Full text |
task of directing and co-ordinating the whole interconnecting System. In
Bonn, this function would be discharged by the Bundestag Library ;
- thirdly, the participating libraries must have well-qualified specialist staff.
Only in this way it will be possible — as I shall describe later — to arrange
for a suitable division of labour.
What other measures can be adopted to bring about real improvements
once that these minimum requirements in respect of organisation and per-
sonnel have been met?
- firstly, there should be agreed arrangements for collecting the publi-
cations of the individual ministries. In the past, there has been no scheme
for this and as a resuit there is no access point for an outsider wishing to
obtain the literature of a given ministry ;
- secondly, arrangements for collecting the specialised works used by only a
highly circumscribed category of persons. I am thinking in this case, for
example, of the publications of the Ministry of Defence or the numerous in-
structions and information pamphlets issued by the postal and railway
authorities. Such a collection is normally of no interest whatsoever for a
third library ;
- thirdly, arrangements for purchasing expensive works. Although they are
not often used, it is impossible to do -without them altogether. An example
of this would be the Prognos Reports ;
- arrangements for the storage of old stocks with one particular library
being entrusted with the task of keeping records. In future, the Bundestag
Library will fulfîll this function ;
- arrangements for the delivery ter ms granted by the book trade in general
and the basis of calculation for foreign literature in particular. Another
point is the prices charged for book binding ;
- drawing up standard texts for the correspondence involved in the various
administrative processes in order to avoid the time-consuming drafting of
individual letters for similar subjects ;
standardisation of library statistics so as to be able to compare the per-
formance of individual libraries ;
the use of standard rules for title-cataloguing in order to be able to use
the titles supplied by the various libraries in a central catalogue ;
introduction of a standard size of catalogue cards ;
use of a standard classification System for subject matter.
Needless to say, these examples I have quoted by way of future
rationalisation measures would be possible without the use of electronic data
processing. However, let us now take a look at the functioning of a
computerised network System and the advantages it promises to furnish.
The planning has been based on the assumption that an integrated
38 ! Bibliotheekgids—J g. 54 — nr. 1 —1978
|