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60th IFLA General Conference - Conference Proceedings - August 21-27, 1994

Progress Report for the UAP Programme 1993/94

Graham P Cornish
Programme Officer


PAPER

INTRODUCTION

UAP is not just a good idea it depends on research and real actions. The following is a list of research projects in progress or recently completed. Some projects are undertaken only by IFLA, others in partnership with other organisations such as the European Union. The Office continues to build on its experience of project work, both within IFLA and also the British Library and this has been a nother busy year for all the staff. In view of the rapid growth of the office some steep learning curves have been negotiated by new members of the team, much to their credit.

PROJECTS

Robert Vosper Fellow

Once again the Programme has supervised a Fellow under this programme. Elida Monica Guerrero from Mexico undertook a study of document supply mechanisms in Latin America for medical, health and related topic libraries. Her report has been completed and recommendations for action have been made.

Voucher scheme

Work has begun on the implementation of the voucher scheme to simplify payment for international interlending. A report was presented to the CDNL during the Barcelona Conference, and the British Library has offered financial support to enable a pilot scheme to be set up. As a result Sara Gould joined the office in November 1993 and is undertaking research into aspects such as the physical nature of the voucher and the financial arrangements for the scheme. A number of other areas of research have been identified, such as the production of an electronic form of the voucher. VAT and the international legality of the scheme have also been investigated. The aim is to produce a preliminary report by August 1994, with a pilot scheme beginning soon after this. A leaflet outlining how the scheme might work, and progress being made, is available from the Office. Discussions are taking place with DFG and CDNL to find ways of continuing this research to bring it to be a live scheme.

Use of ISBN and ISSN for interlibrary loan

A survey on the use of ISBNs was completed. This has produced some interesting information and has stimulated interest in the wider use of ISBNs. The results are to be published in the ISBN Review and possibly in another journal as well. 107 replies to the questionnaire were received, a response rate of 41%. The use of ISBNs in cataloguing, union catalogues, retrospective conversion, verification , searching, locating, interlending and other areas of librarianship are dealt with. The survey shows that the major use of ISBNs is in the more technologically advanced countries and that ISBNs are seen as particularly useful in automated systems. Verification is the major use of ISBNs in libraries and less than a third of the libraries required ISBNs for interlending either when requesting or s upplying. In interlending the ISBN is seen as an additional rather than a vital ingredient. However, its use will increase as ISBNs and automation become more available in developing countries. Despite a small amount of criticism the ISBN system is obviously highly valued by librarians. It is intended to carry out a similar survey during 1994 on the use of ISSNs.

Interlibrary loan and fiction

In 1991 a survey on fiction interlending was carried out by OIL. A follow up survey was carried out in 1993. 48 replies were received from 40 countries. Only 8 of the institutions and 4 of the countries have a standard fiction policy. Where there is no policy the majority of institutions would like to see one and various suggestions were given as to how a policy could be developed and what it sho uld contain. There is clearly a wish to discuss the interlending of fiction with colleagues from other countries and for IFLA to do more work in this area. It is hoped that the results of the survey will be published shortly.

Guidelines for use of fax for document supply requests

Following consultation with the IFLA Section on Document Delivery and Interlending some guidelines on the use of telefacsimile in interlending have been produced. These include samples of recommended layout. It is hoped that these will be published in the not too distant future. Work will soon start on producing similar guidelines on the use of e mail in interlending.

Copyright in Transmitted Electronic Documents CITED

The CITED project will end in April 1994. With evidence to suggest that many publishers are reluctant to relinquish material into the electronic environment, the success of the model which has been created will inevitably have an impact on UAP. Owners of intellectual property using the CITED mechanism should be confident that they will receive due recompense for the use of their material and that their work cannot be manipulated without their knowledge. Two demonstrators have been produced so far, one showing the use of CITED in a text based environment (the ADONIS scientific document delivery system) and the second linked with the new arts database NARCISSE. A sound demonstrator will also soon be launched on the user community.

Three CITED Special Interest Group meetings have been held so far and a third is planned for October 1994 in Athens. The meetings are open to any individual or organisation with a particular interest in the issues surrounding copyright in the digital environment. It is hoped that a further sequence of regional European meetings will be held later in the year. Further information on this project c an be obtained from Sarah Keates, in the IFLA Office

COPICAT

A new European Commission project is getting underway aimed at finding a solution to the copyright issues raised by remote use of educational materials through computer networks. The British Library is one of the partners in the project called Copyright Ownership Protection in Computer Assisted Training or COPICAT and which, if successful, should have important implications for improving the avai lability of learning materials.

Project EXLIB (Materials for the visually handicapped)

The Office has been represented on the EXLIB Expert Users' Group during 1993. EXLIB (The Expansion of European Library Systems for the Visually Disabled) is an EU project concerned with improving access to library services for visually disabled people. At the end of the 18 month project the aim is to produce models, guidelines,and specifications on the standards necessary to enable these users to have the same access to catalogues, library services and document delivery as sighted users. The work of the Expert Users' Group has been of an advisory nature.

