The library, teletext and the 1979 general election

On 4 May 1979 Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minster. For the first time general election results were disseminated by teletext. On the same day the use of a teletext receiver was observed in Belfast Public Library. This article indicates the behaviour of user groups, the range of information obtained and the problems users encountered, and ends with a brief analysis of the election day news broadcast by Ceefax and Oracle respectively. The need for further research in this area by librarians and information scientists is stressed.