Alexandria: The Journal of National and International Library and Information Issues

Following a discussion of the concept of bibliographic control, the term ‘national bibliographic control’ is defined. As an aid to understanding and dealing with the problems that developing countries experience in attempting to exercise national bibliographic control, eight basic requirements for such control are formulated: (1) an organized book industry, (2) a designated national bibliographjc agency. (3) means of obtaining copies of materials that are published, (4) bibliographic standards, (5), creation of bibliographic records, (6) creation of a coherent listing or databases, (7) means of dissemination, and (8) clients. Possible remedial actions are discussed for each requirement.

Since 1994 the Koninklijke Bibliotheek (KB), the national library of the Netherlands, has been developing and implementing electronic library functions. These include a high quality user environment for electronic information and a depository for storing and preserving electronic publications as part of the cultural heritage of the Netherlands. In order to extend the task of the depository library to include the rapidly growing number of electronic publications, a number of conditions had to be fulfilled. These conditions were to develop a policy, make appropriate changes to the organization, obtain resources and acquire knowledge and skills. In addition, a specific management approach was necessary to develop the Depository of Netherlands Electronic Publications (DNEP) because of the complicated and continuously changing setting, resulting from the rapid development of technology and its impact on the information field. By following a step-by-step approach, the KB was able to make good progress in developing and implementing the DNEP. A facility has been realized to store and give access to electronic publications deposited by publishers. At the moment the KB is developing high quality control for this digital store of electronic publications. Another major challenge will be to develop and implement functionality for the long-term preservation of electronic publications.

In response to international concerns about digital preservation, in the UK the Joint Information Services Committee of the Higher Education Funding Councils (JISC), the British Library and the National Preservation Office (NPO) together established a programme of research studies on digital archiving. The NPO set up a Digital Archiving Working Group to guide the programme. Two of the studies explored the needs and perspectives of the many different stakeholders involved, focusing on the electronic publishing community and the academic research community. One study examined the life-cycle of digital resources and developed a policy framework to assist in encouraging best practice. Other studies looked at the preservation methods currently available and attempted to develop a cost model. The final study addressed the issue of data rescue - recovering digital material from damage, disaster, or obsolescent software or hardware. The research programme is now being taken forward at a practical level, and a recent conference identified 29 recommendations which will feed into a plan of action for the next three years.

The Bodleian Library opened its doors in 1602, though its origins go back 150 years earlier. The building, which has been renovated several times over the centuries, is now undergoing a major restoration work. It sees its future as a ‘hybrid’ library, combining ink-on-paper and electronic materials to give a greatly enhanced service. The catalogue has been converted to machine-readable form, and a union catalogue of libraries in the university as a whole is in progress. A wide range of holdings, including important manuscripts and rare books has been digitized. In 1997 a new Director of University Library Services (a post combined with that of Bodley's Librarian) was appointed, and a new Libraries Committee was established, with a view to creating an integrated system that unites in a single library service the 22 libraries that are funded by it. As part of the process of change, the Bodleian Library itself is being restructured, and means have been sought to make the best use of subject-specialized staff in the system. In such ways the Bodleian is preparing to maintain its excellence over the next 400 years.

Thanks to remarkable feats of international cooperation over the last 50 years librarians have produced and maintained a string of standards which collectively have made the identification of almost any published item a straightforward task (UBC), and have changed interlibrary document supply from a peripheral operation to a core activity (UAP). The system runs so smoothly that it is taken for granted and its lessons are not being used to inform discussions on the emergence of exactly the same issues in the electronic environment. The Internet is seen as a great and liberating development, but it is not a neutral one, and it requires very substantial international effort if it is to be made usable for sustained scholarly communication rather than short-term gratification. The preservation and archiving of electronic information has only just begun to surface as a very complex issue. An electronic environment is being created which is inimical to scholarship and which is largely being ignored by commercial and entertainment forces that are irrelevant to the scholarly process. A much more active approach from the library profession is required.