Public Access Microcomputer Laboratories in Libraries: A Small Academic Library Experience.

This article describes a microcomputer laboratory implementation project at a small college library in the U.S. The library established its public access microcomputer laboratory in 1988 by purchasing four used Texas Instrument Professional Microcomputers from the college's Academic Computing Center at a very good price. Right from the beginning, the library had made a deliberate decision to keep this project as simple as possible, and word processing would be the only function provided by this laboratory and assistance would not be offered beyond showing users how to turn on equipment or change printer paper. However, librarians soon found out that the majority of users regardless of their level of microcomputer backgrounds, needed additional assistance at some point.