Abstract: An autoloading apparatus for alternately, sequentially loading magnetic tape cartridges into and unloading them from an adjacent magnetic tape drive includes a vertically oriented tape cartridge chute for containing a manually stacked plurality of tape cartridges to be subsequently sequentially loaded by gravity into the tape drive, an unload storage enclosure for storing a plurality of tape cartridges removed by the autoloading apparatus from the magnetic tape drive, a cartridge unloading mechanism responsive to opening of the cartridge door of the magnetic tape drive and having a hook and cartridge sleeve arrangement for engaging and holding a cartridge resident in the magnetic tape drive and for retractably moving that cartridge to a position where it is released by gravity into the unloading storage enclosure, and a cartridge loading mechanism operative in alternating sequence with the cartridge unloading mechanism for controlling a hinged slide at the bottom of the tape cartridge chute for releasing the