Catalogues and reservation on minitel. Will videotex keep all its promises ?

For about fifteen years, the computerisation of many French public libraries has been realized by using integrated softwares, often French softwares in small and medium libraries and, most of the time, foreign softwares in more important establishments. Whatever the size of the libraries may be, the town councils have often encouraged the telematic management, whereas the professionals and their administrative supervisions were paying more attention to the compatibility of the formats. The setting up of the remote access to the catalogues associated to a service of reservations is related here : prejudices and choices are described in a municipal environment favourable to telematics, but handicapped by heavy technical problems ; a « product » and services can be found : they have now to prove their ability.
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