Bibliography Section

Review of activities 2001-2002

by
Talbott Huey
Secretary of the Section on Bibliography
Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA

Scope of the Section on bibliography

The Section on Bibliography is primarily concerned with the content, arrangement, production, dissemination and preservation of bibliographic information, especially (but not exclusively) where these pertain to national bibliographic services. It is also concerned with the promotion of the importance of the discipline of bibliography to library professionals in all types of library (not just national libraries), to publishers, distributors and retailers and also to end-users. While taking full account of technological possibilities, the Section is aware that such developments are not yet fully available in some areas of the world, and it will ensure that its solutions are not necessarily dependent on particular technologies. The Section is closely associated, where appropriate, not only with other Sections within the Division of Bibliographic Control and with the UBCIM Programme, but also with the Sections on Information Technology and National Libraries.

Standing Committee Membership and Officers

106 associations, institutions, and personal affiliates are currently members of the Section.

For the period 2001-2003 there are twenty full members, four corresponding members, and four honorary advisors. The following nations are represented: Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iran, Italy, Norway, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Slovenia, Sweden, United Kingdom, United states of America. Bohdana Stoklasova of the Czech National Library is chair and treasurer, and Talbott Huey of Michigan State University Libraries, USA, is secretary. Kirsten Waneck of the Danish Bibliographic Centre serves as information coordinator.

Actions 2001-2002

1. to encourage the implementation of the recommendations of the International Conference on National Bibliographic Services (1998), chiefly by disseminating these as widely as possible;
2. to improve bibliographic information and the use of national standards and guidelines;
3. to promote cooperation with the publishing industry in the preparation on national bibliographies;
4. to monitor and promote publication of bibliographies in electronic form;
5. to monitor and promote the inclusion of Internet resources in bibliographies. (For the complete Strategic Plan, see http://www.ifla.org/VII/s12/sb.htm).

Section working groups have been set up to implement the various aspects of the Plan, as follows:

• arranging for the editing and publishing (electronically) of the Bell-Langballe Report listing effective national bibliographic services by country. (See http://www.ifla.org/VII/s12/sb.htm#3)
• publishing (electronically) the Knutsen Report updating the 1996 Holley survey concerning national bibliographies. (See http://www.ifla.org/VII/s12/sb.htm#3)
• planning an open session for the Glasgow conference on the publishing industry and national bibliographies. (See the conference schedule at http://www.ifla.org/IV/ifla68/prog02.htm)
• planning a workshop for Glasgow on dealing with electronic resources in national bibliographies. (See the conference schedule at http://www.ifla.org/IV/ifla68/prog02.htm)
• developing and testing guidelines for publishing national bibliographies in electronic form.
• working with the Section on Classification and Indexing to investigate subject gateways to Internet bibliographies.
• planning a workshop for the Glasgow conference on selection criteria to assist in the effort to select electronic resources for national bibliographies.

Conference Programs and Workshops

Boston, 2001:

At an Open Session sponsored by the Section entitled "Bibliography: indispensable or redundant," several speakers looked at the current state and prospects for national bibliography in the 21st century. Michael Gorman spoke on "Bibliographic control or chaos: an agenda for national bibliographic services in the 21st century." Claudia Werner described the experience of Die Deutsche Bibliothek in selecting internet resources for the national bibliography. John Celli of the Library of Congress reported on the New Books Project, involving revised CIP. David Balatti of the National Library of Canada reviewed the fifty-year history of the Canadian National Bibliography.

The Section and the Section on National Libraries sponsored a workshop discussing "What makes a good national bibliography even better? Current situation and future prospects." Keynoted by Barbara Bell and Anne Langballe reporting on their recently completed study of how national bibliographies are following the recommendations of the International Conference on National Bibliographic Services (1998), and Unni Knutsen reporting on her survey of recent national bibliographic practices, a further seven participants added complementary views from around the world.

Attendance at both sessions was good.

Glasgow, 2002:

In cooperation with the Section on National Libraries, the Section on Bibliography will sponsor an Open Session at the Glasgow conference, on Wednesday, August 21 (14:00-16:30). Speakers will include Bohdana Stoklasova of the Czech National Library, Alan Danskin and John Byford of the British Library, and Graham Taylor of the Publishers Association (U.K.). The topic is the problems and prospects of cooperation between the publishing industry and national bibliographic agencies on matters such as legal deposit, CIP, etc. Talbott Huey of the Section on Bibliography will chair.

On Thursday, August 22 (8:30-12) the Section and the Section on National Libraries will present a workshop on the topic "Bibliographic control or chaos? How to treat remote electronic resources in national bibliographies." Chaired by Kirsten Waneck, the session features John Byrum of the Library of Congress, Elena Zhabko of the Russian National Library, Pam Gatenby of the National Library of Australia, Randi Diget Hansen of the Danish Bibliographic Centre, Stina Degerstedt of the Swedish Royal Library, and Robert Smith of the British Library.

July 1, 2002