Brit Floistad
Library of the Norwegian ParliamentA unique and sustaining role has also been played by Erik Spicer of Canada, who became associated with the work of the Section in 1961, attended his first IFLA Conference in 1966, chaired the Section for a record period of eight years (from 1972-79) and was responsible for much of its early growth, and continues to be a source of ideas from his current role on the Standing Committee. Dermot Eng lefield (UK) also served effectively as Chair (1985-88) and edited two volumes of distinction and great utility to the Section: Parliamentary Libraries and Information Services (1990) and the long-planned Guidelines for Parliamentary Libraries (1993). The other two Chairs have come from the USA, with Gilbert Gude (1983-85), and William Robinson (1993-to the present).
Progress was made on the proposed book on the Parliamentary Libraries of Latin America. The book will combine the presentations made at the First Encuentra of Parliamentary Libraries of Ibero -America in Mexico City in October 1993, and the 10th International Conference of Parliamentary Libraries in San Jose, Costa Rica in August 1994 (held just prior to the 60th IFLA Conference in Havana , Cuba). The principal paper was presented by Guillermo Molinelli, who is recognized internationally as one of the leading comparative political scientists specializing in legislatures. His paper w ill become the introduction to the book. Other presentations made in San Jose will also be used to complete material for the book, which will be published in both English and Spanish in early 1996.
Work is beginning on a volume covering the Parliamentary Libraries of Central and Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union. This project was discussed at IFLA in Cuba, as well as at a speci al meeting of the Parliamentary Libraries of the region in Budapest sponsored by a special US Congressional Task Force on Parliamentary Development in that region. An outline for the book and its co mponent country chapters will be discussed at a follow-up meeting to the Budapest conference to be held in Prague in May 1995. The book will be completed and published by the end of 1996.
A new project was proposed in 1994 (and subsequently approved in early 1995). The highly successful volume Guidelines for Parliamentary Libraries (published in 1993, and already out of print by 1994) will be translated into Spanish, French, and Russian. The hope is to reprint the English version in 1995, along with versions in these three additional languages, which will help promote pa rliamentary librarianship in many regions of the world. We hope to have the work done in 1995, with publication in late 1995 or early 1996.
Two editions of the Section Newsletter were published in June and December of 1994.
Promote greater attention to multilingual and multicultural dimensions of parliamentary library work. The Section will continue to ensure that its Standing Committee reflects the rich multilingual a nd multicultural makeup of the world's parliamentary libraries. Special efforts will be made to encourage greater participation by francophone countries and by Arabic nations, and to continue the re cent progress with Spanish-speaking countries.
The universal pinch of resource constraints has had a more incremental effect on parliamentary libraries. We have become more conscious of the need for finding more cost-effective ways to conduct ou r business, and to stay in closer touch with the needs of our "market", the legislatures. One result has been an interest in developing new ways to gauge the response of the legislature to the produ cts and services of parliamentary libraries. The revival of interest in creating regional organizations is another response to the cost-effective imperative. Regional meetings offer the opportunity of maintaining more frequent contacts with colleagues to share ideas on improved services for legislatures and for more effective ways of operation, while at the same time keeping the costs within r eason.
The democratic revolutions begun in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union in late 1989 and carried into the 1990s worked a profound change in world politics and in the makeup of the Parliamentary Libraries Section. We have added dynamic new colleagues from this region of the world, who have drawn our enthusiastic response to their request for more information and ideas from som e of the older, more established parliamentary libraries. The key to effective legislatures in today's complex world is the knowledge and information that will facilitate wise decisions and enhance the role of the legislature in the policymaking process of the nation. The parliamentary library is central to this effort, especially in Central and Eastern Europe. The result of responding to the needs of our new colleagues has been to add new perspective and dynamism to the ongoing work for the legislatures of the older democracies, and to bring new interest to creating or strengthening res earch capabilities for the parliament.
The twin revolutions in automation and telecommunications will have profound meaning for the work of parliaments and parliamentary libraries today and for the next several decades. Special attention will be given to tracing the implications of these changes for our work over the next several years, and to sharing ideas about how to make effective use of these powerful new tools. In keeping wit h this focus, the theme of the Section's Open Meeting in Istanbul will be "Parliamentary Libraries of the Future."
