The publication by OCLC of the United States Newspaper Program National Union List in June, 1985 is an important milestone for librarians in general as well as for participants in the Program and OCLC. The United States Newspapers Program (USNP) is a cooperative venture of the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Library of Congress and will eventually involve libraries in all 50 states and territories. The Program seeks to create an online data base with bibliographic records and holdings statements for all newspapers held in U.S. libraries regardless of their place of publication. To begin with U.S. newspapers are the focus. As the largest union list product produced by OCLC, this nearly 6,000- page set is impressive. However, bulk is not the most important characteristic. By providing access to bibliographic records contributed by many libraries around the nation in new ways, OCLC has responded to patron and librarian demands. The chronological, intended audience (subject), language, and place of publication (geographical) indexes represent the most important advances in access to newspapers in decades. As a prototype, this product holds much promise for the profession, especially in terms of subject access, or intended audience here. This article analyzes the Intended-Audience Index in the first edition, looking at the use of approved and improper terms, describing the origins of the list of terms, and projecting the shape of the data base over the life of the United States Newspaper Program. Like CONSER, of which the USNP is a part, this project is an example of cooperation between many institutions including the Library of Congress, OCLC, and libraries in every state and territory. The article describes one instance of this cooperation in practice.
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