bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The House of Commons Library at Westminster: some recent developments
Authors: Menhennet David
Published: March 2008

In order to fulfil its central role in the British democratic process Parliament needs information: precise. accurate and sometimes complicated and specialized information over an ever-widening subject area. and which often is required rapidly for the purpose of immediate debate. The House of Commons Library has since 1946 played a major part in the provision of official, politically objective information and research services for the House of Commons and its 635 Members, and the present article outlines some of the more recent developments in these services. Sections on the Library's terms of reference and on its current organization and staffing are followed by consideration of the Parliamentary ( or Library) Division and of the Research Division respectively. The author concludes with a personal view on the distinctive role of parliamentary librarianship today within the library profession generally.
Subject specialization in British university libraries: a survey
Authors: Woodhead P.A. , Martin J.V.
Published: March 2008

A survey of subject specialization in UK university libraries was made in April 1981. Replies were received in the form of letters, from which quotations are made liberally. The evolution of subject specialization is traced and views on the term 'subject specialist described. Each library is classified in one of five categories - functional, dual, hybrid, 3-tier, subject divisional - according to the form of subject specialization (if any) practised. The range of functions commonly performed on a subject basis is considered. Factors which influence the adoption and implementation of subject specialization are discussed. These include relations with library users, work satisfaction and promotion prospects, the availability of suitably qualified staff and the relevance of subject qualifications, tensions between subject and functional activities, and the significance of automation and economic considerations. Most of the reservations expressed about subject specialization were practical rather than ideological.
Are UK public library managers reactionary?
Authors: Corbett Edmund V.
Published: March 2008

A recent British Library Report dealing with research activity in library management criticized British Librarians for being reactionary in the field of management as compared with their colleagues in the United States. This article, which deals only with public librarians, maintains that the report fails to draw sufficient attention to the very diflerent background against which British public librarians operate.
Desiderata file maintenance: purging and its politics
Authors: Cameron Kenneth J. , Roberts Michael
Published: March 2008

Despite the growing importance of second-hand material, partly as a result of the economic climate. the need to subject desiderata files in academic libranes to periodic review has been virtually neglected in Bntlsh library literature. A mechanism for such 'house-keeping (and with additional potential as a searching tool), based on limited computenzation, is described together with the diplomacy demanded by a 'purge.
Charges for on line searches in university libraries: a report on a survey
Authors: Cannell Sheila E. , Mowat Ian R.M.
Published: March 2008

A survey was undertaken on behalf of SCONUL in the summer of 1981, with the aim of determining the policies of United Kingdom university libraries on charging for on-line information retrieval. The survey hoped to find out: (a) why libraries charge; (b) the effects of charges; (c) how the level and type of charge is established. The responses suggest that charging has an impact on the volume and quality of searches; that the effect is most severe on postgraduate students; and that the effect can be mitigated by altering the type and level of charge imposed. A fixed fee charge would appear to offer the best prospect of recouping a substantial part of the costs without discouraging a significant number of potential users.
The laboratory/library: further work on an internal teaching and working library unit in a school of librarianship
Authors: Prytherch Ray
Published: March 2008

Research into the effectiveness of student fieldwork in libraries has suggested that a laboratory/library within a school of librarianship could be a feasible alternative for the acquisition of certain types of experience. The unit envisaged is defined, and present laboratory-based teaching discussed. The laboratory/library has the potential to link theory with practice. to be a base for the development of ideas, to offer primary experience, whilst, equally essentially, to provide a normal library service. The educational advantages and disadvantages are discussed, and the conclusion is drawn that many basic cognitive skills could be handled in such a unit, leaving fieldwork more clearly organized for complex affective learning.
The Polish libraries in Paris and London
Authors: Nowacki Christine
Published: March 2008

The origins, development, collections and activities of the Polish Library in Paris and the two main Polish libraries in London are described. They were founded to preserve important records of Polish cultural life, to build up a nucleus of books which could be used in Poland itself, to record émigré publications and to serve the cultural and national needs of the Polish community. Today, the libraries aim to serve the information and research needs of those interested in Polish affairs. The chief similarity between them is seen to be their moral significance, as repositories of books on all subjects and shades of opinion which have been banned or censored or for various reasons cannot be published in Poland.
Social skills training in librarianship
Authors: Cronin Blaise , Martin Irene
Published: March 2008

