Bibliography Section

Review of activities 2002-2003

by
Bohdana Stoklasova and Talbott Huey

Scope of the Bibliography Section

The Bibliography Section 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

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

For the period 2001-2003 there were twenty full members, four corresponding members, and four honorary advisors. The following nations were 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 served as chair and treasurer in 2001-2003, and Talbott Huey of Michigan State University Libraries, USA, as secretary. Kirsten Waneck of the Danish Bibliographic Centre was information coordinator. In 2003 the Bibliography Section will have to elect its chair, treasurer and information coordinator in 2003. The members for 2003-2005 represent Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Macedonia, Norway, Russia, Spain, Slovenia, Sweden, UK, and USA.

Actions 2002-2003

According to its Strategic Plan for 2001-2003, the Section has tried to achieve its goals by the following actions:

Goal 1: Take appropriate action to encourage the implementation of the recommendations of the International Conference on National Bibliographic Services (ICNBS)

Goal 2: Promote the creation and improvement of bibliographic information and the use of international standards and guidelines.
Action:

A letter referring to the ICNBS was prepared, translated into the official IFLA languages, and sent to National Bibliographic Agencies worldwide. The reports completed by the Bibliography Section in previous years were mounted on the IFLANET, and also sent as recommendations to the various National Bibliographic Agencies.

Goal 3: Promote cooperation with the publishing industry in the preparation of national bibliographies
Action:

An open session on publisher-national library relations, Bridging the gap between the publishing industry and national bibliographies

http://www.ifla.org/IV/ifla68/prog02.htm#6 No. 140,

was organized by the Bibliography Section with the joint sponsorship of the Section on National Bibliographies in Glasgow. The open session attempted to bring representatives of the publishing industry and the national libraries together. The open session was successful, the selected papers documenting well the successes and problems faced by different countries. Experiences and difficulties were mentioned and discussed.

Goal 5: Monitor and promote the inclusion of Internet resources in bibliographies

Action:

A workshop called Bibliographic Control or chaos?

http://www.ifla.org/IV/ifla68/prog02.htm#7 No. 152,

was organized by the Bibliography Section with the joint sponsorship of the Section on National Bibliographies in Glasgow. It was evident from the discussion that a major challenge for the National Bibliographic Agencies in the 21^st century will be how to set the agenda for dealing with remote electronic resources. The emphasis of the workshop was on the bibliographic aspects rather than on legal deposit or copyright matters. The workshop presented a general overview of the topic and there were a number of presentations of projects and best practices in different countries.

Goal 4: Monitor and promote publication of bibliographies in electronic form, e.g. on the Internet
Action:

A workshop on Electronic National Bibliographies

http://www.ifla.org/IV/ifla69/prog03.htm#4 No. 86,

has been prepared for the Berlin conference. Papers mapping the subject generally and stressing the challenges for the National Bibliographic Agencies in this area in the 21^st century are included, together with more detailed papers describing the practical experience of different countries, standards to be considered in connection with electronic national bibliographies, etc. One of the papers presents a survey of the present situation and suggests a course of development in the coming years.

The Bibliography Section has also been very active in preparing the Bibliographic Control Division workshop Subject Gateways for Berlin

http://www.ifla.org/IV/ifla69/prog03.htm#7 No 157.

The Bibliography Section chair organized the workshop and the members of the Bibliography Section did all the translations. All three sections of the Bibliographic Control Division will address the subject gateways situation from their points of view: metadata, subject access, relation between subject gateways and national bibliographies. Selected papers combine the experience of countries having a long tradition in subject gateways development with expectations for the future and questions and problems of countries standing at the beginning of their efforts. A short survey of the present situation is to be presented and evaluated.

Goal 6: Provide information about the work of the Section and Standing Committee
Action:

The webpage of the Section was reorganized to better publicize relevant documents, activities and developments:

http://www.ifla.org/VII/s12/sb.htm

Two issues of the Section’s newsletter are published each year:

http://www.ifla.org/VII/s12/pubs/july2003.pdf

http://www.ifla.org/VII/s12/pubs/dec2002.htm

http://www.ifla.org/VII/s12/pubs/july2002.htm

Materials connected to the section’s activities are prepared in an attractive form:

http://www.ifla.org/VII/s12/conf/poster2003.jpg

http://www.ifla.org/VII/s12/conf/glasgow1.jpg

http://www.ifla.org/VII/s12/conf/glasgow2.jpg

The Section’s activities are documented in photos:

http://jib-info.cuni.cz/foto/ifla2002/index/index.htm

Goal 7:

Promote membership in the Section, emphasizing a broader geographic representation on the Standing Committee
Action:

The letter sent to the National Bibliographic Agencies was accompanied by the Section’s Strategic Plan and invitation to experts from different countries to become members of the Bibliography Section Standing committee.

Plans for the future

The Bibliography Section has accumulated valuable material and important experience in all the areas mentioned above in the past few years. Now the task is to further develop knowledge and prepare guidelines, with examples and references, to help the National Bibliographic Agencies initiate or improve bibliographic services, as mandated by our Goal 2, Promote creation and improvement of bibliographic information and the use of international standards and guidelines. This will be difficult to accomplish since there is a wide range of experience, resources, and capabilities among the many and various National Bibliographic Agencies, some of which do not yet have national bibliographies, or have no electronic capability, while others are so advanced that they consider the Internet national bibliography to be the best form for their users. Those with more experience should provide advice and concrete recommendations, and the Bibliography Section should assist this worldwide effort as much as possible, chiefly through energizing and coordinating efforts.

July 23, 2003

Latest Revision: July 23, 2003