Computers Used In Libraries

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31158, 7 September 1966, Page 14

Computers Used In Libraries

Computers and data processing techniques were being used more and more by libraries in the United States although in a number of cases such use was largely experimental, said the City Librarian (Mr R. N. O’Reilly) in an interview in Christchurch.

“They are so much a part of the scene over there that most large library schools

now have courses in such processes for trainees,” he said. Mr O’Reilly said that computers were being used for library accounting, catalogue compiling, and book circulation control.

“At present the installation of computers in libraries is quite expensive, and although some things the machines did were impressive, they seemed to be still in the teething stage,” he said. Asked about the use of such computers in the New Zealand library service, Mr O’Reilly said New Zealand

needed to know what was going on. “There has been such a lot of experimental work in the United States and Britain that we cannot afford not to study what is being done in this modern field elsewhere.” Mr O’Reilly said that one difference he had observed between New Zealand and American libraries was that the American libraries were more information centres than places to go to get a book to read. Mr O’Reilly’s visit to the United States for eight weeks was through a Carnegie Corporation grant between university sessions at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, where for the last two years he has been a visiting professor. Most of his time at the university was occupied with lecturing and assisting in administrative duties at its school of librarianship. The school was founded by a former Otago University librarian, Mr J. Harris, who is deputy Vice-Chancellor of Ibadan University.

The university’s library was regarded as the best in tropical Africa, said Mr O’Reilly. Librarianship, although relatively new, was of some status in Nigeria now, said Mr O’Reilly. A degree was necessary to be admitted to the library school at Ibadan. In Eastern Nigeria considerable development had taken place in the last decade with the public library service. Similar schemes were under way but had not got very far in north and west Nigeria and in Lagos, said Mr O’Reilly. He found Nigeria a very stimulating place. Recent political upheavals had not greatly disturbed the ordinary citizen’s life. There were about 20 New Zealanders working in Ibadan of whom about 12 worked at the university. At the large city stores New Zealand butter sold at 7s 6d per Hb. “Frozen New Zealand meats, not always advantageously packaged are available at pretty fancy prices,” he said.