Networking with the library community
Improved access to overseas monographs
On the 19th of February, the National Library convened the first meeting of the Australian Library Collections Task Force. The task force consists of academics and representatives from State, university, and special libraries, and the National Library. Its aim is to examine and recommend ways to eliminate problems researchers may be experiencing when accessing books in the Social Sciences and Humanities.
The head of the task force, Jan Fullerton, said, `This is a very exciting initiative because it brings together both librarians and users to investigate and help resolve a common problem.'
In consultation with the academic and research community, the task force is to investigate and recommend strategies for improving access to overseas research material, and is expected to:
The first activities to be undertaken will be a survey and a series of focus groups to determine in which particular fields the greatest problems are being experienced, and the nature of these problems. As part of an investigation of interlibrary loan issues, a number of theses will be examined to determine the percentage of cited resources that are available in Australia.
At the first meeting, the task force endorsed the formation of a National Resources Sharing Working Group to recommend strategies that will promote interlending of research material between libraries.
The creation of the task force was recommended at last year's National Round Table on Access to Overseas Monographs in Australia Libraries. The task force will be reporting progress to the Monograph Round Table participants, CAUL, CASL, special libraries and the Academies of the Social Sciences and Humanities, amongst others.
Further information about the activities of the task force is available from
http://www.nla.gov.au/niac/collect/ or from Paula Williams, email: p.williams@nla.gov.au, or tel. (02) 6262 1481.
Please address any comments and enquiries to The Editor, Gateways: lkirwan@nla.gov.au