New file management in P-STAT (abstract only)

In January of 1981, the Center for the Study of Youth Development initiated an on-line catalog of the holdings of its specialized library consisting of 10,000 monographs, journals, vertical file materials, etc. The present paper discusses the reactions of the end-user or patron population to the resource. The background of the library automation project -- including issues of cost-effectiveness, increased power, and user utility--is discussed in order to establish the initial goals of this activity. Then, attention is given to how the project was implemented; this includes a comparison of preliminary goals with what ultimately was delivered. The transition from a COM catalog to the on-line catalog required training of patrons (some of whom had little or no experience with a computer terminal), and only half of the Center staff participated in the initial training sessions. Preliminary patron behavior is reviewed, and an attempt to informally analyze both positive and negative experiences is offered. The initial experiences are summarized in a discussion of the problems and prospects of the user interface of the "query" portion of the on-line catalog software.