Intended to identify essential skills for academics and students as our society comes to depend increasingly on electronic text, and to decide how, when, and where these skills should be taught, this paper begins by discussing the tools of electronic information processing, i.e., telecommunications, computers, and software. A summary of the skills needed for the traditional printed-text environment, including the encoding and decoding of printed information, is followed by a discussion of the skills necessary for an electronic-text environment. These include finding, manipulating, and scanning electronic text, as well as word processing, touch typing, and use of outline processors or idea organizers. The ability of software to transform information into new forms and the skills required for collaborative writing, distribution of electronic text, utilization of specific programs, and programming are then considered. Issues for college administrators and faculty are also identified: (1) identification of essential information literacy skills; (2) teaching information-handling skills; (3) norms and ethics of shared or collaborative text; and (4) the cost of hardware, software, and training. The suggested research agenda that concludes this report calls for documentation of usage patterns, assessment of implementation, measurement of impact on academic products, and assessment of psychological and social consequences. (MES)