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IN THIS DOCUMENT:

SUMMARY

News/ IFLA and its Sections

IFLA HQ

IFLA / ALP IFLA/LAC

News/ IFLA Affiliates and Members in the Region

ARGENTINA

BRASIL CUBA MEXICO VENEZUELA

General News of Interest to the Region




Section for Latin America and the Caribbean

N. 33, December 1998

 

The "Newsletter" is published twice a year in June and December by IFLA's Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean. It is a major communication tool for IFLA members in the region. Please share your ideas and experiences by sending your contribution and suggestions to the Regional Office.

 

Editorial Committee:
Elizabet Maria Ramos de Carvalho (BR)
Stella Maris Fernández (AR)
Miriam Martinez (CU)

Secretariat:
Ivone Tálamo (BR)

Editorial, Revision Approval:
Elizabet Maria Ramos de Carvalho

Spanish translation and revision:
Stella Maris Fernández

English translation and revision:
Miriam Martinez, Hagar E. Gomes (BR) and Pamela H. Reguindin (USA)

SUMMARY

Editorial

Under the theme "In the crossroad of information and culture", the 64th IFLA General Meeting was carried out in Amsterdam, at the RAI Convention Center, 16–21 August 1998. The meeting, as usual, was very well attended, with the presence of over 2900 people from 112 countries. Its importance and interest is also made evident by the amount of conferences presented: over 200!

In the opening session it became evident the ingenuity and imagination of its organizers, for providing both the living copy of a Rembrandt painting as well as a game with woolen skein in different colors which the delegates happily traded, without being previously informed about the game objective, for them to eventually notice its symbolism, being already webbed in the confusing woolen maze: a crossroad of communications, with its advantages and drawbacks.

In her opening speech, IFLA's President, Ms Christine Deschamps, stated what were the problems which she considered as being most urgent to be solved by the Federation: formation, communication or freedom of speech and standardization.

From August 17 through 19th, it took place a products exhibition at RAI, the majority concerning technology, related to the libraries. The organization was excellent; one hundred library science professionals and students, cordially not only taking care of the delegates problems resolution as well as making sure that all participants felt as if they were in their own country. It is equally necessary to highlight the social activities excellence. For thus, we hereby congratulate the meeting organizers.

Argentina postulates to host the IFLA General Conference of year 2004. We ask the LAC members to support its candidacy.

In this issue the "Newsletter" brings information on the IFLA General Conference and Council Meeting to be held in Bangkok and on the availability of the DANIDA Travel Fund to support a number of delegates from developing countries to the Conference.

When a year more of intense activities comes to an end, we wish you all a very happy new year.

Publications Received ("Clearinghouse")

THE CLEARINGHOUSE MAINTAINS SETS OF CONFERENCE PAPERS AND OTHER IFLA PUBLICATIONS. ALL PAPERS LISTED BELOW ARE AVAIALABLE FOR COPIES AT THE REGIONAL OFFICE CLEARINGHOUSE. PLEASE NOTE THE NEWS BELOW EACH REFERENCE, THEY MIGHT INTERSET YOU

  • ABGRA. Referencias.Vol. 3, N. 2, agosto 1998.

  • Arquivo do Estado de São Paulo. Manual de Procedimentos para Tratamento Documental. São Paulo. 1998.

  • Associação Brasileira de Difusão do Livro e Coleções (ABDLC). O Livro Porta a Porta - Boletim Informativo da ABDLC. Ano 9, N. 16, abril/maio/junho 1998.

  • Conselho Federal de Biblioteconomia. CFB Informa. Brasília, ano 03, No. 03, julho 1998.

  • Fernández, Stella Maris; E. Parada, Alejandro. Situación del Sistema Bibliotecario Argentino. Sociedad de Investigaciones Bibliotecológicas. Buenos Aires. 1998.

  • IBICT. Informativo. Vol.18, No.3, maio/junho 1998.

  • IFLA Core Programme on Preservation and Conservation. Newsletter. N.16, January 1998.

  • IFLA Journal. Vol. 24, No. 1,1998.

  • IFLA Journal. Vol. 24, No. 2,1998.

  • IFLA Journal. Vol. 24, No. 3,1998.

  • IFLA Journal. Vol. 24, No. 4,1998.

  • IFLA Headquarters

  • IFLA Professional Reports , No.55. Directorio de Asociaciones de Bibliotecarios y Profesiones Afines de América Latina y el Caribe.1998.