Share the Vision

This is a project to improve the services of public libraries in the UK for visually handicapped persons. The Programme continues to offer professional advice for this programme through representation on its management committee.

Availability of audiovisual materials

This project has moved on very slowly for some time. The goal is to identify current practice in relation to the collection of audiovisual material and devise some outline guidance for the establishment and practice of legal deposit for these material. Some visit shave been carried out by a consultant on behalf of the programme and further progress is awaited.

MURIEL

The Office has just signed a contract with the EU for this project which is to devise a distance learning package to train library and information workers to use high technology materials. The Office will be involved in designing the use requirement and also looking at the copyright problems as well as testing the final product on library staff.

Portugal

Under the auspices of the British Library and the British Council, the Programme Office coordinated a project to examine the feasibility of a document supply centre for Portugal.

CONFERENCES AND MEETINGS GL'93

The First International Conference on Grey Literature was held at the RAI Congress Centre, Amsterdam 1993 on 13 15 December 1993. IFLA/UAP was represented on the Program Committee set up for this important conference, along with EAGLE, FID, JICST, KNAW, LC and NTIS. With a general consensus that access to grey literature could be vastly improved with standardisation, better bibliographic control and networks, it is hoped that the conference will have played a part towards greater accessibility. Proceedings of the conference will be available during the first quarter of 1994 from the organisers TransAtlantic in Amsterdam.

UAP Workshop in Abidjan

A UAP workshop was held in Abidjan to serve Francophone West Africa in July, funded largely by Unesco. Some 10 countries were represented. A full report will be published in IFLA journal in due course.

Other meetings

A major opportunity to promote the philosophy behind UAP was given when the Programme Officer was invited to give the Keynote address at the Prague Libraries Fair. The Fair was opened by the Czech Minister of Culture who attended for the Keynote address which focused on the importance of government taking an active role to achieve the goals of UAP. Staff also presented papers at the DELTA meeting of the EU (on electronic distance learning materials) in Brussels; the 2nd Pan Hellenic Academic Librarians Conference at Patras, a NORDINFO meeting on document delivery in Stockholm; a NEWSPLAN (on newspaper preservation) in Durham (UK); Electronic Imaging & the Visual Arts (London & Paris); National Acquisitions Group (Guildford); Eat Anglian Online User Group (Cambridge, UK), Surrey & Sussex Libraries in Cooperation (Gatwick); Library Networking & Electronic Media (Bielefied); British Computer Society (London); Internet World & Document Delivery (London); Networking Alliance (Newcastle). The Programme Officer also attended two meeting sin Luxembourg at the European Commission, one dealing with electronic copyright and library related projects and the other on the subject of reprograp hy and library requirements.

Teaching on copyright and its implications for availability continues with Aslib and the London Business School on a regular basis. Invitations to make presentations on seminars continue to exceed the capacity of the staff to meet them!

REPRESENTATION

The Office has been actively involved in the setting up of an 'Opportunities in Europe Group'. The basic aim of the Group is to provide a forum for exchange of experience and education for UK library and information science professionals seeking opportunities to participate in the development of library and information services throughout Europe.

A member of the team has recently joined the Information for Development Coordinating Committee (IDCC).The IDCC assists with the coordination of organisations in the UK concerned with various aspects of information provision, technology, and policy and related education and training with particular regard to the needs and concerns of developing countries.

The Office was also represented at a meeting between ICSU and Unesco on copyright issues in Paris and the Programme Officer has been appointed to a panel of experts on copyright issues for the European Commission.

Representation also continues on various copyright committees especially in the UK where a careful watch is kept on legal trends which may limit availability and access.

PUBLICATIONS

Several new titles have been, or are in the process of being, published. The first is the Workshop on Access to Third World Journals and Conferences proceedings which was held in Barcelona on 26 August 1993. The papers cover several themes including the major consideration of improving access both within and outside the third world to publications that originate there.The publication includes a b rief summary of main areas identified during the workshop for further consideration and some recommendations for action.

After considerable delay for various technical reasons, the papers from the Pre Conference Seminar on Document Supply for Developing Countries, held in Paris in 1989, have at last been published. Despite their age they still represent the only easily accessible record of this aspect of library development in many countries.

The Proceedings of the 3rd Interlending and Document Supply International Conference which was held in Budapest in March April 1993 have also just been published and editing of the papers from the UAP workshop Document Supply in Eastern Europe is well under way and these will be available from the Office at a low price. The workshop was held in Budapest in March 1993.

The Guide to Centres of International Lending and Copying. 4th ed. has sold very well and there have already been requests for a new edition. Plans are now being made for a completely new edition.

A full list of titles published by the IFLA Offices for UAP and International Lending is available form the Office on request.

The Office has continued to publish semi annual reviews and bibliographies in Interlending and Document Supply. It has also continued to compile the Miscellany section of the journal.

