METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SEARCHING FOR INFORMATION IN A NETWORK AND FOR CONTROLLING THE DISPLAY OF SEARCHABLE INFORMATION ON DISPLAY DEVICES IN THE NETWORK

A method and apparatus for maintaining information in a network of computer systems and for controlling the display of searchable information. The apparatus includes a first processor having a first display device and being coupled to an information storage device having information stored in at least one information source, where the first processor is coupled to a network. An input device is coupled to the first processor, where the input device is for selecting the information source to provide a selected information source which is to be unavailable for searching. A second processor having a second display device is coupled to the network to communicate with the first processor. The second display device is for displaying an indicia of information source, where the second display device displayed the indicia of the information source when the information source has not been selected by the input device. When the input device has selected the information source the indicia at some point in time after the information source has been selected is no longer displayed on the second display device. The method includes displaying on a first display device to a first indicia which corresponds to an information source stored on an information storage device. The method further includes displaying on the second display device a second indicia corresponding to the information source, this second indicia being displayed when the information source is not selected by the input device. When the information source is selected, at some time after selection, the second indicia is longer displayed on the second display device.