LIBRES: Library and Information Science Research
Electronic Journal ISSN 1058-6768
1999 Volume 9 Issue 1; March.
Bi-annual LIBRE9N1 NEWS
Contents:
Editorial note:
Apologies for the scant news this issue. The Editor lost most of her email messages in a
recent and comprehensive computer crash.
1. BRITISH LIBRARY RESEARCH AND INNOVATION CENTRE
some recent reports
contact: Simon.Matty@mail.bl.uk (Simon Matty).
check website: http://www.bl.uk/services/ric/
Authors and electronic journals/ by Cliff McKnight and Sheila Price
BLR&I report 126
ISBN 0712397264
available from British Library Thesis Service, British Library Document Supply Centre,
Boston Spa, Wetherby, LS23 7BQ,
tel: 01937 546229; fax: 01937 546286.
email: dsc-british-thesis-service@bl.uk
Price in UK: m’fiche: 5.00 pounds, p/copy: 12.00 pounds
--------------------
Development of database access in universities: studies in usage, expenditure, pricing and
benefits/by Harry East, Badekale Ajibade and Kathryn Leach
BLR&I report 140
ISBN 0712397337
available from British Library Thesis Service, British Library Document Supply Centre,
Boston Spa, Wetherby, LS23 7BQ,
tel: 01937 546229; fax: 01937 546286.
email: dsc-british-thesis-service@bl.uk
Price in UK: m’fiche: 5.00 pounds, p/copy: 12.00 pounds
--------------------------
A survey of library services to schools and children in the UK 1997-98/ by Claire Creaser
and Alison Murphy.
BLR&I report 150
ISBN 1901786110
available from: Publications section, LISU, Loughborough University, Loughborough, LE11
3TU.
tel: 01509 223071; FAX: 01509 223072
email: lisu@lboro.ac.uk. Price in the UK: 22.00 pounds.
--------------------------
Review of digital library research.
The British Library has commissioned a study to undertake a review of digital library
research. The review is being lead by Prof Peter Brophy, Director of CERLIM (Centre for
research in Library and Information management at Manchester Metropolitan University).
Enquiries by email to:
cerlim@mmu.ac.uk or by mail to Digital Libraries Review, CERLIM, Manchester Metropolitan
University, Geoffrey Manton Bldg, Rosamond Street West, MANCHESTER UK, M15 6LL.
-------------------------
Trend analysis of acquisitions in university and public libraries in the UK.
This study is to be undertaken by the Library and Information Statistics Unit (LISU) and
the UK Office for Library and Information Networking (UKOLN).
------------------------
A matter of choice: information used in public library book selection/ by Capital Planning
Information.
BLR&I report 143
BNBRF report 92
ISBN 1898869464
available from Capital Planning Information, 91 High Street, Bruton, Somerset, BA10 0BH.
tel: 10749 812963 fax: 01749812964
email:
CPI_Ltd@compuserve.com.
cost 19.95 British pounds.
-----------------------------
LOGOPLUS: the impact of local government reorganisation on public library users and staff/
by Sandra Parker, Linda Banwell and Kathryn Ray.
BLR&I report 153
ISBN 0712397426
available from British Library Thesis Service, British Library Document Supply Centre,
Boston Spa, Wetherby, LS23 7BQ,
tel: 01937 546229; fax: 01937 546286.
email: dsc-british-thesis-service@bl.uk
Price in UK: m’fiche: 5.00 pounds, p/copy: 12.00 pounds
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 25 Mar 1999 14:50:47 +0000
Subject: recent reports from the BL Research and Innovation Centre
From: Simon.Matty@mail.bl.uk (Simon Matty)
Reply-To: lis-fid@mailbase.ac.uk
Sender: lis-fid-request@mailbase.ac.uk
Errors-To: lis-fid-request@mailbase.ac.uk
**Apologies for cross posting**
The British Library Research and Innovation Centre has recently
published six reports:
-------------------------------------------------
Extremism and the Internet
by Peter Brophy, Jenny Craven and Shelagh Fisher
95p
BLR&I report 145
ISBN 0953534308
-------------------------------------------------
Available from: CERLIM, The Manchester Metropolitan University,
Geoffrey Manton Building, Manchester M15 6LL; tel: 0161 247 6142; fax:
0161 247 6351; email: cerlim@mmu.ac.uk. £15.00
Details of this report have already been posted to a number of email lists by CERLIM. If
you would like to read a brief description of the report please visit the following
Research and Innovation Centre web page:
http://www.bl.uk/services/ric/publications/pub1999.html#report145
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The media and the Internet: final report of the British Library funded research project
The changing information environment: the impact of the Internet on information seeking
behaviour in the media
by David Nicholas...[et al.]
