Application of a personal/business computer in library automation. Updating a main‐frame resident authority file

Abstract

Keeping a library authority file up‐to‐date and therefore authoritative can be a cumbersome task even when the file is maintained in computer‐readable form. When, in addition, it becomes necessary to do massive updating to bring the entire file into conformity with a changed or newly‐adopted standard, the task becomes even more difficult. This paper describes an example of accomplishing such an update on the Chemical Abstracts Service Source Index (CASSI) using a relatively low level of human resources, and computer resources which had been placed in the library mainly for word‐processing. The same strategy was re‐used in a similar update of a related authority file. Perhaps this example will encourage others to undertake similar projects.

Citation

Steensland, M.C. and Spaith, T.G. (1984), "Application of a personal/business computer in library automation. Updating a main‐frame resident authority file", The Electronic Library, Vol. 2 No. 4, pp. 279-284. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb044636