You're asked to purchase and install an automated library system which is compatible with the firm's new computer network. It is difficult to decide what to do first. Contact vendors? Read everything on library automation/systems? Visit system installations? Talk with colleagues? Hire a consultant?

Selecting an automation system is one of the most critical library projects. No matter a library's size, collection, clientele, or resources, automation can never be taken too lightly; it is too expensive and too time consuming a human and technological endeavor. In the age of Cyberspace, the automated library system learning curve is very short and intense, causing confusion and stress for people and machines.

Many of the variables in the library automation equation are out of the hands of a library staff. On the one hand, a library may have little or no involvement with system evaluation, equipment selection, or even training. On the other hand, a library may be in charge of everything from selecting the system to maintaining the equipment to support its use. Most libraries fall between these extremes, but their automation decisions are not necessarily easier to make. The magic "Errorless Way to Select and Install the Perfect Automated Library System" doesn't exist. Unbelievably librarians (vendors, too!) are not immune from error and, in fact, there is no "perfect" automation system. Automation success and failure depend upon a library's commitment to and understanding of automation processes. Even a consultant cannot substitute for an informed, involved library staff. For when the consultant and the vendor finish their work, the staff is still there, supporting each other and immediately responsible to library users.

The best way to begin an automation project is to formulate an Automation Plan. The most important element in the Plan is the determination of the compatibility of each automated library system considered with the software, hardware, and computer network in use at the firm. A review of all available resources -- staff, budget, time restraints, library staff automation expertise, MIS support -- is crucial when mapping out the Plan. A timetable is also a valuable part of the Plan, as it keeps everyone on the same track toward the same goal. When derailments occur or situations change, as surely they will, a flexible Plan allows for decisive and quick adjustments, which will draw everything back toward the project's goal.

The comedian, Flip Wilson, used to say, "What you see is what you get." Well, in the case of library systems, you may get more, you may get less than what you see. At times the library and the vendor seem to be working on different levels and in several languages. And Murphy's Law is particularly applicable to computer software and hardware.

Vendor competition has become extremely aggressive. Like all sectors of the corporate world, automated library system vendors are part of the takeover/buyout/merger craze. Data Trek merges with IME Navigator, OCLC buys TechlibPlus, who knows what changes hands today, companies disappear completely. Couple this with the rush to provide networking and WWW services and it's possible that the vendor at the beginning of a project may not be the vendor, or at the very least the same company, when the system is installed. For a large library, such machinations may not overly affect an automation project; for a small or medium firm library these changes can be very disruptive.

So, before you seek out vendors prepare you own bag of "automation magic." Understand the talk (computer/automation terms and phrases vendors, consultants, and MIS people like to throw around) and know what kind of system is the best fit and most affordable for your library. Investigate options:

• Turnkey systems and Individual Modules or combinations of modules;
• Integrated systems and Client/Server systems;
• Full-text Database Management Systems;
• Minicomputer and Microcomputer systems;
• Networking (local, Internet, etc.) capabilities;
• Relational databases and "relational-like" databases.

When talking with vendors, ask who their competition is and how they compare with them. Their responses will prove invaluable in your evaluations.

Use the talents of your entire staff and get everyone involved. If you're a one person library, call upon your colleagues for advice and direction or hire a consultant to help research systems and evaluate your choices. Have confidence in your instincts and your professional knowledge and abilities. You are the expert regarding your library.

And always keep in mind: your situation is not so unique that yours is the only library ever to face your particular challenges. A few months ago I was asked to give a talk on Dr. Zhivago and I went to my local public library to get the works of the Russian poet Pasternak. I just couldn't figure how to get back to the Main Menu on the library OPAC. I did what I always do when I go to the public library, I asked a librarian for help. She patiently worked with me (as do all the public librarians I've ever met) and found my materials. As we were talking, she mentioned that the library was migrating to a larger, more versatile integrated library system. I asked how the system was selected and she told me of the problems they'd faced, explaining that a consultant helped them sort out their choices. I, the concerned taxpayer, nodded sympathetically. I, the experienced databases manager, never let on that it all sounded so, so familiar!