[WEB4LIB] Please help SLJ: Milestones in Library Technology

[Minkel, Walter (Cahners -NYC)]

WEB4LIB folks-- _School Library Journal_ is doing a story in our December
issue on milestones and people in librarianship over the last century, and
as technology editor, it's my responsibility to come up with milestones in
library technology. So far I'm hitting a brick wall both in print & on the
Net, so I'm asking your help. Can _anyone_ supply me with the following
information, or point me to a person, site, or other resource that can?
Because of our audience (public youth services and K-12 school librarians),
we'd like any data about technology firsts (with specific names and dates)
in public libraries & K-12 schools:

* What library was the first to have an online catalog? What year?
* What library was the first to discard its paper shelf list? Its card
catalog? Dates?
* What library was the first to give its staff? its users? access to the
Internet? Dates?
* What library was the first to have a Web site, with date?
* (This question is slightly different.) We also want to identify people who
made a difference--who, in your opinion, would be the most significant in
the story of library technology?

Nothing I can find on these topics on the Net or in print gives me names and
dates; everything I find is distressingly vague. It's as if nobody has kept
any history of library technology, but maybe I'm just looking in the wrong
places. If anyone can contribute information, or supply me with other
technology "firsts," I will give them thanks and credit in the article. Many
thanks, W

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Walter Minkel * Technology Editor, School Library Journal * www.slj.com
wminkel at cahners.com * (212) 463-6721 * fax (212) 463-6689