Public librarianship is a service profession which involves its members in a considerable amount of face-to-face contact with the general public. As in any people-directed profession, the importance of interpersonal skills cannot be overstated. This article discusses why social skills training is so relevant to contemporary librarianship, considers the educational implications, and outlines the elements of a social skills training package for librarians.
Developments in co-operation between the British Library Reference Division and other libraries and information services
Authors: Wilson Alexander
Published: March 2008

The BL Reference Division consists mainly of the former British Museum library departments. This is an account of the growing co-ordination within the Division itself, with the rest of the BL and increasingly with external library and information services. The article describes the co-operative schemes which have already been developed, the methods of consultation with the library and user communities and goes on to discuss the policy implications of a continued evolution towards resource sharing through networks. [Note: Any opinions are those of the author and are not necessarily British Library Board policy.]
Conversion of the General Catalogue of Printed Books to machine-readable form
Authors: Clements D.W.G.
Published: March 2008

The General Catalogue of Printed Books has been the principal means of access to the reference collections of the Department of Printed Books of the British Library for over a century. While current material is catalogued using computer-based systems, entries for pre-1971 imprints have been printed and pasted into the working copy of the guard book catalogue. This article describes the project to convert the pre-1971 catalogue entries contained in the General Catalogue into machine-readable form using an optical character recognition system. It sets out the results achieved and outlines the stages that will be followed as the project passes from its development stage to live operations.
Official publishing in France: the current position
Authors: Boisard Genevieve
Published: March 2008

Official publishing in France is not centralized. Important publishing houses coexist with a great number of originating bodies and distributors of their publications. Distribution on the whole is very limited and badly organized. The situation has long been seen to be deplorable. The government has made several efforts to improve it, notably by setting up the Commission de Coordination de la Documentation Administrative (CCDA) in 1971, which has two main terms of reference: to improve government departments' standards of documentation and to co-ordinate their publishing activities and improve the distribution of government publications. Over 10 years the CCDA has carried out important work, but it is still far from having achieved the objectives set for it and must continue its efforts.
Scottish college of education libraries: early history to 1958
Authors: Nicoll Margaret M
Published: March 2008

Teacher training colleges were estab lished in Scotland from 1837 onwards, under the management of the various churches. Libraries were extremely small throughout the nineteenth century, finance was irregular and there was little conception of the educational value of a library. The colleges rose in status during the twentieth century, and changes in teaching methods placed greater reliance on individual inquiry. Attempts to improve libraries in the 1920s were largely defeated by economic conditions then prevailing. Some progress was made in the postwar years, but significant developments had to await the 1960s and the general expansion of higher educa tion. (The author is undertaking further work to cover the period from 1958 to the present day.)
Community information and the public library
Authors: Barugh John
Published: March 2008

Equality in access to information is fundamental to community information provision. This article explores some of the basic inequalities that exist in relation to access to information, suggests some broad conclusions that can be drawn from the evidence, and describes how one public library authority has responded in this field. Particular emphasis is given to services in urban areas of social deprivation.
The problem of connections: education for and the practice of librarianship 1
Authors: Rayward W boyd
Published: March 2008

The development of education for librarianship in the United States of America and the United Kingdom is compared to explain the inevitability of tensions between library professionals and educators. Suggestions are made as to how appropriate connections may be established and maintained between library schools and the field.
Meeting the costs of development: the role of the British Library (Research and Development Department)
Authors: Moore Nick
Published: March 2008

All organizations need to develop if they are to remain relevant to their purposes. Public sector organizations have diffi culty in funding this development process. Libraries and information units in Britain have turned to the British Library as a source of development funding. British Library funding has been made available to support develop ment which establishes practical feasibility, encourages new services or produces new techniques. The extent to which the British Library can increase this activity is limited by the overall availability of funds. The study on which this article is based was com missioned by the Library Association.
The size and structure of the library and information workforce in the United Kingdom
Authors: Moore Nick , Kempson Elaine
Published: March 2008

The library and information workforce has grown rapidly in recent years. The increase in the number of people in employment has slowed down whilst the proportion unemployed has risen to over 15 per cent. Changes in the career patterns of women have reduced the rate of wastage. This in turn has affected both the age and sex structure of the workforce. The increase in the size of the workforce has been accompanied by a substantial increase in the proportion who hold a professional qualification. There has been a similar movement towards an all-graduate workforce.
The search for an appropriate level of training for practising librarians in developing countries. The Nigerian experience
Authors: Agada John
Published: March 2008

