The Australian Art Index, AARTI, is one of a group of data bases within the Ausinet network which will, between them, cover contemporary Australian art and architecture on a national basis. National coverage is possible because of the small size of the Australian population, the existence of people prepared to take on the task with managements to back them and the availability of a network with the flexibility to take data in a wide range of formats. AARTI contains records of four types: monographs, journal articles, exhibitions and artists’ profiles. By April 1985 it contained some 9,500 records available online with a microfiche alternative for non-Ausinet members.