Using a local area network in the Group Business Library of the Midland Group to provide a one‐stop reference point

Computers are an intrinsic part of the working environment at the Midland Bank's Group Business Library (GBL) and have been used by library staff for the past seven years for providing a business enquiry service to the Group in the UK and overseas. In order to support this busy enquiry service it is necessary to have a computerised subject catalogue to journals and publications. Journals are circulated to London‐based Head Office departments. Other services offered by the library are a specialised European service; outside borrowing of publications; advising other departments (especially on databases and CD‐ROMs). The search services used include Reuter Textline, Infocheck (Dun and Bradstreet), Dialog, DataStar and FT Profile. The library provides a back‐up service to the internal training courses on financial analysis, during which they train staff on external search services and on CD‐ROMs, such as Jordan's FAME.