In Part 1 of the paper, the problems a would‐be user faces in accessing the contents of machine stored bibliographic databases are assessed; the online search services solve part of the difficulty, but become part of the problem; current training techniques are summarized and evaluated, and ways of improving training are suggested. In Part 2 of the paper, a new training program is described, the Hands on online multisystem multidatabase trainer, which delivers the training to the home terminal of the trainee, and in which emulations of bibliographic retrieval systems are provided that accept commands, search files, provide messages and displays to mimic the operational services, and in which the user trainee can develop the same skills he would learn in the ‘real’ system. The program has optionally available practice and instructional modules that guide the user in the protocols of telecommunication services, computer log in, file selection, search term negotiation, logical statement structure, interpretation of system messages and displays, and formatting of output from the search. The program can be used as needed with either the emulators or the online system itself. Training and design goals are detailed; namely the use and availability of the trainer outside the university, experience, use, evaluation of the training, extension and future development.
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