On-line intergrated library system: bibliographic access and control system of Washington University School of Medicine

The on-line integrated library system is a relatively simple and logical concept. The perception that many library functions can be incorporated within one system, using a single data base, has led a number of practitioners to independently develop such systems. This paper describes the Bibliographic Access and Control System (BACS), developed by the Washington University School of Medicine Library, and identifies some of the underlying principles, components, and capabilities of this system from the vantage point of operational experience over one year.