Online search and retrieval systems were developed in the 1960s and became available for public use in the 1970s. Their growth, both in terms of the number of databases available and the number of searches performed, has been little short of spectacular. The literature about online searching has also expanded at a seemingly ever-increasing rate. A number of journals, database directories, and other serials devoted entirely to online information systems are published regularly. Online search services are available in practically all research libraries, industrial libraries, and in some public libraries. Schools of library and information science teach the art and practice of online searching as an adjunct to basic reference courses. This book is the latest of many textbooks designed to provide library school students and others with “An Introduction to Online Searching.”

With such a large amount of literature already available, it is reasonable to ask, “What is unique about this book; what are its advantages?” Certainly, this is a new book, and being recent has some advantages. Li also benefited from being able to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of other introductory texts and of being able to test his approach in classes at the Rosary College of Library and Information Science.

The book is divided into two parts. Part One contains introductory material about the development and special features of online searching using either a controlled vocabulary of index terms or free-text. Also included in the introduction is information about different types of databases and database vendors, and the impact of these services on library operations.

The basic procedures of online searching are described in Part Two. Information is provided on how to logon, to search, to format the results, and to logoff using DIALOG, SDC ORBIT, and BRS, the three major vendors of bibliographic databases. Next there follow three chapters, one each on Basic DIALOG Searching, Basic SDC ORBIT Searching, and Basic BRS Searching. These three chapters constitute the heart of the book and its unique aspects. What the author has done is to take the manuals provided by these search services and to rearrange them into a standard form that emphasizes their compatibility. Numerous examples are used and the discussion is clear and easy to follow. There is also a chapter on the basics of CompuServe, the Source and Dow Jones Searching. The book concludes with a discussion on the use of microcomputers for searching and downloading, and a plea for more standardization. The book achieves its purpose of providing a simplified introduction to online searching for the novice.