Since last year staff have had papers published in the following journals: Asian Libraries, Interlending & Document Supply, IFLA Journal, Learned Publishing, New Beacon, Journal of Document and Text Management, Audiovisual Librarian, Documentation et Bibliotheques, Tietopalvelu, Tidskrift for Dokumentation, Inspel, Tudományos es Müszaki Tájékoztatás, Journal of In terlibrary Loan & Information Supply Information Services & Use, Bibliiotheksdienst, Journal of Education of Librarianship & Information Science, Journal of Documentation and Journal of Librarianship & Information Science. An interview with the Programme Officer was also published in the Tenth Birthday commemorative booklet produced by the National Repository Library in Kuopio, Finland.

The Programme Officer has also been invited to become the editor of the journal Library Management. Members of IFLA with interesting ideas on this subject are invited to contact Graham Cornish to discuss the possibility of writing an article for this journal.

The Office continues to sell the IFLA international loan/photocopy forms. During the first half of the year, 36,600 forms were sold, a figure which is very similar to last year.

ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS

Staffing and Administration The IFLA/Copyright team considerably increased in number during 1993 and now consists of 6 members, 3 of whom are part time. In view of the various changes, a complete list of the main areas of responsibility of each member is given in the UAP Newsletter.

Communications

The Office is now fully linked to the Internet system. All staff can be reached on a general e-mail address IFLA@bl.uk. and individual members of the team can be reached by using the formula: firstname.lastname@bl.uk. The General Office telephone number is +44 937 546255 (which is the number for Judy Watkins and Sara Gould); other numbers are 546123 (Graham Cornish); 546124 (Sarah Keates); 546254 (Pauline Connolly); 546465 (Margaret Barwick) and 546028 (David Bradbury).

Newsletter availability

The UAP Newsletter can be received electronically. Contact the general address above or Pauline Connolly direct.

Finance

The funds from IFLA HQ continue to fall short of the requirements of the Programme and considerable reliance has to be placed on obtaining contracts outside the scope of the IFLA Programme as such to support the staffing of the office and its travelling expenses. The British library continues to offer substantial support in terms of accommodation and supporting services.

Links with IFLA

The Programme continues to enjoy good links with IFLA HQ, enhanced by the use of electronic mail. Our "link person" with the PB is Ulrich Montag who continues to give us great support and shows real interest in the work of the Programme which is much appreciated.

THE FUTURE

Apart from the on going projects described earlier the Programme has several projects at the planning stage.

Document supply for Africa

Discussions are taking place with colleagues from Nordic countries to seek funding for an experimental document supply service for African libraries.

Intellectual Barriers to Availability

Preliminary thought is being given to a major conference to look at the barriers to UAP created by such issues as politics, ideology, religion, racial and cultural discrimination and sexual discrimination. Watch this space for further details. 4th & 5th. Interlending & Document Supply International Conferences Preliminary discussions are taking place to hold these conferences in North American and Europe respectively, rather than hold one conference which will serve the whole world. Watch this space for more details. The 4th. Conference will possibly be held in Canada.

UAP Workshops

A further workshop is planned for Bangkok later in the year to serve South East Asia. This will also be funded by Unesco with, it is hoped, commercial sponsorship as well. Discussions are continuing with the thai Library association and other colleagues.

Publications

Plans are being laid to produce the Guide to Centres of Interlending and Copying in a completely new format with much wider contents. We hope to produce a guide to Document supply rather than just interlending and this will include commercial suppliers, information services with a document supply element and journal subscription agents and others. It may be desirable to provide a traditional ILL directory and a separate document supply volume. In any case, we hope to offer this on disc rather than just as a paper product.

The Programme has also offered to publish the papers from the Barcelona workshop on "New Ways for Information Delivery". Suggestions for other publications will be welcomed by the Programme staff. The programme of publishing articles in various journals continues. Articles are in hand for IFLA Journal, Alexandria, Inspel and others.

Lectures

Apart from those planned by the programme the Programme Officer will attend the NORDINFO meeting in Copenhagen in September to speak about electronic copyright and also the future o the library professional.

Working with other IFLA elements

The year has been one of considerable activity, as I hope this report shows. The Programme has worked closely with IFLA HQ to devise projects which might attract funding and support from Unesco, with some reasonable success. Increasingly this responsibility has been devolved from HQ with, in the opinion of the UAP Programme, very positive results. Our relationships with the PB through Ulrich Mont ag continue to be excellent. Our view is that this method of liaison is working very effectively. The Programme has worked with the Sections on Interlending & Document Supply and also other ALP Programme. Close liaison is maintained with UBC especially over copyright issues. The Programme also works extensively with ELP and will expand this role when the Publishers Relations Committee is established.

Long term and Medium Term Programmes

Virtually all the Programme's activities support the concepts behind the IFLA Long Term Programme of exploring the changing role of libraries and their relationships with the wider information industry (publishers, brokers, etc.) and the improvement of access and availability to information. The involvement in the CITED, COPICAT and MURIEL ProjectS particularly accords well with the development a nd application of new technology.

The work done also supports the Programme's own MTP. The numerous seminars and conferences to which presentations have been made enable the awareness of the goals of the Programme to be heightened throughout the information world, not just in libraries. The extensive work done on copyright allows the Programme to investigate one of the most important barriers to transfer of information and the work on electronic publishing exactly fits with the goal of monitoring changing patterns of publishing.