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Discusses the policy of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University at Blacksburg to publish graduate students' master theses and doctoral dissertations on the World Wide Web. Criticism of the policy; The school's economic reasons for the policy; The effect on students should they seek traditional publishing opportunities.

This article presents information on the Online Librarian of Vienna, Virginia-based Quantum Computer Services. Dean DeBolt, special collections librarian for the University of West Florida, goes home at night to his family and to reference questions that strangers have sent to his personal computer (PC). DeBolt is the online librarian for Quantum Computer Services. It all started after DeBolt purchased a Commodore and educational software for his daughter. To get the most from his PC he hooked up to Quantum's information service called Q-Link, and while it provided adequate services for his needs, it occurred to him that other users might find a great deal of help in having access to an online library reference desk. He proposed to Quantum that such a service be made available and that he would be the reference librarian. Quantum gave him the approval and the Online Librarian was born. As of April 1989, the online national network is run from 6 o'clock in the evening to 7 o'clock in the morning local time in all U.S. zones and is accessible through TYMNET or TELENET. DeBolt says he averages ten questions for addresses of companies to help in locating the author or title of a book.