Servicos bibliotecarios y de informacion brindados a los integrantes de los organos de bas del poder popular
Abstract
The paper provides an overview of the Documentation Center of the Government and the Administrative Council of the province and city of Havana; historical background; analysis of the current situatio
n (policy adopted, incorporation of subject matter on local governments, emergence of the parliamentary information need, parliamentary information demand, and the Center's links with the National Sc
ientific-Technical Information System (SNICT). The project to redesign services and duties, the information system for provincial and municipal operations and the documentary bibliographical informat
ion, network creation utilizing SNICT, the internal structure of the Center, human resources and equipment are covered.
Biblioteca y servicio de informacion a los parlamentarios cubanos
Abstract
The paper endeavors to provide an overview of the duties performed by the Library and Documentation Center of the National Assembly of People's Power, as part of the information system for Cuban parl
iamentarians. It begins with a brief historical description, the current situation, description of clients, services provided, national and international exchange and publications. Emphasis is placed
on the link that exists with the National Scientific-Technical Information System. An automated parliamentary information system plan, which is under study for adoption, is presented.
Papers presented:
Building Member Understanding and Support for the Parliamentary Library
by NICK BANNENBERG
Abstract
Parliamentary libraries do not exist as discrete entities. Their raison d'etre is to provide information service to the organ of government which funds them. Striving for, and actually delivering an
excellent information service must be the primary goal of the Library's chief executive, but it is almost equally important to convince the Library's major clients, the Members, whether they access s
ervices directly or through their aides and assistants, of the quality and dependability of the services they are receiving. As public scrutiny of administrative costs becomes more intense, funding f
or the Library is ever more dependent on the perception that it is performing effectively and delivering good value for the money outlaid for its upkeep. Hence it is essential that as many Members as
possible have a clear understanding of the positive value to them individually of the Library's services, in the expectation that this will engender continuing support for the Library. This paper di
scusses a number of ways in which this may be achieved in libraries both large and small.
User Oriented Services: A Feedback Strategy for Gaining Understanding and Support for the Parliamentary Library
Abstract
The paper considers a shift of emphasis in the services offered by the Chilean Library of Congress to emphasize user needs and demands rather than what the Library perceives as necessary. This user e
mphasis has become the backbone for the development of services (it could eventually mean creating new services, restructuring old services, or even dropping services). The need for user feedback has
led to creation of an explicit feedback strategy, which incorporates some important Library concerns such as characteristics of users (cultural behavior, personal attitudes), structured and unstruct
ured feedback tools, intelligence gathering, impact assessment, and development of top-quality services and Library image as a means of building Library understanding and support.
The Importance of Advertising: The Use of Brochures and Highly Visible Services to Attract Members' Attention and Encourage Use of the Library
Abstract
As Poland's upper house, the Senat completes its fifth year in its new existence, the nation's emerging democracy requires an increasing volume of knowledge and constantly updated information. The Re
search and Analysis Office of the Senat Chancellery facilitates access to this knowledge and information. Routine and individual procedures are used to attract the Parliamentarian's interest to the s
ervices of the Research and Analysis Office. Routine procedures include succinctness and reliability. Materials such as original and uniform graphics and colorful covers are provided. A uniform timef
rame and location have been established for the distribution of materials, some of which are sent to a mailing list that is broader than the confines of the Senat. Individualized procedures encompass
tailored services such as personalized requester searchers, well-developed contacts for specific information, exhibitions on specific topics of interest and seminars on potentially "hot issues", cla
rification of user needs to build demand for research and analysis services (market building). and ongoing analyses of demand (market research).
Using Automation and Electronic Services to Build Support for the Parliamentary Library
Abstract
Technology has added new dimensions to every aspect of life. Parliamentary libraries are no exception. Use of technological innovations in the field of information though computers has opened new hor
izons to libraries and made new automated and electronic services available to users. This paper discusses automation services that contribute to parliamentary information systems in general and desc
ribes how such services can assist Members of Parliament by expanding the range of information available, selecting information, improving the speed and accuracy of transmission, creating information
networks, and enabling information sharing among institutions. These and other new uses of automation have increased Member interest in and support for parliamentary libraries.