vi,205p
BLR&I report 110
ISBN 0851424155
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Available from: Portland Press Ltd, Commerce Way, Whitehall Industrial
Estate, Colchester CO2 8HP; tel: 01206 796351, fax: 01206 799331,
email: sales@portlandpress.co.uk £35.00 (£28.00 Aslib corporate members)
Its sheer functionality, connectivity and accessibility make the Internet an information
force to be reckoned with. However, there is very little qualitative data on how the
Internet is impacting upon information seeking in the workplace. Using largely
unstructured interviewing techniques, the impact on the media - mainly the press - was
assessed. More than three hundred journalists and media librarians were surveyed. It was
found that amongst traditional print journalists use was light, unsophisticated and uneven
and there was a disagreement as to its future significance. Poor access to the Internet -
and good access to other information resources - were largely the reasons for this. In
general it was the older and more senior journalists who availed themselves of the
facility. Librarians and the new media journalists however made extensive use of the
Internet. Other findings reveal that the use tended to concentrate on searching the World
Wide Web and was generally conservative in character and that email was being used on a
very limited scale and was not regarded as a serious journalistic tool. In general, media
librarians have pioneered the use of the Internet and this has enhanced their position.
And even in the case of the most avid Internet users - the new media journalists -
information professionals appear to have an important role to play. Information management
is seen as the key to news management.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
WebWatching UK Web communities: final report for the WebWatch Project
by Brian Kelly and Ian Peacock
73p
BLR&I report 146
ISBN 0712397361
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Available from: British Thesis Service, British Library Document
Supply Centre, Boston Spa, Wetherby LS23 7BQ tel: 01937 546229; fax:
01937 546286; email: dsc-british-thesis-service@bl.uk. Price in the
UK: microfiche £5.00; photocopy £12.00
Also available on the Internet at:
http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/web-focus/webwatch/reports/final/
The report describes the work of the WebWatch project. The main aim of the project was to
develop a set of tools to audit and monitor design practice and use of technologies on the
Web and to produce reports outlining the results obtained from applying the tools. The
report provides a brief overview of robot software on the World Wide Web, reviews the
development of WebWatch robot software, reports on the WebWatch trawls which were carried
out and summarises the conclusions drawn from the trawls. Trawls were made of UK public
libraries, UK university entry points, eLib projects and UK academic libraries. These
provide data about which servers are in use, about the deployment of applications based on
ActiveX or Java, about the characteristics of Web servers, and so on. This information
should be useful for those responsible for the management of Web-based information
services, for those responsible for making strategic technology choices and for vendors,
educators and developers.
-------------------------------------------------------
GINN: investigating school governors' information needs
by Linda Banwell and Pat Dixon
90p
BLR&I report 154
ISBN 0712397434
-------------------------------------------------------
Available from: British Thesis Service, British Library Document
Supply Centre, Boston Spa, Wetherby LS23 7BQ tel: 01937 546229; fax:
01937 546286; email: dsc-british-thesis-service@bl.uk. Price in the
UK: microfiche £5.00; photocopy £12.00
The report presents the findings of the GINN project which took place between January 1996
and December 1997. The central hypothesis underlying the project was that individual
school governors have individual information needs which are not being well met at
present. The research has found this hypothesis to be the case. The project was designed
to answer the following questions: Do governors get the information they need? Do they
know what they need, and if they get it, do they use it effectively? Is the information
they use the best available in relation to the decisions they must make? The findings
indicate that school governors mostly do not use information or have much notion of
operating in an information culture. They state the opinion that it is important for them
to be well informed; and yet the main source of information used by school governors is
the
headteacher, whose management of the school the governors are legislated to oversee.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Average prices of British academic books: July to December 1998
17p
BLR&I report 164
LISU British academic book prices report no.24 (ISSN 0261-0302)
ISBN 1901786188
---------------------------------------------------------------
Available from: Publications Section, LISU, Loughborough University,
Loughborough, Leicestershire LE11 3TU tel: 01509 223071; fax: 01509
223072; email: lisu@lboro.ac.uk. £11.00
The report continues the statistics of British academic book prices derived from the
Blackwell's (UK) primary subject coverage database, which began with a base of July to
December 1984.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Average prices of USA academic books: July to December 1998
17p
BLR&I report 165
LISU USA academic book prices report no.24 (ISSN 0951-8975)
ISBN 1901786196
-----------------------------------------------------------
Available from: Publications Section, LISU, Loughborough University,
Loughborough, Leicestershire LE11 3TU tel: 01509 223071; fax: 01509
223072; email: lisu@lboro.ac.uk. £11.00
The report uses data supplied by Blackwell's (NA) from their primary subject coverage
database and provides statistics on the average price of USA academic books.
