As with many technology projects, there is no guarantee that the various components will actually work until the project is fully implemented. Successful and full implementation of this technology plan may require commitments of human and financial resources beyond those mentioned in this report. One way of meeting these challenges is by planning. Almost every library, no matter the size, has an almanac and encyclopedia. In the near future, library constituents will expect their libraries to provide online catalogs and access to the Internet.
Strategic plans drive the budget.
Technology will have an impact on budgets. Politicians and taxpayers want to know where their tax dollars are going and what services they can expect from the library in return for these funds. New York State Department of Education and the NYS Library Development Team have set a goal of every library in the state designated as an Electronic Doorway Library. Two additional libraries are expected to receive this designation in May 1997. However, there are thirteen libraries that fail to meet the basic EDL requirements because they do not have a plan for converting their holdings into machine-readable records, and they do not have online public access catalogs allowing patrons direct access to NlOGA's database.