The functions of the Educational Reference Center described in this manual include the provision of comprehensive research and retrieval services and SDI in the area of education-related literature and resources, primarily for the professional staff of the Education Division of HEW, and technical assistance available to a variety of other clients. Also described are the resources available and procedures for requesting, processing, and executing a computer search, as well as manual searching using the ERIC tools. Training programs in both online and manual searching are outlined, and the kinds of orientation programs, demonstrations, and technical advice provided are indicated. Appendices include sample forms for processing computer searches, form letters, evaluation forms, statistics forms, and lists of 92 databases available for computer searching and 32 indexes available for manual searching. (JEG)