Abstract
More than 3,000 machine-readable data bases exist and are available to the public through microcomputer and modem. Data bases are topical in nature. For the optical engineer and his or her company, information needs fall into one of three categories: technology, products, and company/industry data. Each category is examined, and examples of what can be obtained are shown. Machine-readable (online) data-base use offers two principal benefits; one benefit is the selection of information that can be found in a single library. Second, computer searching provides precision and speed that is not possible manually. The use of online data bases has long been the domain of the corporate or research librarian, but engineers are among the largest population of new users. New methods and technologies, including artificial intelligence, are being created to accommodate the influx of new users. This paper examines some of the changes in methodology.
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