Online News Retrieval Systems: Evaluations and Library Applications Available to Purchase

Developments in the technology of electronic transmission of information are rapidly transforming the tools available to the general public for gathering information about current events. Direct access to news and retrieval of bibliographic information pertaining to traditional printed news sources are a daily reality for a growing number of individuals, on the job, at home, through personal computer terminals or at libraries. The purpose of this paper is to examine the characteristics of electronic databases providing access to news, as well as applications of these tools to various library settings.