International library associations seek to establish universal standards in areas such as professional education. In Nigeria, however, the adoption of graduate-level training by the US-assisted library school has been controversial. The practice was felt by others to be irrelevant to the state of educational, socio-economic and library development in Nigeria. An undergraduate programme, on the other hand, would prepare librarians in sufficient numbers, without compromising the quality of service to the majority of the library clientele. The arguments for the graduate school centre on the need for high-quality service, particularly to university and research library patrons; status; and the need to meet international standards. Developments since the last decade have, however, rendered the controversy a non-issue, as graduates of both programmes complement each other in meeting the acute need for personnel for varying levels of services.
Advocacy for rural library provision in central and southern England in the late nineteenth century
Authors: Crawford John C.
Published: March 2008

Although originating in the 1850s, advocacy for rural library provision took place mainly in the 1880s and 1890s and drew on the experience of central and southern England. There were two groups of advocates. amateurs who were interested in using libraries as a means of rural regeneration and professional librarians who wanted to apply their technical expertise to the rural areas. The contribution of the amateurs was marred by a lack of technical expertise and by over enthusiastic propaganda. The professionals failed to develop a comprehensive theory of rural library provision and were indebted to the most able amateurs, F W Naylor and the Verneys.
A decade of PRECIS, 1974-84
Authors: Curwen Anthony G.
Published: March 2008

PRECIS-PREserved Content Index System-appeared in its definitive form in 1974, expounded in the first edition of its Manual, and has been used in several publications, notably in the British National Bibliography and as a one-stage index in British Education Index. Notable use has been made of it in Canada and Australia. The strengths and weaknesses of the system seen in practice are examined and some major criticisms are reviewed. Prospects for PRECIS look brightest in those countries without a well-established tradition of subject indexing. The second edition of the Manual (1984) contains many improvements but still has too many confusing and apparently inconsistent details. A briefer, clearer handbook is irequired.
Professional and non-professional in libraries: the need for a new relationship
Authors: Russell Norman J.
Published: March 2008

The article briefly traces the origins of the division of library staff into professional and non-professional. It then examines in more detail three aspects of the present situation of non-professional staff, namely the duties they perform, their career prospects and their education and training. A study of the relationship between professional and non- professional suggests the need for change, change which in some ways will be to the benefit of both groups. Specifically the author sees the need for a reduction in the proportion of professional to non-professional staff with the development of an improved career structure for non-professionals.
Racially segregated school libraries in KwaZulu/Natal, South Africa
Authors: Verbeek Jennifer
Published: March 2008

Racial discrimination in South Africa is a cause of much discontent Unrest in schools can be traced in part to unequal educational opportunity and facilities. An outline of the development of education and of school libraries in Natal and KwaZulu is given. There have been considerable differences in the provision of education and of school library facilities for the various population groups; at present, facilities for whites are good, for Indians adequate and for blacks totally inadequate It is suggested that there is a relationship between sophistication of labour and the inclusion in education of information-handling skills and self-study methods. Thus the school library achieves an economic importance not previously recognized in South Africa.
Psychological determinants of information needs: a small-scale study of higher education students
Authors: Ford Nigel
Published: March 2008

A model of 'critical thinking' practised by individuals seeking and using information in a college of higher education library is presented, on the basis of 22 hours of tape-recorded interviews with 34 higher education students Behind ostensibly similar library activities-using catalogues, borrowing items and requesting services and information—were very different mental states and processes The data give insights into the quality of learning being experienced by different library users Implications for librarianship are discussed
Libraries and humanistic scholarship
Authors: Fabian Bernhard
Published: March 2008

Owing to profound changes over the last two or three decades library provisions for humanistic scholarship can no longer be taken for granted. Humanistic research, which is library-centred and predominantly text-centred, requires a special type of library which allows the scholar to bring together highly complex configurations of texts. The only library which makes this possible is the universal reference library. This must therefore constitute the central element in the library provisions for the humanities and be surrounded with peripheral institutions which allow the researcher to do his preparatory reading.
Cathedral librarianship
Authors: Morgan Penelope E.
Published: March 2008

