This volume investigates the evolution of technical services within library systems during a period of significant technological and organizational transition. The authors, Linda C. Smith and Ruth C. Carter, utilize their expertise in library and information science to document the shift from manual processing to automated systems. They provide a comprehensive framework for understanding how administrative structures adapted to the introduction of computing in bibliographic control and collection management.

Experts identify this text as a valuable historical record of the transition period in library administration. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which serves as a foundational reference for understanding the roots of modern digital library systems.