Discusses the contemporary antagonism between the information seeker and the highly technological information storage systems. Arguments are concerned with the price, availability, and response time of various retrieval methods, ranging from the card catalog to the computer, in addition to the user's problems with the more complex systems. (JVP)

Briefly surveys the background of interpersonal communication to consider the nature of the communication dyad represented by information seeker and librarian and explores the phenomenon of users' needs and their expression, specific question clarification principles, and research methodologies that have been used to study this area. Fifty-six…