MAURICE B. LINE and A. SANDISON
The term ‘obsolescence’ occurs frequently in the literature of librarianship and information science. In numerous papers we are told how most published literature becomes obsolete…
Abstract
The term ‘obsolescence’ occurs frequently in the literature of librarianship and information science. In numerous papers we are told how most published literature becomes obsolete within a measurable time, and that an item receives half the uses it will ever receive (‘half‐life’) in a few years. ‘Obsolescence’ is however very rarely defined, and its validity, interest, and practical value are often assumed rather than explained. Before reviewing studies on ‘obsolescence’, therefore, it is necessary to look at the concept and to identify the reasons why it should be of interest.
David N Wood and A Ekers
Official publications at the British Library Lending Division include the published and ‘semi‐published’ documents of national and inter‐governmental departments, agencies and…
Abstract
Official publications at the British Library Lending Division include the published and ‘semi‐published’ documents of national and inter‐governmental departments, agencies and fringe bodies, together with local government publications. The maintenance of such a collection presents special problems and the Division has a special section to deal with these. The general principles for selection depend upon the categories being acquired. British official publications published by HMSO are received on a subscription basis. Those not published by HMSO are either selected individually, or acquired under depository arrangements with the issuing Department. British local government publications are being acquired through a firm specializing in local government documentation. Foreign official publications are either acquired on demand, or obtained through back up libraries such as the Official Publications Library of the British Library Reference Division or via international interlibrary loan. There are special arrangements to acquire the output of particular inter‐governmental organizations such as OECD, FAO, Unesco, IAEA and the Division has been a main depository library for all EC publications since 1973. Thousands of official reports from the United States are acquired through agencies such as NTIS and ERIC. Recording and shelving of official publications vary according to the type of publication eg serial, monograph, microfiche etc. Some of the material acquired is indexed in the Division's publication British Reports, Translations and Theses and selected input is forwarded for inclusion in SIGLE (System for Information on Grey Literature in Europe).
The acquisitions policies of the Division are based on a consideration of a number of criteria—academic level, demand, availability and speed of supply from elsewhere, and country…
Abstract
The acquisitions policies of the Division are based on a consideration of a number of criteria—academic level, demand, availability and speed of supply from elsewhere, and country of publication. Only ‘worthwhile’ literature is collected, and apart from the serials area where a comprehensive collection is maintained, low demand categories of literature are collected only if availability elsewhere is non‐existent, restricted or slow. Among its 51,500 current serials are conventional journals, directories, yearbooks, report series, a few technical newspapers, some standards series and many official publications (particularly British). Including secondhand material, over 100,000 books are acquired each year. Most of these are in English but many foreign language items are brought in response to demand. Other categories of literature acquired are dissertations, research reports, research series in microform and music. The preferred method of obtaining serials is through a subscription agency. Although British books are selected in house, the majority of books are obtained by means of approval programmes. In addition, the Division has many exchange arrangements.
As librarians and information officers become increasingly aware that their main function should be to provide an efficient service for their users, more attention is being paid…
Abstract
As librarians and information officers become increasingly aware that their main function should be to provide an efficient service for their users, more attention is being paid to discovering what type of service is required. Any service must be based on the information needs of the users, and as a means of determining these the organized use study has achieved a position of prominence in recent years.
Stephen Vickers and David N Wood
IFLA's Universal Availability of Publications programme is concerned with highlighting and solving problems concerned with the widest possible availability of recorded knowledge…
Abstract
IFLA's Universal Availability of Publications programme is concerned with highlighting and solving problems concerned with the widest possible availability of recorded knowledge. Its concern includes the improvement of access to grey literature (material not available through normal bookselling channels) at both national and international levels. At the national level centralization linking bibliographic control and availability is advocated. A centralized approach has already been adopted in the UK where the British Library Lending Division has developed a fairly comprehensive collection of report literature, translations, theses, conference proceedings and back up documents to synopsis journals etc. Through its monthly publication, British Reports Translations and Theses, it is also involved with the bibliographic control of grey literature.
D.N. WOOD and C.A. BOWER
The paper presents the results of a survey of the use of social science periodicals carried out at the National Lending Library during a period of four weeks in 1968…
Abstract
The paper presents the results of a survey of the use of social science periodicals carried out at the National Lending Library during a period of four weeks in 1968. Three‐quarters of the requests came from universities and industrial organizations and over 90% of the requests were for English language publications. Over a fifth of the requests were for seventeen titles. There were marked variations in the subject matter requested by different types of organizations and although the overall ‘half‐life’ of the literature proved to be 3½ years this figure varied considerably from one subject to another. Concerning the sources of references, it was discovered that compared with scientists and technologists social scientists make relatively little use of abstracting and indexing publications. Appendixes include a copy of the questionnaire used in the survey, a list of titles requested six or more times, and a list of abstracting and indexing publications cited five or more times as sources of references.
