The Swiss National Library

1992 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 187-195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean Frédéric Jauslin
Keyword(s):  
Information Service ◽  
Information Resources ◽  
Federal State ◽  
National Library ◽  
Information Centre ◽  
General Review ◽  
Provision Of Services ◽  
National Libraries ◽  
Information And Technology

This Swiss National Library, which dates from 1894, initially had the function of collecting Helvetica; later the construction of a union catalogue and the creation of a central information service were added to its responsibilities. It achieved much success, but from the 1970s reduced funds and a lack of foresight severely eroded its standing and role. Following the appointment of a new Director in 1990, a team of experts in information and technology was formed, a general review of the library's strengths and weaknesses was carried out, and an automation programme was started. A new policy has had to be defined for the role of a national library in a federal state. It is proposed that the library's responsibilities should include all kinds of information resources, and give equal attention to conversation and the provision of services, the latter particularly as an information centre for material of Swiss interest. Greatly increased funds and staff are being sought. A revision of the law relating to the National Library has been submitted to Parliament; this defines its collection policy (including legal deposit, which the library has not hitherto had) and prescribes its bibliographic services. These developments should lead to the regaining of a prominent position for the library and thence to a national coordination plan for Swiss libraries. The National Library will seek solutions for the problems posed by multilingualism. It will also look for cooperation with other national libraries in Europe.

The Changing Role of the National Library in the New Information Environment

1992 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 125-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graham P. Cornish
Keyword(s):  
National Archive ◽  
Information Environment ◽  
National Library ◽  
Cultural Attitudes ◽  
The Public ◽  
New Information ◽  
Technical Advances ◽  
Basic Characteristics ◽  
National Libraries

The new information environment is a combination of technical advances and cultural attitudes; both of these have major implications for the role of the national library. As part of a Unesco-funded study in 1990, a survey was carried out to determine how national libraries were coping with the present situation; the situation varies, but there is cause for concern. The three basic characteristics of a national library – that it is publicly funded, gives access to the public, and acts as the national archive of material published in the country – are all called into question. Functions such as collection building, exploitation of the collections, and creation of the national bibliographic record need to be rethought. The new information environment has much to contribute to the handicapped, and national libraries should ensure the development of services for those with special needs. They need to respond to the changing situation rapidly by taking the lead in their respective countries; failure to take the initiative will leave it to be taken by people who will make decisions on purely technical, economic or political grounds.

The National Libraries of the Countries of the Francophonie: A Comparative Study

2008 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 133-146
Author(s):  
Marcel Lajeunesse
Keyword(s):  
International Relations ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
International Organization ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
National Library ◽  
African Countries ◽  
National Archives ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
National Libraries

The International Organization of the Francophonie (Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie, OIF) which developed over the last decades of the twentieth century brings together, as of 2008, 53 State and government full members and 13 observer members, spread out over five continents. The Répertoire des bibliothèques nationales de la Francophonie, which is in its third edition (2008), presents index cards on every national library, or library fulfilling such a role, of each member or observer country. After presenting an overview of the International Organization of the Francophonie, this article looks at the creation of the national library in each country, legal deposit and national bibliography. Then, communication (websites) and international relations (membership of IFLA) are addressed. Of the 63 countries surveyed, only 9 countries do not have a national library, although the majority of these nine countries have another institution – a national documentation centre, public or parliamentary library or national archives – that normally fulfils the functions of a national library. It must be recognized that there is a large disparity between the national libraries of developed countries in Europe and North America and those in developing countries of sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and the Antilles. In some sub-Saharan African countries, the national library has only a nominal existence.

scholarly journals Experience and Problems of Increasing the Efficiency of Scientific Activity of National Libraries

2019 ◽  
Vol 68 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vladimir R. Firsov
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Research ◽  
Scientific Activity ◽  
Cultural Development ◽  
National Library ◽  
Important Place ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
State Of Research ◽  
Research Function ◽  
National Libraries