The history of cathedral libraries shows that each is unique, an integral part of the cathedral and of great importance to the ecclesiastical historian, liturgiologist, musicologist, student of the humanities, rare book librarian and bibliographer. Their function, the varied contents and the different aspects of cathedral librarianship are con sidered. A future for cathedral libraries as diocesan centres offering specialist collections of modern books in addition to the older volumes is envisaged, thus maintaining the old tradition of the cathedral being a centre of learning.
Public libraries and technical education 1850-1902: a re-evaluation
Authors: Sturges Paul
Published: March 2008

Many nineteenth-century public libraries organized regular classes for adult groups, particularly in technical subjects. Various pieces of legislation recognized and to some extent facilitated this link. The feeling that the provision of classes strengthened and even legitimized the public library was frequently at odds with the reality of the problems which resulted. Attitudes towards this provision for adult education reveal serious problems in defining the role of the public library in society.
Duplication of texts in academic libraries: a behavioural model for library management
Authors: Warwick J.P.
Published: March 2008

The provision of duplicate copies of texts in academic libraries is a contentious area of library management This article outlines previous work in this area and describes a model of specific use in developing a duplication policy for recommended texts for undergraduates. A concept of 'user utility' is described as the principal measure of library effectiveness. This concept is used as a basis for a behavioural model of student borrowing. The model may be used to allocate a budget set aside for duplication purposes so as to maximize the expected user utility gained per pound spent by the library.
The planning and implementation of Conspectus in Scotland
Authors: Matheson Ann
Published: March 2008

Conspectus is a system developed in North America for measuring collection levels. Its application in Scotland by the eleven major Scottish research libraries is the first group Conspectus in Europe. Each library in the Working Group on Library Co-operation, which works actively to promote interlibrary cooperation, is carrying out the conspectus of its own holdings, with central coordination provided by the National Library of Scotland This article explains how Conspectus in Scotland was planned and implemented. Readers of this article will wish to know of an article in the Journal of Librarianship, April 1987, 19 (2), entitled 'Collection development in the British Library: the role of the RLG Conspectus' by Stephen Hanger.
Five centuries of university librarianship
Authors: Roberts R.J.
Published: March 2008

This review article arises from the recent publication of a history of Cambridge University Library; the opportunity is taken to compare the history of the university libraries of Oxford and Cambridge.
Uses and users of public sector business libraries: a study based on Birmingham, Manchester and Nottingham libraries
Authors: Roberts N. , Clarke D. , Craghill D. , White D.
Published: March 2008

Some 564 interviews with users of business libraries were carried out in the central public libraries of Birmingham, Manchester and Nottingham during the period July-October 1986. In addition, during the same period, 1277 telephone calls were monitored.

General characteristics of business library use are depicted in terms of work-related and personal forms of use. Motivations for use are examined. Information demands and satisfaction rates are analysed. Users' perceptions of available services are identified, together with proposals for improvements. Telephone inquiry data are categorized and related to visit data. Data relating to users' assessments of the value of business libraries are presented.
Public library buildings: a review article
Authors: Thompson Godfrey
Published: March 2008

This review considers a recent publication and its predecessors.
Librarians in a police state: South African academic libraries and the problem of censorship
Authors: Merrett Christopher
Published: March 2008

Censorship is considered in the South African political context and the relevant statutes and regulations are described in terms of their impact on libraries. It is seen as extremely damaging to the academic process and a dilemma for the librarian. Two models derived from this situation portray the librarian as victim and as collaborator. They show that librarians have been unimaginative and have ignored international standards. Both universities and the profession have failed to take significant corporate action while censorship has tightened under successive states of emergency. For human rights librarians, it is concluded, the only effective way forward is a new professional body in the democratic tradition.
The careers of MA graduates: training, education and practice
Authors: Loughridge Brendan , Sutton Jane
Published: March 2008

Graduates of MA Librarianship programmes at the University of Sheffield were asked about their first and current professional posts, the relevance and value of pre-library school work experience, the content of the MA course, job mobility and job satisfaction. Work experience was seen to have had considerable impact on selection of course options and on career expectations but not on subsequent career decisions. Three out of four graduates were satisfied with their present jobs. The number employed in academic libraries has declined, with a significant proportion of graduates moving into jobs outside traditional libraries. The most positive comments on course content and relevance were made by those with most experience in professional posts.
Nineteenth-century parliamentary papers: a review article
Authors: Marshallsay Diana
Published: March 2008

