program: electronic library and information systems is a refereed journal which covers all aspects of the management and use of information technology in libraries and archives, museums and galleries, information centres, and the information industry generally. The emphasis is on the practical applications of new technologies and techniques and their costs but reviews or emerging technologies and research and development in relevant fields are also published. The journal publishes a mix of articles, case studies, opinion pieces and book reviews.
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