Pro/Con Web-based library catalogs

[Chris Drew]

Does anyone have any success stories they would like to share with some
neophytes?

The Veterans Affairs Medical Librarians in Southern California want to
propose a web-based consolidated library automation project to our management.

We have the following parameters:

1.      This is the federal government.  Low bid doesn't always get the
contract but libraries aren't the highest priority right now.  Whatever we
get we'll have to live with it, bugs and all.

2.      We estimate our holdings to be probably 15K unique book and
audiovisual titles and probably over 1200 unique serials titles. 

3.      We'd like to present a seamless image so we can automate uniformly
throughout the area so we would appear to be "one library".  

4.      The VA is migrating to a Windows NT platform so the majority of our
browsers will be coming from that platform.

5.      We serve an area from southern San Diego to Santa Barbara above Los
Angeles and as far east as Las Vegas.

6.      We want it to be fast enough not to frustrate patrons and definitely
fast enough not to irritate the puce out of an overworked staff.

7.      We want to circulation, PAC, serials control, etc. option in the
package.

If you have happy camper stories about "how you done it right" in your
library and overcame all obstacles with a downsized staff, please contact me.

Chris Drew, M.L.S.	
Chief Librarian		
Library Service (142D)	
VA Medical Center				
3350 La Jolla Village Drive
San Diego, CA 92161