This review article surveys the selective guides to the nineteenth-century House of Commons parliamentary papers produced by the Hansards, father and son, and, over a century later, by the Fords. The publication of a new, comprehensive, subject catalogue is welcomed.
Library and information plans: a review of the literature
Authors: White Brenda
Published: March 2008

The review looks at the development of library and information plans (LIPs) in Britain and the characteristics of the literature produced by them. It examines some of the features of interim reports and of final reports, looking specifically at the presentation of survey results, the failure to assess user needs, and the nature of proposals. It concludes that the success or otherwise of LIPs will be judged by their practical results rather than by the quality of their literature. The review is supported by a complete list of LIPs completed or in progress at August 1988, followed by references to their reports.
Spreading the word: a review article
Authors: Foskett D.J.
Published: March 2008

This review article is based on the book of the same title, by Douglas Coombs.
Evaluating online and CD-ROM reference sources
Authors: Large J.A.
Published: March 2008

The article examines the criteria by which online services and CD-ROM products might be evaluated, which are not necessarily the same as those used to evaluate printed reference works. This is done under three main headings. databases, hosts and telecommunications networks.
Disaster control planning in Nigeria
Authors: Alegbeleye Bunmi
Published: March 2008

The article describes a study, the primary focus of which was to investigate the availability or otherwise of disaster control plans m university libraries in Nigeria The contextual framework is described, followed by an anatomy of library and archival disasters, with particular reference to Nigeria The method of study took the form of a questionnaire distributed to the 26 university libraries m Nigeria, to which 20 responded The respondents' data are analysed and a summary of the issues is given
The disappearing borrower: a review article
Authors: Labdon Peter
Published: March 2008

Collated results of research into the methods used by general readers to select books from public library shelves are considered m the context of traditional public library attitudes to book display It is suggested that the current decline in library borrowing may be the result of changing social trends allied to a permanent reduction in the amount of resources available to public libraries, and that it may be timely to reconsider the long-term viability of general library practice, against the option of a positive move in the direction of specific, targeted services using resources at present devoted to the satisfaction of general demand
Reporting LIS research: a review article
Authors: Elliott Pirkko
Published: March 2008

Some problems of LIS research publishing are discussed in this article, then previous surveys of LIS research publishing are presented Monograph publishing, abstracting services and journals that disseminate information about research, mainly in the UK but often with an International coverage and circulation, are listed and described and their coverage of current and completed LIS research assessed
Policy for secondary school library provision in England and Wales: an historical perspective
Authors: Kinnell Margaret
Published: March 2008

Considers the roots of policy development in secondary school library pro vision in England and Wales, assesses the current policy context, and iden tifies possible future models for school library policy making. Comments on the fact that a lack of lobbying at national level for the adequate funding of school libraries has been a continuing theme throughout their recent histo ry, despite evidence that school libraries are significant assets which merit nationally co-ordinated investment and statutory recognition. Discusses the role of the teacher librarian and the professional recognition of school librar ians. Concludes that nationally led policy has consistently failed and a more pragmatic, incremental approach to school libraries is timely. There is a need to accept the reality that school libraries are more the concern of the local community than national government, and to acknowledge that the history of school libraries in England and Wales favours such a model. While not denying the importance of nationally accepted professional standards and minimum performance indicators, it does free schools and their librarians from the tyranny of a nationally accepted norm at a time when schools are increas ingly defining their own policy priorities.
Intellectual convergence in a mass communication course for librarians and publishers
Authors: Hannabuss Stuart , Barford Jane , Campbell Fiona
Published: March 2008

Notes the professional convergence seen in the work of library and information professionals and of journalists, publishers and broadcasters in the way that both groups are trained to locate, store and disseminate information. Discusses ways in which this professional convergence can be used to design a course in mass communications so as to investigate all the aspects and issues of the subject, how they relate to each other, and what they imply for all students and citizens. Focuses on the experience gained in designing a mass communications course for library and information science students at the School of Information and Media, Robert Gordon University, Scotland, noting: how the course was designed to develop in the students a mature critical approach to the subject; issues of course content; course content and controversy; and the place of such courses in the education and training of library professionals.
Networked information resources for medical librarians
Authors: Hicks Alison , Tedd Lucy A.
Published: March 2008

