Argues that, because of its meteoric entrance into the library marketplace, too few institutions have reviewed the implications of CD-ROM before making their purchases. Issues that need to be considered are discussed, including funding, costs, equipment requirements, optimal locations for workstations, security and viruses, human resources, user…

Discussion of electronic information access in libraries focuses on five areas that impact quality and cost: (1) hardware, including networking, graphics, and full-text capabilities; (2) software; (3) access and utilization, including Internet and instruction and training; (4) licensing, including suggestions for publishers as well as librarians;…