Oxford English Dictionary: CD‐ROM and Second Edition

This article is not intended to provide an exhaustive history of the Oxford English Dictionary nor does it delve into such technical aspects of the CD‐ROM format as installation and hardware specifications. Instead, this article examines the advantages and problems of electronic access to the Dictionary through the medium of CD‐ROM, as well as public service implications within the context of a reference department in a research‐oriented library. In addition, the article describes the merits of the second edition of the Oxford English Dictionary, which was published in Spring of 1989.