In the late 1980s changes in the economics of computing led to the move away from computer systems shared between libraries to systems that were intended to provide a full range of integrated facilities at the local level. Reading University was anxious to take advantage of the improvements in service and efficiency that such systems provided. Since 1979 it had been a member of the SWALCAP library co‐operative, which provided shared cataloguing and circulation services. Ageing equipment was becoming increasingly unreliable and was unable to cope with the increasing number of terminals that were required. In 1987 the university made provision for the replacement of the shared systems by a new local system.