  • IFLA Offices for UAP and International Lending. Interlending and Document Supply; resource sharing possibilities and barriers. Proceedings of the 5th Interlending and Document Supply International Conference, held in Aarhus, Denmark, 24-28 August 1997. Edited by Sara Gould and Dave Johnson.

  • IFLA 1998. Asociaciones de Bibliotecarios y Profesiones Afines de América Latina y el Caribe.1998.

  • IFLA Section for Africa. Newsletter. No. 15 July, 1998.

  • IFLA Section for Asia and Oceania. Newsletter. No. 10:1 June, 1998.

  • IFLA Section for Libraries Serving Disadvantaged Persons. Newsletter. No. 45, Fall 1997.

  • IFLA Section of Biological and Medical Sciences Libraries (On-line). Newsletter. Vol. 18,No. 4, October 1998.

  • IFLA Section of Biological and Medical Sciences Libraries (On-line). Newsletter. Vol. 18,No. 3, October 1998.

  • IFLA Section of Children's Libraries. SCL News. 15 July, 1998.

  • IFLA Section of Government Libraries. Newsletter. June/July, 1998.

  • IFLA Section of Libraries for the Blind. Newsletter. Spring, 1998.

  • IFLA Section of Public Libraries. Newsletter. N. 19, June, 1998.

  • IFLA Section of School Libraries and Resouce Centers. Newsletter. No. 33. July, 1998.

  • IFLA Section on Acquisition and Collection Development. Newsletter. No. 17, Summer 1998.

  • IFLA Section on Cataloguing. Newsletter. No. 10, June, 1998.

  • IFLA Section on Document Delivery and Interlending. Newsletter. July, 1998.

  • IFLA Section on Library Buildings and Equipment. Newsletter. No. 18, Spring, 1998.

  • IFLA Section on Management and Marketing. Newsletter. N. 3, June, 1998.

  • IFLA Section on Rare Books and Manuscripts. Newsletter. Spring, 1998.

  • IFLA Section on Reading. Newsletter. No. 5, November, 1997.

  • IFLA Section on Statistics. Newsletter. April, 1998.

  • Minc, IPHAN, Museu Imperial. Atas da Câmara Municipal de Petrópolis - 1a. e 2a. Legislaturas (17/06/1859 a 30/12/1864). Setembro. 1997.

  • Universidade de Aveiro. Folha Informativa. Ano 3, N.3, março 1998.

  • The World Bank. World Development Sources. 1997-1. (CD).

  • The World Bank. World Development Sources. 1998-1. (CD).

International Calendar

1999

MARCH
15-17
Seminario Latinoamericano de Asociaciones de Bibliotecarios y Profesiones Afines, Ciudad de México, Mexico / Latin American Seminar of Librarian Associations and Related Professions, Mexico City, Mexico
22-26 Coloquio Iberoamericano sobre el Destino del Libro y las Bibliotecas, La Habana, Cuba / Iberoamerican Colloquy on the Destiny of Books and Libraries, Havana, Cuba

APRIL
12-16
XXXIII Reunión Nacional de Bibliotecarios / XXXIII National Librarians Meeting, Buenos Aires, Argentina

AUGUST
18-28
65 Conferencia General de IFLA y Reunión del Consejo, Bangkok, Tailandia / 65th IFLA General Conference and Council Meeting. Bangkok, Thailand - Al principio de un Nuevo siglo: bibliotecas como puertas para un mundo esclarecido / On the treshold of a New Century: libraries as gateways to an enlighted world

OCTOBER
4-8
INFO ‘99 Congreso Internacional de Información, La Habana, Cuba / INFO ‘99 International Congress on Information, Havana, Cuba
16-22 Conferencia Mundial de la SLA sobre Bibliotecas Especiales, Brighton, Inglaterra / SLA World Conference on Special Libraries, Brighton, England

2000
66 Conferencia General de IFLA, Jerusalem, Israel / 66th IFLA General Conference, Jerusalem, Israel - Información para Cooperación: criando la biblioteca global del futuro / Information for Cooperation: creating the global library of the future

2001
67 Conferencia General de IFLA, Boston, EUA / 67th IFLA General Conference, Boston, USA - Bibliotecas y Bibliotecarios: haciendo una diferencia en la idad del conocimiento / Libraries and Librarians: making a difference in the knowledge age

2002
68 Conferencia General de IFLA, Glasgow, Escocia / 68th IFLA General Conference, Glasgow, Scotland

News/ IFLA and its Sections

IFLA HQ

Invitation to IFLA's 65th Council and General Conference, Bangkok, Thailand, 20-28 August 1999

"Swadee". Greetings from Thailand and a warm welcome to IFLA '99 Bangkok.

