The value of convenient picture management has been appreciated for many years, and many useful books and articles have been written on the subject. However, the advent of an electronic means of managing pictures and 'images' has drastically changed and improved the possibilities for such management.

The rapidly falling costs of the technology means that electronic image management is now within the sights of most libraries, art galleries and museums, and is being considered by many organisations new to the field. This book aims to explain the astonishing progress, increasing complexity, and the pervasive jargon of the technology, and is aimed at those with some but not a detailed knowledge of information technology.

It is hoped that armed with information on the current state of technology and its implications, the potential buyer and user of picture management equipment will face these decisions with confidence, and therefore manage images more successfully.