Library Theory and Research Section
Annual Report
September 2003 - August 2004
Mission
The IFLA Section on Library Theory and Research provides a research-based underpinning to IFLA's professional priorities on the role of libraries in society and the development of library professionals, through a programme promoting theoretical and empirical library and information science research and analysis. It provides and encourages international networking opportunities for library professionals engaged in library and information science research.
The Section revised its Strategic Plan at its business meetings at the Berlin 2003 conference and has undertaken a number of activities. These activities, their results and some outcomes are reported below.
Results
1. Encourage exchange between practice-based and theoretical research in LIS.
The theme of the Buenos Aires Conference in August 2004 was Libraries: Tools for Education and Development. Standing Committee members Wallace Koehler and Ragnar Audunson undertook to present the LTR session at the conference by giving a workshop/seminar on Research tools for LIS.
They delivered the following papers:
The Section participated in a joint program being offered by our Coordinating Board: Education and Research (Division VII). The program title was Breaking barriers to literacy: contributions from the Education and Research Division. The LTR contribution was delivered by Natalia Gendina (Kemerovo State University of Culture and Arts, Kemerovo, Russian Federation) titled Information literacy for information culture: separation for unity. Russian research results.
LTR participated in another CBVII initiative: an offsite session at INIBI, University of Buenos Aires, titled: Library Research in Argentina: new approaches. The Research Institute, INIBI, belongs to the Philosophy and Literature Faculty of Buenos Aires University (UBA). The Library Research Institute has been a Latin American pioneer in library research and is the first entity of its kind in the Spanish-speaking world. It was founded by Carlos Víctor Penna in 1967 and relied on UNESCO´s sponsorship and its first Director was Prof. Josefa Emilia Sabor. The Institute publishes the magazine Información, Cultura y Sociedad (Information, Culture and Society), the first Argentine Library publication for universities and has been included in international databases and repertoires (ISTA, FRANCIS, HAPI; ULRICH´S, INFOBILA, etc.).
The following papers were delivered:
- Situation of library research in Argentina. INIBI researches (in course and finished)
SUSANA ROMANOS DE TIRATEL (Instituto de Investigaciones Bibliotecológicas (INIBI), Buenos Aires, Argentina)
- Library theory: its situation in Argentina
ANA MARÍA MARTÍNEZ (Universidad de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina)
- The new history of books and libraries
ALEJANDRO E. PARADA (Instituto de Investigaciones Bibliotecológicas (INIBI), Buenos Aires, Argentina)
This session was a well-organised exchange, with high quality lectures, presented in a fine booklet. It was also very well attended by members from the various IFLA sections.
2. Assist in the development of expertise and knowledge in useful research methods
The presentations at the LTR conference session on Research Tools for LIS revealed that there are a number of library professionals who do not have ready access to this information. The session was well attended and discussions are now underway regarding the best way that LTR can assist in the provision of a very basic primer as some of our colleagues have very little background in research methods.
At least two papers, if not more, have been delivered during the year on results thus far for the research project: Political perceptions of the public library. The project co-ordinator Prof Bob Usherwood has delivered presentations in the UK and the Australian project co-ordinator, Kerry Smith gave the paper: The political perception of the public library: the Australian view at the Australian Library and Information Association conference, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia in September 2004 - see: http://conferences.alia.org.au/alia2004/pdfs/smith.k.paper.pdf. The final report for the project is now being prepared.
Dr Ragnar Audunson from Norway is leading a new LTR project entitled: An investigation of the role of IFLA in promoting change and diffusing professional norms in libraries with a weight on norms; standards and policies related to lifelong literacy. The methodology for the project was finalised during Standing Committee discussions at the Buenos Aires conference.
The work by Maxine Rochester and Pertti Vakkari International Library and Information Science Research: a comparison of national trends now appears as IFLA Professional Report No. 82 at: http://www.ifla.org/VII/s24/pub/iflapr-82-e.pdf
3. Facilitate transnational networks of common research interests
The continued transnational promotion of membership to the Section was mainly through the Section's website and the LTR membership brochure which is available on the IFLA website as a pdf file, translated into the IFLA languages of English, French, German, Russian and Spanish.
The Section's Newsletter was mailed as a paper edition to members in December 2003 and published as an electronic version in July 2004.
A comprehensive collection of the Section's newsletters, minutes of meetings and other administrative information now appears on the Section's website. The Section has an email list (LTR-L) and the website also contains information regarding the professional interests of many of the Standing Committee members.
There was a broad international representation on our Standing Committee and amongst our 114 members in 2003/4. Our efforts particularly to target professional groups in the promotion of our section, e.g. LIS research groups, continues.
Beverly Lynch is the Section's representative at meetings of the Discussion Group: Quality issues in LIS institutions.
The Officers of the Standing Committee for 2003/2004
Chair and Treasurer.
Dr. Kerry Smith
Head Department of Media and Information
Curtin University, G.P.O. Box U1987
Perth, WA 6845 Australia
Tel: * (61) (8) 9266-7217. Fax: * (61) (8) 9266-3166
E-mail: k.smith@.curtin.edu.au
Secretary
Ms. Marian Koren
Head Research & International Affairs
NBLC, Netherlands Public Library Association
Postbox 16146
NL-2500 BC The Hague Netherlands
Tel: +31 70 30 90 115
Fax: +31 70 30 90 117
E-mail: koren@debibliotheken.nl
Information Coordinator
Ms. Wilda Bowers Newman
Adjunct Professor/Consultant
Knowledge Associates Resources, LLC
5964 Rosinante Run
Columbia, MD 21045-3825 USA
Tel: * (1) 410-730-7583
Fax: * (1) 410-739-7583(Call/Email before FAXing)
E-mail: wildanewman@yahoo.com
Submitted by: Kerry Smith, Chair
LTR Section
October 2004