Full details of all reports published by the Centre from 1997 to date are available on the
Centre's web pages:
http://www.bl.uk/services/ric/
*******************************
Simon Matty
Information Officer
Research and Innovation Centre
The British Library
2 Sheraton Street
London W1V 4BH
tel: 0171 412 7054
fax: 0171 412 7251
email: simon.matty@bl.uk
Top
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2. CANADIAN GOVERNMENT INFORMATION
Date: Tue, 30 Mar 1999 16:50:47 -0600
Sender: International Federation of Library Associations mailing list
<IFLA-L@INFOSERV.NLC-BNC.CA>
From: "Andrew Hubbertz, University of Saskatchewan Library"
<hubbertz@SKLIB.USASK.CA>
Subject: Announcing/Annonce: Gov Info in Canada/Info gouv au Canada no. 17
Announcing / Annonce :
Number / Numero 17
GOVERNMENT INFORMATION IN CANADA/INFORMATION GOUVERNEMENTALE AU CANADA (ISSN 1198-5291)
Accessible by/par WWW: <URL: http://www.usask.ca/library/gic/>
A Forum on the Freedom of Information Research Project
1. Introduction (English version) / (version francaise)
2. The Freedom of Information Research Project: Alasdair Roberts' study of Canadian FOI
laws can be found at
http://qsilver.queensu.ca/~foi
Update: "Closing the Window: How Public Sector Restructuring Limits Access to
Government Information," by Alasdair Roberts
Responses
3. Jim Bronskill, Ottawa-based reporter with Southam News
4. Andrew Hubbertz, Head of Government Publications, Maps and Microforms, University of
Saskatchewan Libraries
5. Kirsti Nilsen, Faculty of Information and Media Studies,
University of Western Ontario
6. Andrew Osler, Faculty of Information and Media Studies,
University of Western Ontario
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Editorial Board: Andrew Hubbertz, Editor (University of Saskatchewan Libraries), Stephen
Abram (IHS Micromedia, Ltd.),Nancy Brodie (National Library of Canada), Gail Dykstra (IHS
Micromedia, Ltd.), Darlene Fichter (University of Saskatchewan Libraries), Bruno Gnassi
(Depository Services Program, Canada Communications Group - Publishing), Vivienne Monty
(York University Libraries), and Bruce Morton (Montana State University Libraries).
Comite de redaction: Andrew Hubbertz, redacteur en chef (University of Saskatchewan
Libraries), Stephen Abram (IHS Micromedia, Ltd.), Nancy Brodie (Bibliotheque nationale du
Canada) Gail Dykstra (IHS Micromedia, Ltd.), Darlene Fichter (University of Saskatchewan
Libraries), Bruno Gnassi (Services du programme de depot, Groupe communication Canada -
Edition), Vivienne Monty (York University Libraries), et Bruce Morton (Montana State
University Libraries).
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Top
3. IFLA issues
IFLA/FAIFE STATEMENT ON LIBRARIES AND INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM
Date: Thu, 25 Mar 1999 12:15:53 +0100
Sender: International Federation of Library Associations mailing list
<IFLA-L@INFOSERV.NLC-BNC.CA>
From: Sophie Felfoldi <sophie.felfoldi@IFLA.NL>
Organization: IFLA HQ
Subject: ifla/faife Statement on Libraries and Intellectual Freedom
Statement on Libraries and Intellectual Freedom
IFLA (The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions) supports,
defends and promotes intellectual freedom as defined in the United Nations Universal
Declaration of Human Rights.
IFLA declares that human beings have a fundamental right to access to expressions of
knowledge, creative thought and intellectual activity, and to express their views
publicly.
IFLA believes that the right to know and freedom of expression are two aspects of the same
principle. The right to know is a requirement for freedom of thought and conscience;
freedom of thought and freedom of expression are necessary conditions for freedom of
access to information.
IFLA asserts that a commitment to intellectual freedom is a core responsibility for the
library and information profession.
IFLA therefore calls upon libraries and library staff to adhere to the principles of
intellectual freedom, uninhibited access to information and freedom of expression and to
recognize the privacy of library user.
IFLA urges its members activity to promote the acceptance and realization of these
principles. In doing so, IFLA affirms that:
- Libraries provide access to information, ideas and works of imagination. They serve as
gateways to knowledge, thought and culture.
- Libraries provide essential support for lifelong learning, independent decision-making
and cultural development for both individuals and groups.
- Libraries contribute to the development and maintenance of intellectual freedom and help
to safeguard basic democratic values and universal civil rights.
- Libraries have a responsibility both to guarantee and to facilitate access to
expressions of knowledge and intellectual activity. To this end, libraries shall acquire,
preserve and make available the widest variety of materials, reflecting the plurality and
diversity of society.
- Libraries shall ensure that the selection and availability of library materials and
services is governed by professional considerations and not by political, moral and
religious views.
- Libraries shall acquire, organize and disseminate freely and oppose any form of
censorship.
