This compilation consists of various letters and documents issued for public comment during 1986-1987 by the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI) of the U.S. Department of Education, during its examination of the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) system to determine any needed changes and improvements. This compilation includes only the material that was distributed for public comment. It does not include the minutes of meetings of advisory groups formed during 1986 to study ERIC, the background papers that were prepared to stimulate internal discussion, or the many letter reactions that were received from the field in response to these public announcements. The components of this package are: (1) "ERIC in Its Third Decade" (a statement of principles); (2) "Domains or Scope Areas to Be Included in the ERIC System"; and (3) "Summary of the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) Redesign" (an implementation paper). Appended to the third component are two position papers: (1) "Access ERIC" (including "ERIC Partners"), by John Collins; and (2) "Adjunct Clearinghouses," by Elizabeth Payer. Except insofar as they may be modified by further public comment or congressional action, it is OERI's intent to proceed to modify ERIC along the lines described in these documents. These changes involve: (1) Merging the Clearinghouses on Teacher Education and Counseling and Personnel Services into a "School Professionals" Clearinghouse; (2) Changing the names of seven Clearinghouses; (3) adding a Clearinghouse on "Education Statistics," to be located within the Center for Education Statistics (CES); (4) Initiating a new ERIC system component called "ACCESS ERIC" to concentrate on marketing, promotion, advertising, public relations, training, system-wide information analysis products, and liaison with other information systems; (5) Initiating a formal users' group to be called "ERIC Partners"; (6) Initiating a new kind of "Adjunct Clearinghouse" that will, at no cost to ERIC, acquire and process for ERIC the educational literature in the distinctive areas (e.g., art) in which their host organizations may have a special interest. (AA)