Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!ames!ucsd!sdcsvax!ucsdhub!hp-sdd!hplabs!hplabsz!taylor
From: NRCGSH@RITVAX.BITNET
Newsgroups: comp.society
Subject: Re: electronic card catalog
Message-ID: <1871@hplabsz.HPL.HP.COM>
Date: 9 Apr 88 20:08:24 GMT
Sender: taylor@hplabsz.HPL.HP.COM
Lines: 15
Approved: taylor@hplabs

The rapid spread of electronic card catalogs at libraries across the
country is amazing.  It will probably go a long way to help with minimum
computer acceptance among the public.  I agree that on-line access by a
modem is a great virtue.  At the Rochester Institute of Technology,
Rochester NY, we have had that capability for a couple of years.
Actually, it runs on a program on the VAX.  But having phoned the VAX,
the user can then bring up the connection to the library's computer.  As
a teacher, I find it convenient to be able to check on the availability
of a book from my office.  The reference department now has an
electronic mail box, and I can get a response from them on any item 
within a day as well.

These features are especially useful to me as a blind user.  For the
first time in my life, I can access a card catalog by myself with the
aid of a PC, modem and speech synthesizer.  Features like this will
become common sooner or later.