Networked information resources for medical librarians: an overview and some case studies in the UK. Examines some of the information resources available to medical librarians via the Internet and describes the use of these by 3 UK medical libraries: for sending and receiving electronic mail locally, nationally and internationally; for transferring documents, images and sets of records from a remote computer to a local one (file transfer protocol (ftp)); and for logging on to other computers and online services (telnetting). Other applications of the Internet for medical librarians described include: gopher; World Wide Web (WWW); the use of mailing lists for medical information; announcement of meetings and conferences; job advertisements; electronic bulletin boards; access to remote databases; and electronic periodicals. Reports on case studies involving visits to: the National Institute of Medical Research (NIMR); the Wessex Medical Library; and University of Wales, College of Medicine. Concludes with a summary of contemporary Internet ini tiatives by UK medical dlibraries and related organizations.
Information management and broadcast resources: implications for the school librarian
Authors: Barford Jane , Williams Dorothy , Wilson Kay
Published: March 2008

Examines the information management issues associated with radio and television broadcasting materials, both off-air and prerecorded, as they relate to six primary and secondary school libraries in Scotland; drawing on evidence from a survey commissioned and funded by the Independent Television Commission and carried out in schools in the Grampian region as part of a larger project, the results of which will be published at a later date. Describes the research model used in the case study, the research problem itself and the effectiveness of the information management systems found. Discusses the reasons why broadcast resource information is a grey area; the extent to which librarians are involved in its management and offers suggestions as to how this may be made more effective. Three areas were identified as central to the study: information management; selection of resources; and use of resources. The most significant finding was the extreme diversity of infor mation management within school libraries with the emphasis on the need to reach a compromise between ideal solutions and practical realities. Briefly notes the policies of UK educational broadcasters (BBC and Channel 4 Educational Television Company).
A critical analysis of assessment criteria in the evaluation of proposals within the Libraries Sector of the Fourth Framework Programme
Authors: Casey Michael
Published: March 2008

Reviews the structure of the European Union’s Fourth Framework Programme (FP4) for research and technological development, 1994-1998, focusing on the Libraries Programme (LP), which forms Sector 5 of Global Area B, Main Subject 1, Theme A of the First Activity of FP4. Notes the high failure rate for proposals for research projects (65 per cent) and analyzes the reasons for failure, as well as success, in securing funding with a view to aiding proposers intending to respond to the next call for proposals. Briefly defines the main objectives of the LP within the more general framework of the Telematics Application Programme, outlines the evaluation procedure in order to help proposers to understand how their proposals are handled by the European Commission in the interests of objectivity and fair treatment, and reviews and discusses the criteria used to evaluate proposals in the context of the Programme’s objectives. Concludes with general observations, recommendations and guidelines for proposers.
Tangible Deposits
Authors: Stoker David
Published: March 2008

Discusses the issue of whether CD-ROMs and other electronic products should be brought within the scope of existing UK laws for legal deposit. Focuses on the publication in 1997, by the Department of National Heritage and other UK bodies of: Legal deposit of publications: a consultation paper. This seeks the views of interested parties in the library and information, publishing, recording, film making, and educational sectors before formulating its legislative proposals. Considers the main difficulty to lie with non-tangible electronic publications, such as online services and Internet based services, which are constantly changing and do not remain in a stable form long enough to be catalogued and preserved for future generations. The problems caused by the advent of distributed client/server computing, the Internet and of publications available on the World Wide Web which are hypertext linked to other Internet sites, are noted briefly in the document but no solutions offered. Other issues covered include: how many copies should be deposited; whether the better endowed universities should continue to be subsidized; whether legislation to cover new media could be made without needing fresh legislation; and the need to evaluate the cost of the legal deposit process. The document is accessible via the World Wide Web (URL http://www.heritage.gov.uk).
Coping with change: issues facing British and German university libraries in the 1990s
Authors: Cockrill Antje
Published: March 2008

