Date: Tue, 10 Jun 1997 07:41:40 -0700
From: Nancy Slight-Gibney <nsg@OREGON.UOREGON.EDU>
Subject: ALA Conference Program Announcement

"The Future of Technical Processing Systems:
Empty Promises or Promising Partnerships?"

Program to be held at the ALA Annual Conference, San Francisco,  Monday,
June 30, 9:30 am - 12:30 pm. at the Westin St. Francis, Colonial Room.
Sponsored by LAMA, Systems and Services Section, Acquisitions Systems
Committee.  Co-sponsored by ALCTS, Acquisitions Section, Technology for
Acquisitions Committee.

As the environment within which the acquisition and processing of library
materials changes, the systems which support such activity must change as
well.  The previous generation of processing systems is already being
redefined and replaced and there is renewed interest in more "intelligent"
rather than "manual intervention" systems.  This program will provide
managers and technical services professionals with information which will
help them understand what is real and what is hype, what system changes have
already occurred and what are merely planned or being contemplated, and
which services they can depend on the vendor communities to provide and
where vendors will draw the line for assuming responsibility for tasks
traditionally performed by libraries.

The program will consist of four presentations: Kathy Brown (N.C. State
University Library); Keith Schmiedl (Coutts Library Services); Jane Burke
(Endeavor Information Systems); and Kate Nevins (SOLINET/OCLC).  This will
be followed by a wrap-up by Tia Gozzi (UNC-Charlotte) and an opportunity for
members of the audience to ask questions of the speakers or add comments.