Noting that telecommunications technology is making it possible to search library catalogs around the nation and the world via a modem and a personal computer, this paper highlights some of the reasons why a researcher would wish to search library catalogs through the Internet, which is a network of networks with connections to nearly 1,000 regional, government, and campus networks. The paper also discusses some of the problems that may be encountered by researchers who wish to use Internet to retrieve information, and describes efforts being made in the Northwestern University library's reference department to improve the existing documentation on Internet for its users. Outreach programs designed to increase faculty members' awareness and use of remote catalogs are also described. The paper concludes with a discussion of efforts being made on a national scale to extend the outreach of the Internet, which will promote the provision of information resources on existing networks and on proposed interconnected networks. (MAB)