LOCIS: The Library of Congress Information System Until recent decades, library service for blind and visually impaired readers was provided almost exclusively by the National Library Service of the Library of Congress. Through its network of regional libraries, NLS has provided books and magazines in braille for over half a decade; recorded format publications, or Talking Books, were made available as early as 1934, and quickly became a popular mode of reading for blind as well as physically challenged people. Until now, the inventory of NLS holdings was listed in a rather cumbersome microfiche catalog; updated quarterly, this catalog was made available to readers in NLS regional and branch libraries. An online database, BLND, provides access to more recently produced or acquired accessible format publications; a CD- ROM version of the National Library Service's catalog of publications has recently been completed, and is being distributed to NLS regional and branch libraries as this article goes to press. A number of technological breakthroughs, notably synthetic speech and optical character recognition (scanner) technology, have increased many disabled readers' options in terms of materials they can use independently. Relatively new text forms, such as electronic journals, full text databases, and computerised library catalogs, have begun to pave the way toward full independent access to the materials and services offered by all kinds of libraries. While considerable progress has been made toward full integration of people with disabilities into the mainstream library community, the National Library Service continues to play an important role in library service to readers with disabilities. With the introduction of LOCIS, the Library of Congress Information System, readers can independently search the catalog of the NLS. Librarians in all kinds of institutions can similarly provide a new level of referral service, identifying desired publications in accessible formats for their patrons with visual and/or learning disabilities. Before going into specific features of LOCIS, I will briefly describe the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped as well as Recordings for the Blind, the nation's largest producer of educational texts for blind, visually impaired and learning disabled readers. Like NLS, holdings of Recordings for the Blind are available for the first time to librarians and readers through LOCIS's Braille and Audio database. NLS AND RFB: COLLECTIONS AND SERVICES As noted above, the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped provides books and magazines on loan through its network of regional and branch libraries. Materials are mailed, postage free, to patrons registered for NLS service; readers return materials through postage free mail to their branch or regional library or to the National Library Service at the Library of Congress. Fiction comprises the bulk of NLS collections of braille and recorded format texts. Approximately 500 braille titles are added annually to the NLS inventory of accessible publications while the NLS stock of audio format publications increases at a rate of approximately 2,600 items per year. While English language holdings comprise the majority of NLS offerings, some titles are produced in English, French and other foreign languages. Basically, the NLS should be regarded as a national public library for the blind and physically handicapped. Educational materials, textbooks and the like, are expressly not published by the NLS; production of educational materials in accessible formats is handled by Recordings for the Blind, whose holdings are also represented in LOCIS. Recordings for the Blind (RFB) is a not-for-profit organization which provides educational materials - primarily textbooks - in recorded formats for disabled readers registered for service. RFB maintains a library of tapes, which can be duplicated upon request; items which have not yet been produced in recorded formats may be taped upon request. RFB's own catalog has also recently been made available via internet, and will be the subject of an article in this column in the very near future. Individuals registered for service may request information by telephoning RFB at 800-221-4792. LOCIS Available at the internet address LOCIS.LOC.GOV (140.147.254.3), LOCIS is the online catalog of the Library of Congress. In addition to the traditional online catalog portion of the system, LOCIS offers five database choices: Federal Legislation, Copyright Information, Braille and Audio, Organizations, and Foreign Law (see figure 1) . While this article has as its focus item 4, the Braille and Audio file, it should be noted that all six files can be used independently by blind and visually impaired readers who have access to a computer with synthetic speech, braille or other computer adaptation. Similarly, low vision readers can benefit from all six databases through the use of large print screen reading hardware and/or software. As of this writing, the Braille and Audio publications file contains 156,927 records. In addition to the main publications file, LOCIS's Braille and Audio Catalog provides access to "In Process" publications. The latter feature is increasingly important to users who have the option of creating their own accessible format texts. The owner of a braille printer, for example, might check here before beginning to produce a personal copy of a book; the reader who uses recorded format texts might similarly wait until an item discovered to be "in production" is available through the NLS, using the assistance of a reader (human or electronic) for the conversion of items which probably will not become available through conventional library sources. SEARCHING LOCIS When the braille and audio file is chosen (selection #4 on the main menu), the reader is presented with another choice; she or he may select the actual NLS catalog of publications, or the Publications in Process file. Once a file is selected, the searcher is presented with a list of options which, to the experienced database searcher, will appear fairly straightforward. Primary commands available include the "find," "browse," and "retrieve" options. Executing the search command "Find Shakespeare, William" will place readers within a list of headings as illustrated in figure 1. Note that the primary entry, B06, represents the major set of items by or about William Shakespeare. The number of both title and subject entries are listed in parentheses after the entry. Our search for works by or about William Shakespeare