Information retrieval has evolved from early techniques using punch cards and magnetic tapes to store and retrieve data, to modern enterprise search across private and public networks. Early IR focused on structured scientific data but now encompasses varied forms like images, video and less structured text. Precision retrieval is being replaced by quick search to meet growing volumes and varieties of information with less manual control. The future of IR faces challenges in developing automatic structure without losing recall across private and public institutional boundaries with increasingly complex user interfaces.