Domsa Károlyné, Fekete Gézáné, Kovács Mária (szerk.): Gondolatok a könyvtárban / Thoughts in the Library (A MTAK közleményei 30. Budapest, 1992)

KÖNYVTÁR ÉS KORSZERŰSÉG – LIBRARY AND MODERNITY

J. Meyriat prerequisites for a good information system. They are needed at each stage of the whole process, beginning with the knowledge of end users which is the departure point for a definition of the objectives to be aimed at. In the field so delimited, international cooperation is much wanted, specially when social science information is not bound by political frontiers but is international by its very nature. It has many opportunities to be put into effect. A first way is to exchange with foreign partners information about what is published, this secondary information being one preeminent part in SSID. Networks may be constituted, in which each node describes publications relevant to a specific interest in its own area and exchanges these records with each of the other nodes. Such bibliographical networks may be as many as there are definite interests and areas in the world. One may even conceive, after many years and efforts, a global coverage of world literature which would establish a Universal Bibliographic Control, making available everywhere a record of any item published elsewhere. Without waiting for this brilliant to-morrow, it is possible to-day to facilitate an overall circulation of the primary documents, and to take steps towards a Universal Availability of Publications. Availability at distant places may be ensured by way of real exchange, or by loan, either free of charge or at a price. Documents may be substituted by reproductions or by microcopies, modern technology providing easy production in both cases. The same may apply to unpublished documents, provision being made for legal or regulatory limitations, and for the risks incurred when sending by mail a document which cannot be replaced if it is lost. Data may be communicated more easily than documents, for physical reasons. The availability of a number of diverse telecommunication networks opens the way to the transfer of data at any distance, as gift or exchange as well as sale thus giving rise to the legal and economic problems of the so-called transborder data flow, which are matters of policy. Data transferred may be relevant to all aspects of societies and their economic or political activities, to people (including social scientists), to science and research (concluded or ongoing), to ideas, plans, projects, proposals. Many channels are open to communication; it depends on people to use them. Travels also have been made easy, so that people may be physically agents of international cooperation. They may go abroad to exchange ideas, to give advice, to bring new technologies, to take part in some training exercises. They may as well receive foreign colleagues, interns or students. Mutually beneficial cooperation has an important role to play in the professional development of information workers. Cooperation is at its highest level when partners are able to plan and undertake joint actions in any of the fields of SSID. The availability of physical networks 190 Thoughts in the library "