This two-volume annual report is the first in a series of reports summarizing the activities and accomplishments of the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) program. The first volume reviews the work of the ERIC Clearinghouses and two other ERIC components, the ERIC Processing and Reference Facility and the ERIC Document Reproduction Service (EDRS). The report begins by presenting information on the background and mandate of the ERIC system and discussing its structure and operations. A one-page summary of general facts and figures about the system is included. The ERIC Clearinghouses are then considered, including discussions of their database-building activities, types of requests received, clearinghouse publications, examples of dissemination of ERIC products, and special projects at individual clearinghouses. Descriptions of the activities of the ERIC Processing and Reference Facility and the ERIC Document Reproduction Center conclude this volume. Directories of the clearinghouses in 1986 and 1988 are appended together with statistical data on the activities of the individual clearinghouses during the year. (EW)