is straightforward enough. Searching for items by topical subject, however, is a little more difficult, and may be particularly difficult for the visually impaired library user who has little experience with online or traditional card catalogs. In order to identify works on art history, for example, the user must enter the command "Find art--history;" many users will undoubtedly enter commands in the form "Find art history," only to find that there are no works devoted to this subject. Presumably, bibliographic instruction in the use of this and other online systems will be necessary. In order to view the contents of a particular set, identified with a "B" as in our "B06" set for William Shakespeare, the searcher uses the "retrieve" command in the following way: Retrieve B6 or, simply, R B6. Items appear in Library of Congress control number (ascending) order; this will probably not be relevant to the typical searcher, nor is it particularly apparent to the user who normally expects alphabetical lists by author in such a display. At any point in his or her use of the system, searchers can use the "history" command to retrieve a list of sets selected during the session. Sets can be combined, or limited in ways too numerous to discuss in detail here. SAVING RESULTS OF SEARCHES This reviewer had some problems saving search results on disk, and had to use the "Print Screen" option in order to print results. Using both PROCOMM and BITCOM communications software, disk copies of LOCIS screens lost all formatting; a list of citations, for example, appears as one continuous stream of text. This, coupled with the appearance of control characters, made downloaded screens virtually illegible. The production of accessible output, i.e., braille or large print versions of LOCIS screens, would require extensive time and effort in the reformatting of downloaded search screens. DOCUMENTATION AND ONLINE HELP SCREENS LOCIS plans to provide three levels of assistance to the user: Online help screens, In-depth online information regarding all aspects of the database, and, finally, formal documentation (WordPerfect and Apple versions) which can be retrieve via FTP. As of this writing, no help screens are available to the searcher of the audio and braille files. From the main menu, however, searchers can select option 7, "Searching Hours and Basics," and receive a concise list of available commands with examples of their use. From within the Audio and Braille file, extensive descriptions of all available commands are provided when the SHOW COMMANDS instruction is given. The documentation provided here is quite extensive, clearly written and well illustrated with examples. Novice users can gain a basic understanding of everything from major commands to advanced search options with these well-organized menu driven online instructions. Two searching aids are available via file transfer (FTP): The Locis Quick Search Guide and the LOCIS Reference Manual. Macintosh and WordPerfect versions of the 30 page Quick Search Guide can be placed in a flipchart and located near catalog workstations. The Quick Search Guide can be retrieved via anonymous FTP at the internet location seq1.loc.gov in /pub/LC.Online. The more extensive LOCIS Reference Manual comprises approximately 200 pages of detailed information, including fields indexed, display options, advanced limiting features, etc. This manual is available via anonymous FTP at the same address indicated for the Quick Search Guide: seq1.loc.gov; look in /pub/LC.Online. The availability of formal documentation in machine readable format is a great boon to the community of library users with disabilities. Librarians and educators can make this computerised documentation available to their users in any number of ways. For the low vision reader, a large print version can easily be produced by anyone with a laser printer. For blind and visually impaired users, a hardcopy braille version might be kept in reference areas and made available to LOCIS searchers. Libraries with access to computers with synthetic speech can utilize the documents as they are retrieved via FTP -- that is, using their screen reading hardware and software and either WordPerfect of Apple wordprocessing software. Print copies of all LOCIS documentation will be available from the Library of Congress's Cataloging Distribution Service sometime during the summer of 1993; orders may be placed with CDS at 202-707-6100 (fax: 202-707-1334). CONCLUSION The introduction of LOCIS and other databases providing independent access to bibliographic information on accessible format texts will greatly facilitate the trend toward mainstreaming disabled users into the mainstream library community. While the bulk of our national publishing output continues to be available in print form only, many readers use a number of media, and will surely appreciate their newfound ability to search for materials independently. Further, providing internet access to its holdings will undoubtedly serve to integrate NLS into the larger library community. Many disabled users of academic and public libraries are also patrons of NLS and RFB, and librarians in all kinds of libraries can now better assist their patrons with special needs in the identification and selection of materials in their preferred formats. Figure 1. LOCIS MAIN MENU L O C I S : LIBRARY OF CONGRESS INFORMATION SYSTEM 1 Library of Congress Catalog 4 Braille and Audio 2 Federal Legislation 5 Organizations 3 Copyright Information 6 Foreign Law 7 Searching Hours and Basics 8 Documentation and Classes 9 Library of Congress General Information 12 Comments and Logoff Figure 2. Items Retrieved by Search Statement FIND SHAKESPEARE, WILLIAM FILE: BPHP Terms alphabetically close to: SHAKESPEARE, WILLIAM B01 Shakespeare wallah//(TITL=1) B02 Shakespeare wisdom and wit//(TITL=1) B03 Shakespeare without tears//(TITL=1) B04 Shakespeare, a biography//(TITL=1) B05 Shakespeare, the man and his achievement//(TITL=1) B06+Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616--//(AUTH=224; SUBJ=131) B07 Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616. Antony and Cleop//(SUBJ=3) B08 Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616. As you like it//(SUBJ=1) B09 Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616. Hamlet--//(SUBJ=4) B10 Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616. Julius Caesar//(SUBJ=1) B11 Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616. King Henry IV//(SUBJ=1) B12 Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616. King Lear--//(SUBJ=3)