To make appropriate decisions leading to improved learning opportunities, educational practitioners need the latest and best information. The Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) system was established to acquire, catalog, and store many different kinds of information in education and related fields. With the help of Federal funds, selected state and local educational agencies are providing access to this comprehensive knowledge base through establishment of educational information centers (EIC). The general purpose of this report is to provide an introduction to EIC operations, which are discussed in terms of objectives, processes, products, minimum equipment and facilities, funding levels, and staffing patterns. It is intended for the educator who is relatively inexperienced in technical information handling and transfer, but who is charged with planning for the establishing a document-based information system in education. (Author/SJ)