The purpose of the article is to substantiate the further development and increase of the efficiency of scientific research and scientific-methodical activity as the main type of activity of the National Libraries (NL). There is presented the analysis of the legal basis of the research function of NL — legislation in the field of librarianship, science and scientific and technological policy. The author considers the reflection of this function in the Statutes of NL of different times and stages of development. The article reveals the modern forms of institutionalization of scientific activity and scientometric approach to assessing the efficiency of scientific institutions. The author records the necessity of comparative analysis of the legal substantiation of the forms of organization and content of scientific activity of the National libraries of different countries. The author analyses domestic and foreign sources on this problem, as well as determines the scope of missing information for more profound and comprehensive assessment of the current state of research activities of NL. To this end, the author examines the official websites of the libraries and reveals the following results. Most of NL are engaged in scientific research. Based on the analysis, the article substantiates the conclusion about the presence of general trends in their content, corresponding to the modern requirements of socio-economic and cultural development. The author presents the conclusion on the need to develop scientific activity of the National Library of Russia in accordance with the “Concept of Development of the National Library of Russia for 2018—2025”. The article analyses the normative and regulatory documents of domestic and foreign NL, as well as the experience of domestic and foreign researchers over the past 20 years, which proves the important place and role of scientific research in the activities of the modern NL. The conducted analysis will contribute to improving the efficiency of scientific activities of NL, strengthening of their role as a scientific and methodological centre for the Central libraries of the Russian Federation, as well as the role of regional libraries in the formation of the research space and the environment of professional scientific communications.

The Library and Freedom of Information: Agent or Icon?

2001 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Sturges
Keyword(s):  
Information Resources ◽  
Freedom Of Information ◽  
Access To Information ◽  
National Library ◽  
Information Agent ◽  
The Right ◽  
Iconic Representations ◽  
National Libraries ◽  
Right Of Access ◽  
Access Mechanisms

It is through freedom of information legislation that states come closest to providing the full mechanism for access to files. Because the library holds information resources and provides services that promise access to information, it seems natural to suggest that the library, particularly the national library, is an agent for freedom of information. But the first element of true freedom of information is that a set of transparent and effective mechanisms exists so as to allow the right of access to be realized in practice; the second element is that access to files should not require the demonstration of any ‘need to know’. National libraries have collections of great size and diversity, and they can call on the resources of other libraries, nationally and internationally; but they are seldom open to all. Library access mechanisms can also be unduly complex, to the extent that only the committed user can get full value from them; in effect, libraries operate on a ‘need to know’ system. Libraries serve many invaluable purposes, but they are not so much agents of freedom of information as iconic representations of national commitment to freedom of information.

scholarly journals Library and Information Services on the Websites of National Libraries of Russia: Classification and Presentation Issues

2019 ◽  
Vol 68 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margarita Y. Dvorkina
Keyword(s):  
Information Service ◽  
Information Services ◽  
National Library ◽  
Full List ◽  
Main Page ◽  
Russian State ◽  
State Library ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
National Libraries

The purpose of this study is to identify and analyse services on the websites of national libraries of Russia. The author presents definition of the concept “library (library and information) service” and highlights the essence of these services. The article analyses how the services are presented on the official websites of national libraries: the Russian State Library (RSL), the National Library of Russia (NLR) and the Presidential Library named after B. Yeltsin (PL). The author uses the following methods: analysis of texts of library sites, comparison, generalization, classification analysis. RSL names the services on the main page of the website and provides the list of fee-based services. NLR also demonstrates services twice, but more complete list presents on the main page of the site. PL does not provide the full list of services on the website, but lists some services in the section “Access to Resources” (also, the site presents “The Price List of fee-based services (works)”. Electronic services of national libraries of Russia are allocated.The author characterizes classification of services on the website of each national library. Analysis of these services shows that they are not presented comprehensively (most fully in the RSL), and the services are called and classified by libraries in different ways. Users accessing different national libraries are not always able to understand exactly what services are described there.The article proposes classification of library and information services developed by the author. The classification is based on two attributes: the object that is requested by the user (document, reference, etc.), and the place of service. This classification can be used by both national and other libraries.

scholarly journals On issue of determining the fees for water supply (diversion) to agricultural producers on reclamed land

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. V. Slabunova ◽  
◽  
Yu. E. Domashenko ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Water Supply ◽  
Land Reclamation ◽  
Water Diversion ◽  
Federal State ◽  
Agricultural Producers ◽  
Role Of The State ◽  
Provision Of Services ◽  
Agricultural Producer ◽  
The Cost

