Code Number: 026-129-E
Division Number: VIII
Professional Group: Regional Section: Asia and Oceania
Joint Meeting with: -
Meeting Number: 129
Simultaneous Interpretation:   Yes

The Internet as a Means of Information Resources' Integration: the Regional Aspect

Abstract

Taking into account regional interests we are looking forward to compiling a comprehensive guide-book on data bases generated by libraries, information and research institutions of the Siberian - Far Eastern region.

Paper

Presence of Siberian and the Far Eastern libraries in the Internet has become the reality of today. Largerly the introduction of this new technology of information co-exchange is due to certain national programs, such as: LibWeb, Russian Libraries in the Internet, The Network of Russian Universities, etc. A substantial role is played by Soros' Foundation granting.

However, the fact of instillation into the Internet does not itself guarantee the improvement of informational situation. Libraries, joining this system, are facing the necessity of solving at least 2 main problems: both of making rational use of its resources in the interests of their clients as well as of providing access to their own products. The last one is gaining more and more importance since financial conditions our libraries have been squeesed into nowadays do not favour the formation of relavant information resources of separate libraries. Real accessability of information could be achieved only by joint efforts of all the libraries within the frames of the territory.

There are 2 libraries in the region of Siberia and the Far East that receive due to the existing law a compulsory free of charge copy of native printed press: the State Public Scientific-Technical Library of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (SPSL SB RAS) and the Far-Eastern State Scientific Library. Both libraries' WWW-sites contain catalogues of their collections. The electronic catalogue of the SPSL SB RAS has about 250.000 records since 1992, including monographs, conferences' proceedings, periodicals, etc. (Fig. 2). Besides, the Library WWW-site also contains catalogues of collections offered for International Book-Exchange. Friendly interface allows to conduct all kinds of search using the whole unity of linguistic means (bibliographic description, classification indeces, key-words, etc.) The access is free of charge (URL:http://info.spsl.nsc.ru/). The electronic catalogue of the Far-Eastern State Scientific Library contains more than 150.000 records since 1994 (http://www.fessl.ru).

However, we can't but admit the fact that the right of having a compulsory deposit copy does not now guarantee the complitness of its receipt. According to the available data, the Library does not obtain about 40% of the native printed press published yearly. Mainly these are editions printed in the province. Therefore, it is very important for each library of the region to have an opportunity of presenting information about its collections. Electronic catalogues of the Novosibirsk State Territorial Scientific Library (http://rstlib.nsc.ru), Scientific Library of Tomsk University (http://www.lib.tsu.ru) and the Far-Eastern University (http://www.dvgu.ru) have recently become also available through the Internet.

We should state that it was not until recently that the first step towards the corporative catalogization and creation the system like OCLC has been made in our country. But it is clear even now that taking into account our territorial remoteness, rather low speed of dissaminating information and complicated conditions we have to create the regional library system for carrying out this work. An electronic catalogue of the SPSL SB RAS may be taken as a basis being the most complete among the others. At present we are working out the relavant software and technology of cooperation in the network of libraries of scientific-research institutions of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences using the Protocol Z 39-50.

As far as retrospective conversion of catalogues is concerned it is the task the solution of which demands longer period of time taking into account the contemporary financial situation and scanty technical means. At present the most reasonable variant way may be stated as follows: each library registered as a member of the regional destributed depository system of storing library collections singles out the most valuable part in accordance to the profile of its collections (copies lacking in the collections of other libraries) and compiles an electronic catalogue as a constitutive part of the Combined Catalogue, available through the Internet. Another stage consists in creating data bases aimed not only at satisfying information needs but also at playing the role of insurance collections. The first step has already been made - information about the existing system with brief characteristics of collections is available in the Internet. Besides, the Library Home Page makes its visitors acquainted with the collections compiled by the Rare Book Museum, which sphere of interests includes not only hand-written and old-printed books of the 14-18 centures, the history of their being and usage on the territories of Siberia and the Far East, but also modern rare and low-copied editions, reflecting cultural and spiritual development of the regional community. The nearest perspective of making the unique collections of this Department available through the Internet is a data base on Pushkin's works printed in his lifetime (to the jubilee of the poet) and catalogues of territorial collections of hand-written and old-printed books in the region of Siberia and the Far East being compiled on the basis of materials to the Combined Catalogue.

The specificity of the regional growth is in the fact that by the beginning of the 1990-s it has occupied due to its natural resources, practically, the leading place in Russia's economy. The Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Agriculural and Medical Academies as well as other research institutions and educational establishments' activities produce a great number of scientific publications concerning different regional aspects.

