POMONA, Calif., June 26, 1998 -- The Highlands Regional Library Cooperative, which administers resource sharing activities among 900 member libraries in northern New Jersey, has awarded a contract to Auto-Graphics Inc. to create and maintain a web-enabled database of holdings to serve four counties in the cooperative.

Creation of an online union catalog is the first phase of a long-term project that will "likely lead to an automated interlibrary loan system" for hundreds of public, school, academic, corporate and institutional libraries in Hunterdon, Somerset, Sussex and Warren counties, according to Marsha Lubansky, Highlands' project coordinator.

"The database is the first step that enables a number of potential new services to patrons and library staffs using the Internet as a network backbone," Lubansky said. "Meanwhile, the project will provide a shared catalog resource for many libraries that up to now have used unconnected, standalone systems."

More than 1 million unique bibliographic records will be captured by Auto-Graphics into the newly-named HI-FILE database, which is compliant with Z39.50 standards. The Highlands cooperative, based in Chester, N.J., is funding the project with state grants.

Company Information

Founded in 1950, Auto-Graphics Inc. (OTC:AUGR) provides information publishing and database resource sharing systems to the publishing and library communities. The company's web site is located at www.auto-graphics.com.