Section of Social Science Libraries

Medium Term Programme 1998-2001

Scope

... anthropology, communication science, criminology, demography, economics, education, environmental planning, futurology, geography, history, labour science, law, library and information science, linguistics, management science, philosophy, political science, public administration, psychology, social policy, sociology, statistics, science of religion, science of science ...

General Goals of the section

1. Provide a platform for professional exchange and communication for special libraries and information centres in the Social Sciences world-wide, in an interdisciplinary way and without regard to the media support of the information provided by each library for its users

2. Foster international co-operation transgressing disciplinary and national boundaries

3. Offer professional development opportunities like conferences, workshops and seminars for all people involved in the Social Science Information services

4. Maintain library and information related professional standards and values world-wide

5. Support the IFLA core programs especially the work of the Committee on Access to Information and Freedom of Expression (CAIFE) as Social Science Libraries often deal with socially or politically sensitive information

6. Operate with other interest groups to lobby for professional requirements in the Social Science Library and Information environment and thus promote the quality of information work in the Social Sciences in general

Action Plan 1999-2001

1. The Section will co-sponsor (with the Marketing and Management Section and the Information Technology Section) an all day open forum at the Jerusalem conference under the theme : Building Change Management and Marketing Skills.
2. The Section will organize a workshop that will provide an opportunity for librarians to evaluate and compare selected social science information gateways during the Jerusalem conference.
3. The Section will co-sponsor (with the Marketing and Management Section) an open session at the Boston conference under the topic "Knowledge Management".
4. The Section will continue to host the SOC-LIB listserv and the WWW-site maintained by Dr. Hans-Christoph Hobohm.
5. The Section will revise the its information brochure and translate into different languages.
6. The Section will continue compiling an international directory of education libraries-the theme of our open forum conference two years ago.
7. The Genealogy and Local History Discussion Group is exploring the possibility of compiling an international directory of genealogy and/or local history collections.

Myoung Chung Wilson, 10/99
Chair