Automation in the Archives: RLIN and the Archives and Manuscript Control Format

Be it in the circulation or the cataloging department, automation systems are now something that most libraries have begun to accept if not welcome. In particular, the reference departments of many academic libraries use computer systems to serve their patrons in new ways. Over the last several years, computer networks have had a big impact on how libraries operate. The oldest of these networks, or computer utilities as they are often called, is OCLC (originally the Ohio College Library Center, now known as the Online Computer Library Center). A variety of libraries--academic, public, and private--can utilize OCLC\u27s interlibrary loan system and also reduce their original cataloging workload by sharing all their records with each other