Library USA

CHALLENGE

GREATNESS

The United States Pavilion at the 1964-1965 New York World's Fair presents an exhibition dedicated to the spirit of the American people, reflecting the courage and determination that made possible the nation's past great achievements and underscoring the major challenges that face the American people today. Exhibits deal with vital subjects: economic growth and development, urban renewal, health, education, creativity, scientific research and discovery, the world community and outer space. The exhibition gives emphasis to the opportunity, defined by President Johnson, "to move not only toward the rich society and the powerful society, but upward to the Great Society."

This personalized folio, prepared especially for you by the American Library Association, is symbolic of the continuing challenge to increase each person's free access to sources of information.

NEW YORK WORLD'S FAIR 1964-1965

An important library information service of the future is being demonstrated here today. Data stored in this 490 Real-Time Computer may be request from, transmitted to and printed at any location in the country -- or throughout the world -- where data transmission facilities are available.

DESCRIPTION OF LIBRARY/U.S.A.

LIBRARY/U.S.A. IS THE INFORMATION CENTER FOR THE UNITED STATES PAVILION. IT IS SPONSORED BY THE AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION TO ACQUAINT YOU WITH THE INDISPENSABLE NATURE OF LIBRARIES AS A NATIONAL RESOURCE. LIBRARIANS ON DUTY ARE PREPARED TO ANSWER ANY QUESTION YOU MAY ASK. A UNIVAC COMPUTER AIDS THEM IN RESPONDING TO QUESTIONS ABOUT THE EXHIBITS IN THE U.S. PAVILION. REFERENCE BOOKS ARE USED TO LOCATE INFORMATION ON ALL OTHER SUBJECTS.

FOR YOUR BROWSING PLEASURE, LIBRARY/U.S.A. FEATURES A REPRESENTATIVE COLLECTION OF BOOKS MIRRORING THE SELECTIONS MADE RECENTLY FOR THE PRESIDENT'S LIBRARY AT THE WHITE HOUSE. ALSO, A MODERN CHILDREN'S LIBRARY DISPLAYS THE LATEST IN LIBRARY SERVICE FOR CHILDREN. YOUNG ADULTS MAY 'DIAL-A-BOOK' TO HEAR ONE MINUTE REVIEWS OF OLD FAVORITES AND NEW BOOKS. TINY TOTS WILL ENJOY STORYTELLING AND MOVIES IN THE CHILDREN'S WORLD THEATER.

ROLE OF THE COMPUTER

THE PURPOSE OF THE COMPUTER IN LIBRARY/U.S.A. IS TO DEMONSTRATE HOW MACHINE STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL OF INFORMATION MAY IN TIME SUPPLEMENT CONVENTIONAL LIBRARY REFERENCE ACTIVITY.

VISIBLE TO YOU IN THE GLASS ENCLOSED ROOM IS THE UNIVAC 490 REAL-TIME COMPUTER. IT CONTAINS THE INFORMATION STORAGE DEVICES AND COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT NEEDED TO RESPOND TO YOUR REQUEST. THE DATA FOR ALL LIBRARY/U.S.A. APPLICATIONS IS STORED ON A MAGNETIC DRUM CALLED FASTRAND. THE FASTRAND DRUM REVOLVES CONTINUALLY AT HIGH SPEED AND THE AVERAGE TIME REQUIRED TO FIND INFORMATION ON IT IS MEASURED IN THOUSANDTHS OF A SECOND.

THE UNISET IS THE INPUT DEVICE USED BY THE LIBRARIAN TO ENTER YOUR REQUEST INTO THE SYSTEM. THERE IS A UNISET STATIONED AT EACH OF THE SIX LIBRARY/U.S.A. REFERENCE DESKS AND EACH TRANSMITS THE REQUEST TO THE COMPUTER OVER A CABLE LINE.

WHEN THE COMPUTER RECEIVES THE INPUT REQUEST, IT COMPOSES A RESPONSE AUTOMATICALLY BY EXTRACTING SELECTIONS OF DATA FROM THE FASTRAND DRUM AND COMMUNICATES IT TO THE HIGH SPEED PRINTER LOCATED BEHIND THE LIBRARIAN. BY THESE MEANS MORE THAN 1,200 WORDS CAN BE PRINTED IN LESS THAN FOUR SECONDS AFTER THE LIBRARIAN INITIATES THE REQUEST ON THE UNISET.

