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ALS have been working on EDI developments since the 1980s. Several different options were considered before First Edition launched their service in the UK. Since this solution provided the necessary translation software, ALS were not required to write their own software to interface between TRADACOMS and the ALS data files, with resultant high costs. Having implemented the preferred solution in Hertfordshire Libraries, ALS are now considering the options for their users in mainland Europe. Future developments for libraries are reviewed and finally Martin Dudley of Hertfordshire provides a user perspective.

In the current climate where the automation goal of most libraries is the ubiquitous integrated library system, it is easy to forget that there are often alternative solutions to particular problems, some of which may not, in any case, be best dealt with in an integrated systems environment. Big is not necessarily beautiful, nor is online and integrated. Essex Libraries, one of the largest library organisations in the country, has recently introduced a microcomputer system to handle the management of its inter‐branch loans requests.

The EDILIBE Project – Electronic Data Interchange for Libraries and Booksellers in Europe involved libraries and booksellers in Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Italy and the UK. It was a project funded by the European Union as part of the European Libraries Programme and ran from April 1993 to December 1995. This paper discusses the current role of an acquisitions librarian and outlines the ways in which electronic data interchange (EDI) can be used to assist in the management of acquisitions infor mation. Practical experiences gained in implementing EDI standards and developing suitable software during the EDILIBE project are described.