Editorial

This issue of Library Computing has come together quite well (almost as if the Editor had planned it that way from the beginning). It contains a fine collection of articles by a number of skilled information professionals, who also happen to be able to write well. I think you're really going to like this one...

These pages present detailed views of the power afforded by our new desktop computing and software environments, in the specific areas of library and information operations. Like the explosion of "new ideas" so evident on the Web, this new professional playing field is resulting in a major extension of traditional information operations. What struck me while reading this issue's editorial package was the crystal-clear demonstration of how the new age of computing power has expanded the ideas and the abilities of the individual professional.

I'm talking here about the new, previously non-existent, ability of individuals to create and add value to major information products. This has been made possible by the serendipity of the unbelievable computing horsepower now available at low cost, by the evolution of software tools, and by the proliferation and combination of data/information standards like MARC, HTML, XML, ODBC, and CGI. Oh, yes, and lots of talent, too.

We're...