Minutes of the Korean Collections Meeting
13 March 1996, National Library of Australia
Present
- Ross Coleman, University of Sydney Library
- David Combe, Australia-Korea Foundation
- Michael Evans, ANU Library
- Pam Gatenby, National Library of Australia
- Andrew Gosling, National Library of Australia
- Linda Groom, National Library of Australia
- Chooi-Hon Ho, Monash University Library
- Rachel Jakimow, DNC Office, National Library of Australia
- Cliff Law, DNC Office, National Library of Australia
- Magdalen Lee, University of Sydney Library
- Pam Longley, La Trobe University Library
- Jan Lyall, NPO, National Library of Australia
- Susan Prentice, ANU Library
- Professor Tony Reid, ANU - Vice-President, ASAA
- Marie Sexton, National Library of Australia
- Dr Ken Wells, ANU - Korean Studies Association of Australasia
Korean Collecting
Discussion of the nature and direction of Korean collecting activity in Australia covered a number of issues. As shown by the DNC Office's Conspectus Report for Korean Library Collections in Australia and Results of the DNC Korean library materials survey the overall national collection and budget for Korean materials is modest. At this stage there are two major players, the National Library and the National Korean Studies Centre with its Korean collection at Monash. As Korean studies is an emerging area it was agreed that this is an opportune time to seek more systematic co-operation particularly to avoid unnecessary duplication of Korean research materials and to provide maximum accessibility to the collections nationally. There was seen to be a possible tension between co-ordination and institutional autonomy. The problem of insufficient staffing with appropriate language and other skills was raised. It was also agreed that additional information needed to be gathered for a better understanding of Korean collecting in Australia.
Existing Collection Agreements
ANU/NLA Agreement: Michael Evans and Pam Gatenby outlined the draft agreement which is close to finalisation. They stressed that improved access for users was a crucial element of the agreement. ANU Library saw the agreement as a means of rationalising collecting of Korean vernacular research materials with NLA to minimise duplication of effort and provide for the needs of ANU researchers. Under the agreement ANU would be generally leaving the collecting of Korean vernacular research material to NLA, but in cases where NLA was not prepared to acquire a particular publication ANU would consider doing so. NLA did not see this regional agreement with ANU as abnegating its national role. In discussion of possible gaps in collecting, Dr Wells drew attention to the considerable strengths of NLA's holdings outside the social sciences in areas including Korean history and religion. It was agreed that further work was required to ascertain if and where gaps existed nationally. It was also agreed that it would be useful for the ANU/NLA agreement to include an indication of purchasing commitment in dollar terms.
National Korean Studies Centre (NKSC): Chooi-Hon Ho outlined the history of the Centre which links four Melbourne universities: Swinburne, La Trobe, Monash and Melbourne. The NKSC Korean Studies Research Library was established at Monash in 1992 with ARC funding. Following a further grant in 1994, the Library is now dependent on financial contributions from consortium members, plus additional support from Monash. The NKSC Library Advisory Committee comprising researchers and librarians from consortium members provides collection development and policy advice. The emphasis of the collection is on the social sciences, particularly economics, geography, politics, language and history. In discussion, the issue of overlap between NLA and the NKSC was raised as was the importance of catering for Korean research needs in the humanities. [agreement].
Resolutions
The draft resolutions as revised at the meeting are attached. These resolutions follow on from the recommendations of the 3rd National Roundtable on Libraries and Asia in March 1995 and the work of the Roundtable Reference Group. On specific resolutions :
Resolution 1. Conspectus
-
Subject to suitable guidelines which should be available within a few weeks the participants apart from ANU favoured assessing their Korean collections using Conspectus.
Resolution 2. Profiling research and business needs
-
It was agreed that the existing survey by the Korean Studies Association of Australasia and work by the Australia-Korea Foundation could be utilised as a first step in the proposed study of research and business needs. David Combe of the AKF was present for this item and outlined relevant AKF activities.
Resolution 3. Alternative sources of supply of documents
-
The potential for access and supply arrangements with major Korean libraries was seen as important.
Resolution 4. Collection development policies and collecting agreements
-
It was agreed that the survey of needs (Resolution 2) should be carried out prior to attempting to define roles through further collection agreements. NLA and Monash expressed interest in principle in an agreement. Monash would raise this with the NKSC Library Advisory Committee.
Resolution 5. Bibliographic access
-
Participants accorded a high priority to the resolutions on bibliographic access, particularly Korean cataloguing backlogs and retrospective conversions, and strengthening the Korean component of the National CJK System with KORMARC data.
Resolution 6. Information networking
-
Improved communication between libraries and users was seen as important by the librarians and academics present.
Resolution 7. Library staffing links with Korea
-
Library staff exchanges were seen as important particularly given the shortage of qualified Korean studies library staff in Australia.
Korean Working Group
The meeting agreed to the setting up of a Korean Working Group to develop an action plan based on the resolutions in broad consultation with others. The Group would look at priorities among the resolutions and funding possibilities. The Group would consist of Cliff Law of the DNC Office (Chair); Marie Sexton, NLA ; Dr Ken Wells representing the KSAA and ASAA, Chooi-Hon Ho of Monash University Library and the NKSC Library Advisory Committee and Janice Rickards of Griffith University Library.
Andrew Gosling
1 April 1996.
Last updated 12 April 1996
Return to the Korean Collections Meeting
| About This Site | Copyright | Privacy | Accessibility | Site Map | Site Search | Content A-Z | Contact Us |