Assembled to aid educators and administrators in Scotland in selecting and applying appropriate information retrieval systems in learning resources centers, this collection contains an introductory essay and four articles on the characteristics and features of some basic information retrieval systems. The articles include (1) a discussion of the Optical Coincidence Coordinate Indexing (OCCI) system in use at the Stantonbury Campus, Milton Keynes; (2) a consideration of the information retrieval techniques selected for use at the Media Resources Center (MRC) of the Inner London Education Authority (ILEA); (3) an analysis of some alternatives for use with small collections, especially mechanically-sortable notched-edge cards; and (4) a description of the dictionary catalog subject headings and entry formats used to handle books and other materials at John Smeaton High School in Leeds, England. Each article is accompanied by a set of diagrams and illustrations. A 22-item bibliography and an index are attached. (JL)