The use of Prestel in libraries on Budget Day

The paper describes a study carried out on Budget Day, 10 March 1981. The behaviour of user groups and the problems encountered in accessing viewdata were observed in four different libraries. Attitudes of library staff to the service were collected and the Budget News presented by various Information Providers (IPs) was analysed. The findings of the research are discussed. The paper focuses on the changes viewdata has initiated in library organization and in the working practices of librarians, the patterns of user behaviour and the particular ways in which news is structured by different IPs. The role of libraries in promoting viewdata is considered. Variations in methods of presentation by six IPs are discussed.