The Willings Press Guide CD‐ROM Worldwide (Willings 1999) is the first CD version of this publication. It contains both volumes 1 and 2 of the print version, covering both the UK and International, and contains over 57,000 entries on newspaper and periodical publications in over 220 countries. Information on publisher, contact names, ISSN numbers, subscription and advertising rates, and circulation data are provided for these entries. Wherever possible, each title has a summary of content and target audience to help the user locate precise titles. Extensive indexing and cross‐referencing allow the user to search by title, subject categories, or publisher.
This product was very easy to use and navigate through. The user has the choice from the opening screen to search either v. 1 (UK) or v. 2 (International excluding UK). Search screens for both volumes are exactly the same, and the user can move back and forth easily between volumes. This 125th edition is billed as the biggest selling, most reliable, most comprehensive, and best value in its area, largely recognized as the world’s leading international media directory. That this resource has finally been made available in CD‐ROM makes it much more usable and efficient for the user, who can have instant access to the information through a click of a button. I highly recommend this product to those who currently subscribe to it, as an alternative to the print version. The price, £255 versus £205 for the print version, is worth the automatic indexing and cross‐referencing.