Considers some of the more recent developments in the BritishLibrary as a whole and how they are likely to impact on the range andquality of the Document Supply Centre′s services…
Abstract
Considers some of the more recent developments in the British Library as a whole and how they are likely to impact on the range and quality of the Document Supply Centre′s services. Discusses budgetary pressures and market testing undertaken to determine cost effectiveness, objectives, priorities and goals. Concludes that the DSC cannot rely on past success in the light of increasing competition, and is implementing a total quality programme in order to succeed.
Details
Keywords
In retrospect, the process of merging the National Central Library with the National Lending Library for Science and Technology might appear to have moved with clockwork precision…
Abstract
In retrospect, the process of merging the National Central Library with the National Lending Library for Science and Technology might appear to have moved with clockwork precision and with little dissent. Logic and far‐sighted planning might now seem to have been inexorable.
The review begins with a study of several analyses of statistics relating to interlibrary loan. The subjective nature of some of these is stressed and the danger of using…
Abstract
The review begins with a study of several analyses of statistics relating to interlibrary loan. The subjective nature of some of these is stressed and the danger of using statistical data in isolation is highlighted. Statistical evidence is also brought into the discussion about the conflict between interlending and preservation which centres on the difference between the book and the text. Whilst two authors take a rather conservative approach, the third looks on the problem with a more liberal attitude. Although the intrinsic safety of the materials involved is a partial barrier to interlending in developing countries, writers from both Africa and Latin America emphasize the major obstacles to advancing ILL are professional attitudes and jealousies. The proceedings of a seminar in India are reported in which a number of participants put forward possible interlending models for their country. The deliberations in Australia also centre round the alternative models available, and arguments over the costs involved persist leading to some novel arguments about making ILL a free service. The development of interlending in Illinois is examined in some detail. The impact of interlending on acquisitions policies is discussed in two papers which show that interlending is still a backup for low use material when viewed in this context. The review closes with a discussion of the future particularly in terms of money and resources which are likely to become more and more limited. The demise of the US plan for a National Periodicals Center is used to show that money and power are major elements in deciding the fate of interlending schemes.
The British Library Lending Division came into being in 1973 when the National Central Library was integrated with the stock and services of the National Lending Library for…
Abstract
The British Library Lending Division came into being in 1973 when the National Central Library was integrated with the stock and services of the National Lending Library for Science and Technology at Boston Spa. The original buildings have been added to by specially designed accommodation. The loan/photocopy service, based on the use of a pre‐paid three‐part request form, has been supplemented by computer requesting, links through database operators such as DIALOG, and the telephone for urgent requests. Road/rail transport links with many parts of the country have been introduced and now account for over half of all items dispatched. A rapid growth in demand in the first seven years was followed by a decline and then a levelling off in 1982/83. The proportion of demand accounted for by International Services increased from 9% in 1973/74 to 21% in 1982/83. The Division has developed close connections with IFLA and the European Communities. As a result of a British Library Ad hoc Working Party on Union Catalogues, which reported in 1982, the Division's stock records and union catalogues are being automated. The British Union Catalogue of Periodicals ceased to be issued and its bibliographic function was replaced by Serials in the British Library, issued by the Bibliographic Services Division from 1981. Certain libraries with large or important stocks were designated to serve as backup collections; from 1979 more requests went to backups than were provided with locations. The British Library Reference Division has not only supplied photocopies as a backup but begun to lend items held in the Department of Oriental Manuscripts and Printed Books and the Science Reference Library. Close relations have been maintained with users and with relevant organizations. The acquisitions policy established in 1973 has changed little, though music scores were added in 1974, and rationalization of resources with Reference Division has resulted in a small drop in the number of serials acquired. The British National Book Centre activities of the NCL were merged with the donations activities of the NLLST to form the Gift and Exchange Section. Until 1982 the service was free but economies on staff and resources led to a restricted and priced service. Courses in the use of the scientific literature were extended to other subjects but had to be terminated as an economy measure in 1980. For similar reasons the ad hoc translating service was discontinued at the end of 1981. The cover‐to‐cover translations of (mainly Russian) scientific and technical journals sponsored by the NLLST have continued as part of the Division's extensive publication programme, which now recovers all its costs. Cost recovery increased from a quarter to a half of all expenditure over the period. The Division has kept up with relevant developments in automation and electronic publishing.