An experimental program placed computer terminals in four San Francisco Bay Area public libraries to be used to provide on-line computer search services to library patrons. The first few months of operation of the experiment showed that there was a significant impact on the participating libraries, on the library patrons, and on the community and society at large. Among the observations made of the program were that: providing computer search services is going to cost the library more than just the cost of the computer time used, that librarians must learn new skills to be effective searchers, that search services require a high degree of interlibrary cooperation and communication, that many of the clients for these services will be people who would not ordinarily use public libraries, and the community will develop an increasing awareness of the power of information. (JY)