Staff Opinions in Library Automation Planning: A Case Study

Abstract

Staff at the Indiana State Library were surveyed regarding reactions to automation and expectations of an on-line catalog and circulation system. The surveys were conducted before automation planning and staff development committees were created, and again a year later. Opinions remained stable in many areas, but increases in staff involvement and automation's impact on staff attitudes were noted. Reactions to automation in general were positive in both surveys. By the second year, fewer respondents felt they could predict automation's impact on staffing, while more expected work to remain about the same. The number of responses to an open-ended question declined, with considerably more positive comments in the second survey.