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Beginning with a detailed analysis of 24 published surveys and programmes of library and information science curricula from 1969–1975, the article discusses the professional continuity in changing courses. A particular problem is maintaining the identity of ‘core studies’ in professional curricula. The content and objectives of computer courses are listed and discussed. The coverage of the author's own survey is explained. All 17 schools in the U.K., 1 in Dublin and 13 in eastern U.S.A. and Canada were visited in 1978 involving interviews with over 130 people individually or in groups. Ten schools overseas provided further data in questionnaires. The results of the survey begin by summarising the various stated objectives for computer courses. There follows a review of the structure of such courses and the views on options in this subject. Outlining the titles, content, duration and staffing, the article reviews, with supporting tables, courses for computer appreciation, programming and library automation. Separate tables and commentary cover the data from the questionnaires. In the conclusions, it is emphasised that computing is now an essential part of professional education, though how much and for whom is not yet decided. Advanced courses will soon be needed for those wishing to specialise.

THE LIFE OF JAMES BALLANTYNE, Scottish printer, is so interlaced with those of his brothers, John and Sandy, and with the misfortunes of Sir Walter Scott, that it is impossible to give any sort of account of him as a single personality. He was bedevilled by influences that twisted what might have been a prosperous career into a condition that came to near financial disaster.

We have met to celebrate — and rightly so — the completion of twenty‐one years of the publication of a great journal: twenty‐one years of hard work for more than one of us here tonight — the first Program author will speak to us shortly. Program represents a significant and abiding contribution to the literature of librarianship and occupies, according to my measurement, two feet of library shelf space.

Web technology presents exciting opportunities for the curators of collections of digitised images, but collaboration is vital if this potential is to be realised. DMU's ELISE II project, aiming to demonstrate a service that provides access to multiple image collections, is especially supportive of the cooperative development and uptake of standards for data transfer (e.g. Z39.50) and for the representation of structure and content (e.g. Dublin Core metadata).

The continual changes and developments in microcomputers, the peripherals and associated software, have led to a confusion of choice. It is necessary to understand the implications of the discernible differences when selecting. Changes have been especially significant with the introduction in 1987 of the IBM PS/2 series and the OS/2 operating system. It is now a definite advantage to be conversant with what is happening to processors, memory, enhancements, printers, operating systems, utilities, wordprocessors and desktop publishing. Attention is drawn in this article to examples of these and to their importance to the microcomputer user. A bibliography of about 40 recent articles, covering these developments, in the computing literature is included.

Misunderstandings, delays, Jack of access to the machine, inadequate program packages and over‐optimistic promises from the manufacturers, staff changes and a complete change of machine are all part of the ordinary background to the development of a new Library system. The Humberside Libraries, who suffered from all these, were fortunate, however, in establishing excellent relations with the authority's Management Services Department, and together they have established a satisfactory system. The report gives an account of the process, a list of programs, samples of the printouts produced by the system, and of the various stages in the development of the cataloguing worksheet — another example of co‐operation between Library and computer staff.

The development of Stage Two of the AMCOS Project which uses BNB MARC tapes as the basis of a fully mechanised ordering and cataloguing system has been progressing since December 1968. The paper by Russell Sweeney described the secondment of a teacher of librarianship to the library at AWRE Aldermaston for twelve weeks to take part in the development of computer programs for AMCOS Stage One. This present paper describes a similar exercise to involve a teacher in the programming for Stage Two.

Mental health is an underdeveloped service to the population generally and to African-Caribbean in particular. There is a need for more sensitive diagnosing, treatment and care. African-Caribbean people are asking for a more culturally competent mental healthcare system.

This chapter aims to address the following issues: how African-Caribbean people reflect on mental health and mental ill health. Their reflections are drawn from interviews done with African-Caribbean people who are involved with Hagar, a mental health charity in Lewisham, London. Mental health and mental illnesses will be examined, followed by the Psychiatrists’ use of the diagnostic tools that do a disservice to Black people. The Trans-Atlantic slave trade and its contribution to the mental ill health of Black people will be addressed, thus providing a historical underpinning for much of Black people’s struggle with mental ill health. Racism and its contribution to mental health issues will be presented. The views of the Black Psychiatrist Franz Fanon will be argued as a way of understanding oppression, alienation and mental ill health in Black people, and going on to open up ways of providing treatment and care. Finally suggestions will be made about how to provide a culturally competent mental health service to African Heritage peoples.

The first Microlib conference was held in 1988 and some of the papers presented there appeared in subsequent issues of Program. The second Microlib conference was held at the same location, the Penta Hotel in Lisbon, from the 14th to the 16th of May 1991. As before, the conference was organised by Consinfor, a Portuguese consultancy company specialising in the information field. Staff from Consinfor have been involved over the years in helping organisations choose database software and design databases; they have also been involved in the organisation of other relevant seminars, exhibitions and conferences. Microlib '91 was sponsored by the Portuguese firm, Time Sharing, and the Dutch serials subscriptions agency, Swets.