Retrospective Conversion. Report of a conference sponsored by the Council on Library Resources (Wayzata, Minnesota, July 16-18, 1984)

Abstract

The 29 participants in this meeting on retrospective conversion included research and public library administrators; representatives from the Library of Congress, the major bibliographic utilities, and the regional networks; librarians with experience in planning retrospective conversion projects; three authors of the "Issues in Retrospective Conversion (RECON) Report"; and Council on Library Resources (CLR) staff. This report of the meeting opens with a description and summary of the RECON Report and an exploration of its basic assumptions, followed by an outline of the retrospective conversion activities of the bibliographic utilities--WLN (Washington Library Network), RLG (Research Libraries Group), and OCLC (Online Computer Library Center)--and a discussion of RLAC (Research Library Advisory Committee of OCLC) RECON-related activities. Next, the RECON Report is critiqued by Richard De Gennaro and David Bishop and a three-member panel addresses the topic "What It Would Take to Make Things Happen." Recommendations for action resulting from four small group discussions are reported, refined by the entire group, and presented as a set of priorities for council action. Summaries of the recommendations and of the Meeting on Retrospective Conversion for Music Materials are included. A meeting agenda and a list of participants are appended. (THC)