Minutes: Interim Standing Committee Meeting I
August 2002, Glasgow, Scotland

Reference Work Section

Introductions and Regrets

Agenda approved

Chair's report (Annsofie Oscarsson) - The history of the Section is in the 2002 newsletter. We are an interim section until the Berlin Conference. There are 18 committee members and one corresponding member. Vacancies for the 2001-2007 committee will be filled from nominations made October 2002 - February 2003. With regard to institutional/organization members, we have 33 members and 8 clearinghouses. We need a liaison to one of the sections in Division 8. (Franceen Gaudet will attend the African Section). Tuesday,we are responsible for staffing the IFLA booth from noon to 1 p.m..

CB 1 Report (Martin Kesselman) - $367 are left from Division 5 administrative funds. Conference attendance is expected to be over 4000, including attendees from 117 countries and 35 mobile libraries. IFLA Express will be printed in all 5 IFLA official languages. All sections were asked to please review and update their action plans. Berlin open sessions will be limited to 2 hours each. Kay Roseroka is having a discussion on the digital divide on Wednesday afternoon for input on her presidential priorities. The remaining round tables are transitioning to sections and will be electing interim officers until 2005.

Financial Report (Martin Kesselman) - A request was made to continue project funds for a new project on developing best practices for digital reference. A statement on the Section's new project is appended at the end of these minutes.

Information Coordinator's Report (Cathy Wojewodzki) - Cathy was congratulated for her work and the beauty of the newsletter. Info on the section's discussion list should be included in the newsletter.

• Action 1.1 should now read: Review best practices on how libraries around the world achieve a user-centered reference service.
• Action 2.1 should now read: Review the state of the art of reference organizations and staffing in countries around the world.
• Add professional priority under 3: i. Promote the value of libraries
• Add Action 3.1: Review the impact of privacy such as maintaining user records, and copyright laws, the ethics of commercial services, and licensing agreements.
• Change and Move Action 5.1 as action 4.1.
• Change Goal 5 to: Reference resources in a digital world
• Add Action 5.1 -- Investigate how libraries can have an impact on the tools and their cost and lobby other IFLA groups to be involved in this area.
• Add Action 6.1 -- Conduct workshops on important and timely topics.
• Add Action 6.2-- Translate the informational brochure into German, French and Spanish.

Guidelines and Standards of Digital Reference Project - Vera Fullerton's report on the project was discussed. Annsofie related her discussions with Sjoerd Koopman from IFLA HQ. Evidently UNESCO was interested in working with our section in the development of digital reference guidelines that could then be tried in modern developing countries such as Thailand and Brazil. These guidelines would include best practices, mentoring and training, and, possiblely, the creation of a toolkit for virtual reference services. Working with IFLA Division 8 on this project was suggested. All section members expressed interest in working on this project.

Report on the Glasgow Open Session and Workshop - over 60 proposals were received for papers at the open session. Anne Lipow told of her difficulties with requiring pre-registration for the workshop. Marty agreed to send a notice to the IFLA Express that the workshop was fully subscribed.

Interim Standing Committee Meeting II

Agenda - Project on Digital Guidelines and Discussion on the need for a mid-year meeting were added to the agenda.

Reports on the Glasgow conference - At our open session there were problems with the French translations. We might do better with fewer speakers, i.e. 3 speakers and a reactor panel. Which is better -- a call for papers vs. selecting good speakers? The workshop was excellent, everything fell into place with the registration and there was truly a global representation.

Report from the African Section of Division 8 (F) - This section is interested in the development of library associations in Africa. There is also interest in the development of curricular materials using information technology, the development of a manual on preventive maintenance technology, the effective use of Internet resources, Freedom of information and expression, and preservation.

Planning for Berlin - The group discussed whether it should co-sponsor an open session or have two coordinated sessions jointly with the new information literacy section (previously the User Education RT). It was decided that we should hold a separate open session of our own. The topic proposed for an open session was Re-professionalisation of Reference Work: Interaction in the Physical and the Virtual Library. Anne, Josje and Bodil volunteered to coordinate the open session. Marty, Susanna and Valentina volunteered to coordinate a workshop. The workshop may pursue some hot topics in reference work via a poster session / discussion format. The deadline for open session is March 15.

1. Planning for Buenos Aires - some topics that were mentioned were guidelines for virtual reference (results of our project), and design of new reference spaces that take into account virtual reference.

2. Project - We decided to continue our small project on Digital Reference Guideline and the development of a set of best practices, using the monies that had been allocated for the project last year, but unused. Annsofie and Amanda talked to Abid at the workshop regarding UNESCO funding and involvement. It seems that UNESCO had already struck a deal with Robert Gordon University Library School headed by Ian Johnson. Marty agreed to follow-up with Ian Johnson and look for ways we might collaborate. Section members that will work on our project this year include: Diane, Anne, and Vera, and will also include Franceen as an additional member of the project team, although she is not currently a member of the section. This years project funds for developing best practices will work to coordinate with the efforts of UNESCO and Robert Gordon University.

3. Mid Year Meeting - At this time we decided it was not needed but we will need to continue discussions via the section's email list.

4. Newsletter - Again this year we will strive for one newsletter to be published in the Spring.

Appendix:
PROJECT STATEMENT: IFLA REFERENCE WORK SECTION PROJECT PROPOSAL - BEST PRACTICES FOR DIGITAL REFERENCE

A subgroup of the Reference Work Section, headed by Diane Kresh of the Library of Congress, will develop a publication of best practices for digital reference. This project stems from the section's previous work in looking at existing guidelines prepared by various other library associations and groups related to digital reference services. Based on these existing guideline, research of published best practices from individual and various library collaborations for digital reference and existing training materials, this subgroup will come up with IFLA guidelines that will be useful for libraries and groups of libraries that are beginning or evaluating a digital reference service.

It is felt that digital reference services are still in their infancy and changing due to changes in technology, so that best practices instead of standards are more appropriate. In discussions that Sjoerd Koopman has had with UNESCO there is a very important need for best practices / guidelines that can be useful to libraries worldwide. We have been in contact with Ian Johnson from the University of Aberdeen who is already working with UNESCO on guidelines for digital reference for distance learners. Our broader approach will of course build on their work as well as provide opportunities to collaborate with them in the development of IFLA/UNESCO guidelines. UNESCO has also expressed interest in testing the best practices/guidelines we come up with in test beds in two advanced developing countries, Brazil and Thailand. So, the development of the IFLA Guidelines and their possible adoption by UNESCO will provide a very tangible and important result for this project.

Besides a publication of the best practices/guidelines, the Reference Work Section will disseminate the guidelines via IFLANET, relevant worldwide library discussion lists, plan a workshop discussing the guidelines and possibly develop a poster session related to these best practices.