As elsewhere, in medicine it has become evident that the "pure" ideal of on-line, full-text real-time computerized systems offers no panacea for the diverse information problems of researchers, practitioners, and administrators. More flexible, efficient and economical possibilities are available in the form of "hybrid" systems of computers and other techniques, such as micrographics and COM. There are a number of alternative strategies. LORBAS is one family of such systems. LORBAS is based on a mini-microfilm technique (reduction ratio to 250:1, up to 200,000 pages per liter), permitting rapid digital random access to every page. The computer is used off-line for the administration of the system and for generating a variety of retrieval aids which are worked into the film inventory (through COM). Numerous user stations can be equipped with the full document basis(incl. the retrieval aids), and operated off-line. On-line linkage is optional on every desired level of sophistication.