The merits and demerits of digital books and digital journals are discussed in connection with the future of services in special libraries. It is concluded that special libraries will have to take part in what the author calls the “front-end functions of digital libraries, ” namely, supporting the technological and organizational environment of the user's network access, network reference service, and possibly, protecting the privacy and security of usage.

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This article explains the historical aspects of and outlines the G7/GII plan and America's NII/HPCC program. Also discussed are the history, on-going national plans and advancements in the information infrastructure policy of Japan. It is pointed out that Japan's budget policy from fiscal 1993 is particularly important.

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Authors of medical articles should recognize how the articles are to be read and utilized by readers. Currently, an enormous number of medical articles are produced yearly, but the quality of these articles has been scrutinized and commented on. The quality of medical articles, especially those articles regarding adverse drug reactions, could be improved by providing a diagramme of patients' records, because published case reports on adverse drug reactions are a very important source for pharmaceutical industries, and contribute to the drug safety profiles of corresponding drugs. Therefore, it should be stressed that a diagramme of clinical course be generated and included in each case report regarding adverse drug reactions.

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