The Association of Information Dissemination Centers (ASIDIC) formed the Cooperative Data Management Committee to address the problems of information center operators and data base suppliers. The number of operating centers in the U.S. is limited and their future expansion in numbers and in type of services, will depend on the education of users. Users must be trained in the new information sources and techniques and in the necessity of paying for information. Uniform data bases are essential and standards must be set for suppliers to reduce processing and conversion costs, and insure greater utilization of available data bases. The sharing of resources through a network, the repackaging of data, creation of merged data bases, creation of retrospective files, creation of personal files from data bases and distribution on nonstandard media are considerations being entertained by centers which could seriously affect data suppliers. (AB)