As the COVID-19 pandemic became widespread in early 2020, people around the world felt scared, confused, and at a loss for how to help their fellow humans. Suddenly, young and old alike needed to understand the science of virology and how to protect themselves and others, while the world's scientific understanding of the specific COVID-19 virus…

Discusses efforts to provide new services that publish information more rapidly, provide faster/easier access to information already published, and package information in forms that are used more easily and efficiently. Considers primary information, electronic publishing (including benefits/problems), secondary (indexing/abstracting) information…

Stresses providing reliable, factual information directly to users. Describes classes of data, the need for good data, quality control of databases, the electronic revolution in data dissemination, systematic cooperation to reduce costs of developing online services and of creating data bases, and trends in data dissemination. (JN)