All About ERIC
What Is ERIC?
The Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) is a federally funded, nationwide
information network designed to provide you with ready access to education literature.
At the heart of ERIC is the largest education database in the world-containing more
than 1 million records of journal articles, research reports, curriculum and
teaching guides, conference papers, and books. Each year approximately 32,000 new records
are added.
ERIC is accessible to everyone who needs it: by mail, toll-free phone numbers, fax, e-mail, and the Internet.
Thousands of libraries around the world offer access to the ERIC database,
the ERIC micro-fiche collection, and various ERIC publications.
The ERIC system is part of the U.S. Department of Education's National Library of Education
and consists of 16 subject-specific clearinghouses, 9 adjunct clearinghouses, 1 affiliate clearinghouse, and
additional support components.
The ERIC Clearinghouses collect, abstract, and index education materials for the ERIC database;
respond to requests for information in their subject areas; and produce special publications on current research,
programs, and practices.
The ERIC Processing and Reference Facility is the technical hub of the ERIC system. It produces and
maintains the ERIC database and support products for the ERIC system.
The ERIC Document Reproduction
Service (EDRS) produces and sells electronic, paper and microfiche copies of
documents listed in the ERIC database.
ACCESS ERIC coordinates
ERIC's outreach, dissemination, and marketing activities; develops
systemwide ERIC publications; and
provides general reference and referral services.
This publication will help you understand how you can use the resources available
from ERIC to meet your needs.
Who Uses ERIC?
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Teachers use ERIC to find research and explore best practice ideas in
areas such as teaching with technology, professional development, and lesson plans. |
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Students use ERIC to gather information on education-related topics for
graduate and undergraduate course requirements. |
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Principals turn to ERIC for practical information on topics such as class size,
school vouchers, school leadership, school safety, and whole-school reform. |
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Parents use ERIC to get overviews of current issues that may affect their
children's education, such as developmental issues, how to help children with school trasition,
and helping disabled or gifted children. |
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ERIC is also used by:
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Administrators |
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School board memebers |
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Researchers |
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Professors |
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Librarians and information specialists |
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Journalists |
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School psychologists, counselors, and other education professionals |
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A Word About the National Library of Education
ERIC is administered by the National Library of Education (NLE)-the largest federally
funded library in the world devoted solely to education. NLE serves as the hub of a national
network of libraries, archives, and other information providers in the field of education. NLE uses
modern technology to link partners in diverse locations with the goal of creating a virtual library, serving
as a one-stop information center for customers seeking high-quality education information.
As the federal government's main resource center for education information, NLE
provides three types of services:
Reference and referral
Collection and technical services
Resource sharing
The physical collection at NLE includes microfiche collections; CD-ROM databases; and a vast
collection of printed resources, including more than 100,000 books and 850 periodical subscriptions. The
services provided by NLE include a telephone reference service, specialized subject searches, electronic
database search and retrieval, document delivery, bibliographic instruction, training services, interlibrary loans,
legislative reference services, and selective information dissemination.
NLE is located in the main U.S. Department of Education building in Washington, D.C., near the Mall
across from the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum. This location provides convenient access for walk-in patrons.
For more information, contact NLE at:
National Library of Education
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202-5721
Toll Free: (800) 424-1616
Phone: (202) 205-5015
TTY: (202) 205-7561
Fax: (202) 401-0552
E-mail: library@ed.gov
Web: http://www.ed.gov/NLE
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 Table of Contents
 The ERIC Database
This page was updated on Fri Nov 2 19:13:41 GMT 2001
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