Programme For Library Development In The Province Of British Columbia

How local land use issues can be used as a popular topic for library programs.

This feasibility study was conducted to (1) estimate the alternative costs in 1980 Canadian dollars of using four bibliographic utilities to accomplish the retrospective conversion (RECON) of eight British Columbia public libraries' manual card catalog files, (2) make recommendations as to which alternative should be selected and how it should be managed in order to achieve the stated objectives at least cost, and (3) provide persuasive evidence that will result in the securing of funding in 1981 to begin the proposed RECON project. Background to the study is provided, and conversion estimates are detailed for DOBIS, OCLC, WLN, and UTLAS, including both online and batch processing modes. A RECON bibliography lists nine sources. Appendices provide correspondence, price lists, price quotations, and a sample methodology. Tables display relevant data. (FM)