Examines the reference transaction in library and information science from the perspective of systems analysis, identifies 15 functional requirements of the process, proposes criteria to measure success, illustrates the process using four diagrams of the reference transaction, and suggests future research. (Author/LRW)

Presents a study of Archimedes as a HyperCard reference tool at the University of Michigan, and compares uses to similar projects. Results from studied points (i.e., system design and use statistics) support Archimedes: the system sees more use during reference hours when a librarian is unavailable, and user time is comparable to time spent with a…