Argues that users' needs should play a more prominent role in the design or choice of an online catalog in a specific library, and outlines requirements which enhance ease of use. Areas discussed include operational control, search formulation control, access points, output control, user assistance, and hardware requirements. (nine references)…

Discussion of personal bibliographic systems (PBS) that manage the input, storage, retrieval, and output of bibliographic references focuses on low-cost mainstream bibliographic software for personal use or smaller libraries. Structural flexibility, indexes, printing and downloading, searching, and interface- and management-related issues are…

Describes an evaluation project in which King's College Library acted as a test site for the OCLC version of ERIC on CD-ROM. The description covers the provision of equipment, software, accompanying literature, and assessment questionnaires, as well as characteristics of the system and search facilities. Results discussed include user reaction and…