Library management systems in the UK: 1960s-1980s

Computers were first used in libraries for assisting with the processes of cataloguing and the issuing of materials in the collections. This paper traces this history in the UK from the experimental systems of the 1960s, to the local and also the co-operative systems of the 1970s and to the turnkey systems of the 1980s. The rise of microcomputer-based systems and integrated library management systems of the late 1980s are covered in the penultimate section. References are made to published literature of these developments and ‘memories’ of those involved in running and implementing these systems were elicited through an e-mail list and have been incorporated as appropriate.