Purpose: to analyze the organizational aspects of the charge formation for the provision of services on supply (diversion) of water for agricultural producers and to develop proposals for improving the economic mechanism for calculating the cost of these services. Results: the adoption of the Order of the Ministry of Agriculture no. 79 dated 02.18.2013 significantly strengthened the position of institutions in the validity of the provision of services for water supply (diversion) on a paid basis, creating general conditions throughout the country, which made it possible to ensure uninterrupted water supply in the required volumes to water consumers. However, there are still many questions on this issue. As a result of the research, the priority role of the state in the restoration and stable functioning of the land reclamation complex of the country was determined. The problems associated with the underfunding of state reclamation systems operation and non-compliance with environmental legislation have been identified. Conclusions: proposals regarding the current procedure have been developed: the conclusion of two contracts if necessary (both for water supply and diversion) between the FGBU on land reclamation and the water consumer; the imposing of costs associated with penalties in case of exceeding the permissible discharge of pollutants on the agricultural producer in the contract for water diversion; the inclusion of costs for compensation of harm caused to aquatic biological resources as a result of activities for the water supply (withdrawal) resources in the costs of providing services for water supply (diversion); differentiation of formulas for calculating the cost of services for the supply (diversion) of water to agricultural producers on irrigated lands and other consumers not for the purposes of agricultural production. It is necessary to amend the charters of the Federal State Budgetary Institution on Land Reclamation, providing for the attribution of services for the supply (removal) of water to the main partially paid types of activities, and the establishment at the legislative level of the mandatory conclusion of contracts for the provision of services for the supply (removal) of water.

scholarly journals Online Bibliographic Products: Theory Issues and the Practice of the Russian State Library and the National Library of Russia

2018 ◽  
Vol 67 (5) ◽  
pp. 501-512
Author(s):  
Grigoriy L. Levin
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Research Work ◽  
Information Resources ◽  
Specific Structure ◽  
Bibliographic Databases ◽  
Methodological Issues ◽  
National Library ◽  
Russian State ◽  
State Library ◽  
National Libraries

The article highlights the research work “Information and bibliographic activities in the modern electronic environment”, “Electronic bibliographic products in the structure of information resources of Federal and Central regional libraries” carried out by the Scientific research Department of bibliography of the Russian State Library in 2017 — the first half of 2018. The author considers a number of general theoretical and methodological issues: what are the library’s information resources; what is the place of bibliographic resources in their structure; and what is the type-specific structure of bibliographic resources of library, including electronic ones. The important part of the library’s information resources are bibliographic resources, including electronic of two main types (classes): innovative (bibliographic databases, electronic catalogues), and traditional (bibliographic catalogues-inventories, indexes, lists, reviews, etc.). The article presents the results of the comparative analysis of resources of the second type created in the Russian State Library and the National Library of Russia in 2009—2017.The websites of both libraries contain digital copies and electronic versions of printed bibliographic publications, as well as original bibliographic products (which have no printed analogues). Online bibliographic products have firmly taken their place in the structure of information resources of national libraries, somewhere supplementing them and somewhere replacing the printed format.

Public Libraries as National Libraries – The Caribbean Experience

1997 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 213-238 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheryl Peltier-Davis
Keyword(s):  
Public Libraries ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Dual Function ◽  
Library Services ◽  
National Library ◽  
National Heritage ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
National Libraries

While it is essential that national library functions and services are carried out, within the English-speaking Caribbean these functions can be provided by extending the role of the country's main public library. A questionnaire was administered in 1994 to 14 public libraries and one national library in the region to ascertain if public libraries performed any national library functions and if so to assess how effectively, with a view to formulating proposals as to how best this dual role could be achieved. The survey, in which 13 libraries participated, revealed that a majority of the libraries did in fact act as de facto national libraries, performing many of the functions of traditional national libraries, though there were major deficiencies (e.g. only seven had legal deposit, and only four produced national bibliographies). A structure for a dual-function Public/National Library is proposed, with three functional divisions (Public Library Services, Technical Services, and National Heritage) and a powerful National Library Services Board.

Scientific information resources for innovative development. History of one seminar

Infolib ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-7
Author(s):  
Umida Teshabayeva ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Information ◽  
Information Resources ◽  
Information Support ◽  
Innovative Development ◽  
National Library ◽  
Development History ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Republic ◽  
World Information

The article is devoted to the issues of access to electronic scientific and educational resources of the world’s leading publishers for universities and research centers of Uzbekistan. Organized with the support of the National library of Uzbekistan, the international seminar «Scientific information resources for innovative development» opened up opportunities for scientists, teachers, students and librarians to get important information for their activities. The history of the seminar organization and the great role of such events in information support, the entry of the Republic into the world information space and importance it in the innovative development of the country is described.

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