Reports the issue discussed in 23 qualitative interviews conducted at a random sample of UK and German university libraries. Changes in the political culture, society and demography of both countries was reported in an earlier paper ( JOLIS,26, (2), June 1994, 83-92 (LISA ref. 9408895) and are not repeated here. Issues discussed include: German reunification; impact of economic recession on university funding; influence of the higher education environment; effect of university modularization and semesterization on libraries; questions of quality control and university ranking; rapid growth of information technology (IT) in all areas of academic life and its impact on libraries; online access to external data-bases (including the Internet); and the perceived presence of competition in a quasi educational market. In the UK, the fundamental changes in the higher education system have led to a substantial increase in demand on university libraries but without increases in finance. Similarly, in Germany the most prominent issues have been the massive increase in student numbers and the changes in IT, networking and automation. In Germany, the most fundamental change has been reunification with its enormous financial implications and societal changes. Points to the convergence of Germany’s mass higher education system and the UK’s elite education system and the consequent effect on libraries.
Price and the marketing environment for electronic information
Authors: Rowley Jennifer
Published: March 2008

Argues the central role of pricing strategy in determining the future characteristics of the information marketplace. Focuses on three of the four variables in the marketing of electronic databases: product, distribution and price. The fourth variable, promotion, is omitted. Discusses the product variable in terms of the nature of information as a product and its value, consumption, dynamics, life cycle and individuality. Considers the distribution variable in terms of three potential distribution channels: CD-ROMs; data networks; and facsimile transmission; noting that many producers are still involved in printed products. Discusses the price variable by considering five key approaches to pricing and charging: optimal pricing; pricing according to value; pricing for full cost recovery; marginal cost pricing; and free distribution of services. Analyses the pricing structures for online searching of external databases (subscription charges, discount plans, volume purchase plans, connect time charges, display and print charges, telecommunications charges, session rates, charges for special commands, and charges for special services such as SDI, statistical reports and end-user services). Presents a similar analysis for CD-ROM databases. Concludes that the complex and chaotic information marketplace may be alleviated by standardization in pricing structures for products such as CD-ROMs and research which seeks to link the factors that influence pricing structures to a more closely defined model.
Computer Cataloguing in Retrospect
Authors: Stoker David
Published: March 2008

Pays tribute to the recent advances in the ability to access computerized catalogues from the desktop via the Internet but emphasizes that there are problems still to be overcome before the ideal of universal access to catalogue records for UK libraries is achieved. Advances in computerized cataloguing over the past 40 years have been an obstacle to retrospective cataloguing in a coherent and standardized manner which even the adoption of common standards for information retrieval and the Z39.50 protocol have failed to prevent. Many libraries with modern methods for cataloguing new materials still have earlier sequences of records on microfiche or other hard-copy format. Other specialized collections are such that they have never been catalogued to professional standards or in a convenient format. Illustrates the point with reference to practical searching of catalogues in Aberystwyth, Wales, and to two studies of the logistical and financial issues of a programme of retrospective cataloguing (reported in British Library Research and Innovation Centre (BLRIC) report 53, URL < http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/services.papers/bl/blri053/>). Discusses the proposed UK co-ordinating body and co-ordinated national programme, to select which catalogues should be converted, set priorities for work, ensure maintenance of requisite standards, and arrange collaboration between neighbouring or related institutions.
A Strategy for LIS Research in the Next Century
Authors: Stoker David
Published: March 2008

The past 30 years have seen many changes in UK library and information science (LIS) education, and the professional working environment generally. The most far reaching of these changes is the development of a research base and research methodologies for LIS and the subsequent impact of these research findings on professional practice. Concludes that investment in research and development by governmental, educational and commercial agencies will ultimately do more to secure the long term future of the LIS profession than any amount of evangelizing on the importance of information. Nevertheless, a major problem in LIS research has been a lack of co-ordination and planning at a national level. Focuses on the work of the newly established Library and Information Commission (LIC): which aims to investigate the scale of the problem and recommend solutions. Details the work which went into the two LIC documents published in 1997: 2020 Vision (the LIC’s vision statement for the 21st century); and Prospects: a strategy for action (a consultation document outlining its strategic plan derived from the research mapping and consultation exercise carried out on behalf of the LIC).
Research degrees in librarianship and information science
Authors: Santos Maite , Willett Peter , Wood Frances E.
Published: March 2008