There is a certain system of fixing documentory streams disclosing regional problems. Each territorial library takes on itself the compiling of local-lore literature data bases, including analytical surveys of publications about all aspects of social life on their territories. Partly they are present at the sites of the above-mentioned territorial libraries. All-Siberian information is cumulated in data bases produced by the SPSL that comprise documentory information on regional aspects of nature resources, economy, culture and history. Their greater part is also available through the Intrnet. The whole complex of these resources gives an opportunity to get rather a substantial and complex information about the region.

Such a component of regional information resources as data bases generated by scientific-research institutions may also present a particular interest to the community. More often they are used as a working tool inside these institutions, but a number of them are also available through the Internet. For example, in the nearest future a data base consisting of works of its scientists will be introduced at the Web-site of the Institute of High-tension Current Electronics (http://www.hcei.tomsk.su/).

The Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics is one from a small number of research institutions, working in this field of science. Here a data base on various kinds of observations is now being created that is partly available through the Internet (http://ieie.nsc.ru:8101/). And such examples are growing in number (Fig. 5).

One of the earnests for these integrative information resources to be actively used is their accessability. WWW addresses of regional libraries can be found also at the Web-site of the SPSL, those of scientific-research institutions - at the Web-sites of the academies they belong to. A system including navigators on all branches of science and production activities developing in the region is being worked out as well as guide-books containing data about the whole complex of information resources on the territory of Siberia and the Far East. The last one that came out of print in 1998 reflected the situation with data bases availability in 23 largest libraries of the region.

One of the most important directions is users' and librarians' training to work in the Internet. In a number of regional libraries there function the Internet classes, sponsored by Soros' foundation. In the SPSL the staff of academic and other libraries is also taught at continual practical courses. The range of questions correlates with the problems actual for each library: information resources' co-exchange, using the Internet for the Interlibrary loan purposes (electronic document delivery), an access to full-text data bases of the largest world publishing houses such as Springer Verlag, Wiley, Elsevier, Kluwer...

The next problem to be solved is that of creating the system of mirror sites within the region (on the basis of the WWW-site of the SPSL in particular), since the rate of data transmitting does not satisfy today's demands to the quality of such processes as, for example, providing access to full texts of scientific journals, available at the sites of the largest foreign publishing Houses.

In 1998 on the basis of the largest library of the Asian part of Russia - the State Public Scientific-Technical Library of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Scienses, thanks to the financial support on the part of the Institute "Open Society", there was founded the Siberian Regional Library Centre for Continual Education, aimed at uniting the efforts of library and information establishments of the Siberian - Far Eastern region in developing informational, scientific and staff potentials. This Centre organizes stationary and guest training courses for regional libraries, one of the main themes being "The Internet in Libraries".

Taking into account regional interests we are looking forward to compiling a comprehensive guide-book on data bases, generated by libraries, research and information institutions of Siberia and the Far East reflecting all aspects of science, production and society development and available in the Internet. One of the most actual forms of professional interconnection could be the creation of virtual conference under the aegis of the Section Chair that would assist the effective discussion of problems common to the librariens of the region. We think it will favour the integration of regional information resources, their growth and usage and also the popularization of libraries' activities in opening Gateways to an Enlightened World.

Schematic Diagram is unavailable. Please contact authors.

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Data base produced by the State Public Scientific-Technical Library of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Science (SPSL SB RAS) that are available in the Internet

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Data-bases on some Regional Problems produced by Siberian Research Institutions

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LIST OF AUTHORS

1. Boris S. Elepov, Professor, Head of the State Public Scientific-Technical Library of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (SPSL SB RAS)

Address: 15 Voskhod Str., 630200 Novosibirsk, Russia

Tel.(home): (383-2) 35-55-19; Tel.(work): (383-2) 66-18-60

Fax: (383-2) 66-33-65; E-mail: LIBR@SPSL.NSC.RU

Title of the paper: The Internet as Means of Information Resources' Integration: the Regional Aspect

Language: English

2. Elena B. Soboleva, Dr., Deputy-Head of the SPSL SB RAS

Tel.(home): (383-2) 20-26-13; Tel.(work): (383-2) 66-18-60

Fax: (383-2) 66-33-65; E-mail: LIBR@SPSL.NSC.RU

3. Olga P. Fedotova, Dr., Deputy-Head of the Centre of Complex Service, SPSL SB RAS

Tel.(home): (383-2) 11-73-18; Tel.(work): (383-2) 66-39-77

Fax: (383-2) 66-33-65; E-mail: FEDOT-ST@ONLINE.NSK.SU

4. Andrei V.Shabanov, Dr., the Department of Automated Systems, SPSL SB RAS

Tel.(home): (383-2)36-60-24; Tel.(work): (383-2)66-75-79

E-mail: SHABANOV@SPSL.NSC.RU