no "next-generation" system has ever been successfully installed at a major university. The Taos system is already installed and functional at many smaller libraries.

The UCLA library has a database of approximately four million records. Even this number is far below Harvard's needs.

Robinson said Harvard's current bibliographic records are around nine million, but they grow by a rate of 200,000 per year. The original HOLLIS II plan called for a system that could handle 10 million records, so it could be used for at least 10 years.

"We've been looking at other options all along, there are just no strong alternatives," Robinson said.

Students and librarians, meanwhile, don't seem to be in any hurry to replace HOLLIS with something newer.

"I don't know how it would be better. I like [HOLLIS]. Actually, I've never had any problems," said Jesse F. Goldman '00.

"I can usually find what I'm looking for, usually in conjunction with Hollis Plus," said Alisha H. Creel '02.

And librarians said they appreciated HOLLIS's speed and the fact that it was custom-designed especially for Harvard.