System for selecting drive replacement and opening information transmission path after replacement permission of the selected drive is granted

摘要

An information managing apparatus for providing an external apparatus with requested information in response to an instruction from the external apparatus and/or recording information has an accommodation unit for accommodating recording media, a plurality of replaceable drives for recording and/or reproducing information onto and/or from the recording media, and a transfer means for taking out a desired recording medium from the accommodation unit and transferring it to a selected one of the drives. One of manipulation means is manipulated to select a drive as a subject of replacement. A control means opens an information transmission path between the selected drive and the external apparatus. After confirming the opening of the information transmission path, the control means causes a display means to display a message to the effect that the replacement of the drive concerned has been permitted.