Book excerpt: The maturity of cd-rom technology now shows a dramatic change in the way librarians and teachers do their jobs. Among their biggest challenges are deciding on equipment requirements and managing the disk collection. This manual is an understandable step-by-step guide to making the most of cd-rom technology in schools and libraries--from the acquisition of workstations to purchasing and installing disks. Part 1 gives the nuts and bolts on designing your cd-rom system and developing acquisition strategies. Such topics as hardware requirements, furniture, financial planning, selection criteria, compatibility between systems, copyright issues, and licensing are covered here. Part 2 is a practical guide to managing the cd-rom system, including details on installation of the titles, maintaining hardware and software, and troubleshooting the system. Technical information is provided in Part 3, with information on such matters as configuring the workstations and installing cd-rom titles when the vendor-supplied program fails, and solving common problems associated with dos, Windows, and Macintosh systems.