- Libraries shall make materials facilities and services equally accessible to all users.
There shall be no discrimination due to race, creed, gender, age or for any other reason.
- Library users shall have the right to personal privacy and anonymity. Librarians and
other library staff shall not disclose the identity of users or the materials they use to
a third party.
- Libraries funded from public sources and to which the public have access shall uphold
the principles of intellectual freedom.
- Librarians and other employees in such libraries have a duty to uphold those principles.
- Librarians and other professional libraries staff shall fulfil their responsibilities
both to their employer and to their users. In cases of conflict between those
responsibilities, the duty towards the user shall take precedence.
This statement was prepared by IFLA/FAIFE and approved by The Executive Board of IFLA
25 March 1999, The Hague, Netherlands
------------------------------------
IFLA/UNESCO SURVEY ON DIGITISATION AND PRESERVATION
Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 15:09:59 +0000
Sender: International Federation of Library Associations mailing list
<IFLA-L@INFOSERV.NLC-BNC.CA>
From: Richard Ebdon <Richard.Ebdon@MAIL.BL.UK>
Subject: Survey on Digitisation and Preservation
Comments: To: DIGLIB@INFOSERV.nlc-bnc.ca, ILL-L@nwu.edu
Apologies for cross posting
IFLA/UNESCO Survey on Digitisation and Preservation
A major worldwide survey on digitisation programmes in libraries and other cultural
institutions is now underway. The survey will build a picture of the activity in
this important and growing area and will result in the creation of a directory, or
`virtual library', of digitised collections worldwide.
The work is being carried out on behalf of UNESCO by IFLA's Core Programmes for
Preservation and Conservation (PAC) and Universal Availability of Publications
(UAP).
Many national libraries and other institutions are now undertaking or planning
digitisation programmes for some or all of their major cultural collections, whether
this be for preservation purposes or to increase access to the documents.
However, a comprehensive worldwide listing of digitised library collections does not
yet exist, and it is the task of this IFLA project to identify such collections
which have national and international importance.
The aims of Memory of the World coincide with the aims of the two core programmes of
IFLA which are jointly undertaking the project:
· the preservation of documents and collections
· the improvement in access to those documents
The survey is being carried out by a questionnaire directed at most of the world's major
libraries, archives and other cultural institutions. Replies will be analysed, and the
results will be presented in a major report to be published in mid-1999 on behalf of
UNESCO.
The Directory of digitised documents will take the form of a freely accessible database on
the UNESCO website. The database will consist of a searchable list of all the
collections, together with clickable links to take the user directly to the website
of the digitised collection. Individual items within a collection will not be
listed, but detailed information about the contents of each collection will be
available from the collection websites.
Information is also being gathered on the preservation issues surrounding the
digitisation of materials. Digital preservation is perhaps one of the most neglected
areas in the electronic library arena, with large volumes of data already lost because of
lack of knowledge about long-term digital preservation issues. The project will aim
to offer some information on how the issue of preservation is being handled in this
area.
libraries and other cultural institutions are invited to provide details about their
digitisation programmes.
For more information and a questionnaire contact:
Richard Ebdon
tel: +44 1937 546124
fax: +44 1937 546478
richard.ebdon@bl.uk
-----------------------------
NEDLIB News
Date: Thu, 25 Mar 1999 15:27:37 +0100
Sender: International Federation of Library Associations mailing list
<IFLA-L@INFOSERV.NLC-BNC.CA>
From: Titia van der Werf <titia@PYTHON.KONBIB.NL>
Subject: Second issue of the NEDLIB News Sheet released
Comments: cc: Margaret Phillips <mphillip@nla.gov.au>
ANNOUNCEMENT
------------
NEDLIB News Sheet, issue n.2, March 1999 has been released.
In this issue you are updated on the progress made by the NEDLIB project and linked to the
project results and working papers, for more detailed information. In this issue special
attention is paid to initiatives taken by deposit libraries to involve the
ICT-industry in the building of their digital deposit systems:
* Margaret E. Phillips elaborates on the "Endeavours of the National Library of
Australia to involve IT-vendors with the
building of our digital deposit system;
* Lex Sijtsma writes about the "European tender for a Deposit of Electronic
Publications in the Netherlands".
Finally we have interesting extracts from a report written by Genevieve Clavel and Elena
Balzardi about the IFLA workshop on
"Legal Deposit of Electronic Materials", held in August 1998.
The NEDLIB project News Sheets are issued twice a year.
They are made available through the NEDLIB web-site at:
<http://www.konbib.nl/nedlib/news2/>
They are announced via several discussion-lists.
NEDLIB is a project promoted by the CoBRA+ group and supported by the Telematics for
Libraries Programme of the European Commission. The project consortium includes nine
European national libraries, a National Archive and three main publishers. The objective
of NEDLIB