THE UNIVAC 490 REAL-TIME COMPUTER POSSESSES POWERFUL COMMUNICATION CAPABILITIES AND MAY BE CONNECTED TO OTHER COMPUTERS OR DATA TRANSMITTING DEVICES ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD WHERE DATA TRANSMISSION LINES ARE AVAILABLE. BY DIALING THROUGH DATA-PHONE CONNECTIONS. FOR EXAMPLE, A REQUESTER IN LOS ANGELES MAY OBTAIN INFORMATION FROM LIBRARY/U.S.A. IN NEW YORK. LAST YEAR THIS WAS DEMONSTRATED BY UNIVAC WITH COMPUTERS LOCATED IN ST. LOUIS, NEW ORLEANS, AND WASHINGTON, D.C. IN ADDITION. THIS YEAR ANY NATION-WIDE TELETYPEWRITER MACHINE WILL BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE DIRECTLY WITH THE UNIVAC 490 AT LIBRARY/U.S.A.

AN IMPORTANT FEATURE OF THE UNIVAC 490 REAL-TIME COMPUTER IS ITS ABILITY TO CONCURRENTLY PROCESS SEPARATE REQUESTS INITIATED FROM DIFFERENT REMOTE POINTS AT THE SAME TIME. THIS FEATURE COMBINED WITH THE COMPUTER'S HIGH SPEED, MEASURED IN MILLIONTHS OF A SECOND, ALLOWS THE LIBRARIAN AT LIBRARY/U.S.A. TO RESPOND TO YOUR REQUEST EFFICIENTLY AND INDEPENDENTLY OF ALL OTHER INQUIRIES.

INFORMATION ON 75 DIFFERENT TOPICS TREATED IN THE U.S. PAVILION EXHIBITS IS STORED IN THE COMPUTER'S FASTRAND MEMORY. YOU MAY ASK FOR INFORMATION OF THREE DIFFERENT KINDS:

ESSAYS. ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA EDITORS WROTE ORIGINAL ESSAYS FOR ADULTS AND FOR CHILDREN. THE ADULT ESSAYS WERE THEN TRANSLATED INTO GERMAN, FRENCH AND SPANISH.
READING LISTS. TO SUPPLEMENT THE ESSAYS, TWENTY DIFFERENT LIBRARIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY PREPARED LISTS OF BOOKS AT FIVE LEVELS. TITLES OF BOOKS WERE CAREFULLY SELECTED AND ARE PROBABLY AVAILABLE IN YOUR HOME TOWN LIBRARY.
MAGAZINE ARTICLES. THROUGH THE COURTESY OF THE H.W. WILSON COMPANY, A CURRENT INDEX TO SELECTED ARTICLES FROM 18 POPULAR MAGAZINES IS STORED IN THE COMPUTER. NEW ARTICLES ARE ENTERED INTO THE MACHINE REGULARLY SO THAT THE COMPUTER'S MEMORY ALWAYS HAS THE MOST UP TO DATE LISTINGS OF ARTICLES RELATED TO THE VARIOUS U.S. PAVILION EXHIBITS. THROUGH THE UNISET, THE LIBRARIAN MAY REQUEST LISTS OF ARTICLES IN COMBINATION TO SUIT YOUR INTERESTS.

THE AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION ACKNOWLEDGES SUPPORT RECEIVED FROM ITS PRINCIPAL SPONSORS -UNIVAC DIVISION OF SPERRY RAND CORP., ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA, WORLD BOOK ENCYCLOPEDIA, BRO-DART INDUSTRIES, EASTMAN KODAK CO., H.W. WILSON CO., FORDHAM EQUIPMENT CO., AMERICAN TELEPHONE & TELEGRAPH CO., THE COUNCIL ON LIBRARY RESOURCES, INC., AND THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION. THE GENEROUS COOPERATION OF AMERICAN AND FOREIGN BOOK PUBLISHERS IS GREATLY APPRECIATED.