ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews some of the typical pros and cons for building and buying software with particular attention to the implications for libraries. Writing specifications is a difficult and sometimes poorly understood process. To build or buy is the basic decision in general computer systems software planning. Making this decision has been a key to successful planning of business data processing since the mid-1960s. However, it is only within the last few years that it has become a true decision in most areas of bibliographic data processing. Good specifications should describe what want the system to do in as much detail as possible in primarily functional or user-oriented terms. In contrast, the possibility of buying software ready-made has a number of points in its favor. In general, it is much cheaper than building. It is simpler in the sense that the library need not become involved in the complexities of managing a software development effort.