This paper reports the results of a survey of the students from the Department of Information Studies, University of Sheffield who successfully completed research degrees (MA, MSc, MPhil or PhD) in librarianship or information science in the period 1968-96. An open-ended questionnaire was distributed to the 123 former students for whom a contact address was available, and usable responses were received from 66 students, giving a response rate of 54%. The questionnaire sought to identify publications derived directly and indirectly from the research programme, and the students’ views of the benefits and drawbacks that accrue from having carried out their research programme. A total of 393 publications were identified as arising directly from the research degrees, with these attracting at least 1593 citations, thus demonstrating the impact of research-degree work on the profession. Students predominantly take up employment in the academic sector, and find their research training invaluable in their subsequent career. The great majority (71%) of the respondents would recommend such training to others; the main problem identified is the lack of a long-term career structure for those wishing to enter the UK higher education system.
Commercial Pressures upon Electronic Publishing
Authors: Stoker David
Published: March 2008

Considers the tendency of individuals and companies to misuse their accreted power; with particular reference to commercial electronic publishing. Illustrates the threats posed to freedom of expression and circulation of ideas and information with three examples of recent trends. Considers the admission, by Bill Gates to a Senate Judiciary Committee enquiry, that the Microsoft Corporation imposes artificial restrictions upon computer manufacturing companies and information providers, which prevent them from promoting or preloading Netscape’s products. Considers also the pressure exerted by Rupert Murdoch on editors at HarperCollins to insist that an author, Chris Patten, tone down his comments on the Chinese government or cancel publication of his book. Considers that a more far reaching development was the proposed merger (since withdrawn) between the publishers, Reed Elsevier and Wolters Kluwer, with its potential for imposing artificially restrictive conditions upon the use of their publications. Concludes by considering possible licensing conditions which would prevent academic publishers from restricting the manner and format in which their information could be stored, which could insist that electronic document delivery be considered as an integral part of a journal subscription.
How records management could help Malaysia materialize its Vision 2020
Authors: Yusof Zawiyah Mohammad , Chell R. W.
Published: March 2008

Demonstrates the role that records management and records managers can play in the process of development in Malaysia with particular reference to Vision 2020: Malaysia’s programme designed to bring it to full industrialized status by the year 2020. Discusses the nature of records and the practice of records management in the context of the important role they can play in improving business efficiency and assisting business re-engineering. Concludes that the requirements for record keeping are corporate requirements and hopes that this discussion will act as a catalyst to further discussion and research into records management in Malaysia and will lead to other records management initiatives in the medical, legal and accounting fields. Malaysian businesses should recognize that records management can make a significant difference to their ability to comply with the requirements of the ISO 9000 series of standards and enable them to fulfil the goals of Vision 2020.
The changing face of current awareness services
Authors: Rowley Jennifer
Published: March 2008

Presents a state of the art review of current awareness services in 1997 noting: the components of typical current awareness services; the range and types of databases that may be scanned during searches; and the role of feedback and document delivery mechanisms. Includes a checklist of criteria which may be used to evaluate current awareness services, including: database coverage; timeliness or currency; cost; and mechanisms for creating and maintaining user SDI profiles. Discusses the main types of current awareness services: contents page services; abstracting and indexing services; and integrated online products (such as Engineering Index’s Engineering Village) including SDI. Considers the concept of currency and remarks on the tendency for current awareness services to be products of a producer led rather than a user led culture.
Community networking
Authors: Yu Liangzhi , Dempsey Lorcan , Ormes Sarah
Published: March 2008

Examines the nature of community networks and how they developed, in order to provide public librarians and decision makers with a view of emerging trends and of points of contact and comparison within the area of community information services. The research took the form of an extensive literature review, focusing on the period between 1992 and 1997, backed up by a number of community network Web sites randomly selected from the Communities Online Forum. At a later stage, a number of librarians were interviewed concerning their perception of the use of networks in public libraries’ community information services. These interviews supported the literature survey in a number of ways and unearthed some relevant literature in obscure sources that might otherwise have been overlooked. Some evidence from the interviews caused a reappraisal of the literature. The survey covered: the concept of community networks; development of community networks in the UK and USA; UK community networks using non Internet technologies; UK community networks on the World Wide Web and on intranets; the role of community networks in communication and education; and the recurrent suggestion that community networks might foster people’s social participation through electronic mail, discussion forums, online voting systems and through greater access to legislation and other government information. Concludes that the emerging network services bring together previously distinct participants and services and may lead to a new division of labour in libraries in such activities as document delivery. As public libraries build the ‘people’s network’ it will be important to learn from and build on community networking experiences.