The Thai Library Community takes great pleasure in cordially offering you an invitation to participate in the 65th IFLA Council and General Conference 1999 which is to take place in Bangkok, Thailand, 20-28 August.

IFLA's annual conference and exhibition is the largest international event for professionls within the library and information sector.
IFLA '99 offers an excellent opportunity for thousands of delegates, experts, and library and information providers from all over the world to exchange ideas and experience as well as to introduce new innovations and products. We are confident that the conference agenda we have crafted will stimulate participants and contribute to debate and cooperation among them. We thus encourage you not to miss such an occasion where you can keep pace with your profession, meet your colleagues from different parts of the world in a pleasant and stimulating atmosphere and experience the beauty and uniqueness of Thailand.

The 65th IFLA Council and General Conference 1999 will take place at the Bandkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre (BITEC), the first purpose-built exhibition and convention centre in Thailand.

An International Trade Exhibition has been arranged at BITEC in connection with the Conference. The Exhibition will be held for the 3 days during the Conference, from 23-25 August.

A varied programme of social and cultural activities is planned for the delegates attending the Conference. The delegates will have opportunities to have a glimpse of Thai traditional everiday life, and to meet and talk with their colleagues from other countries in an informal and pleasant atmosphere.

The National Organizing Committee is more than happy to reserve hotel rooms for participants and accompanying persons. A number of selected hotel rooms in different categories and prices have been block reserved from 19-29 August 1999.

The deadline for advance registration is 15 March 1999 for a fee of USD 350 for delegates and USD 200 for accompanying persons. After 15 March the fee is USD 425 for delegates and 250 for accompanying persons.

For a copy of the Final Announcement, registration and hotel reservation forms, please contact: IFLA '99 Secretariat, c/o SPAFA 81/1 Si Ayattaya Road, Samsen, Theves, Bangkok 10300,
Thailand
Fax: 662 280-4030);
E-mail:spafa@ksc.th.com

(IFLA Journal 24(1998) 4)

Directory of Librarian and Related Professionals Associations of Latin America and the Caribbean

In 1985, during IFLA's General Conference in Chicago, a proposal was put forward to compile a Directory of Associations in Latin America and the Caribbean in order to be able to rely upon general information in the field. This proposal was approved by IFLA's Professional Board which agreed to its realization in 1991.

The project started in 1993 and was coordinated by Rosa Maria Fernández de Zamora, President of the IFLA/LAC Section from 1991 to 1993. Logistical support for the realization of the Directory was also provided by the "Centro Universitario de Investigaciones Bibliotecologicas - CUIB" (Library Science Research University Center) of the "Universidade Autonoma do Mexico - UNAM" (National Autonomous University of Mexico). Ms Zamora was assisted by Alberto Castro Thompson and Manuel Avila Uriza.

The Directory in Spanish appears as No. 55 in the series IFLA Professional Reports and is the first directory to be published containing the contact details and statistical information about professional associations in the region. The title is available from:
IFLA Headquarters,
POB 95312, 2509 CH The Hague,
Netherlands;
fax 31 70 383-4827;
E-mail:publications@ifla.org
por NLG 45,00, ISBN 90-70916-66-5.

(IFLA Journal 24(1998) 4)

Grants IFLA'98 Contest

At the end of January, 1997 it was divulged, through IFLA site on the Web, the formulary which informed about the prize organized by the "Grants IFLA 98" Committee for a certain number of delegates from developing countries and from East Europe to be able to take part in the 64th IFLA Conference, which would take place in Amsterdam August 16 - 21, 1998.

The National Organizer Committee created for such the "Grants IFLA 98" Committee integrated by a jury constituted by 4 experienced and prestigious librarians: Paul Nauta, IFLA's former general secretary, as president; Alex Klugkist, University of Groningen head librarian; Wim Renes, The Hague's Library general manager director; Adriaan Staats, former head of information of Justice Department Library and Archive and Richard Saris, NBLC publisher's editor as secretary.

The prize partially covered the participants expenses: airplane fare, lodging, including breakfast, health insurance during the stay in Amsterdam and a meal fund which summed USD 425,00 approximately. The registration fee was supposed to be paid by the beneficiaries.

All the requirements should be received by March, 31st . At the end of April, a list with 40 beneficiary representatives of 35 countries from Africa, Latin America, Asia and Eastern Europe was organized. They were selected among 287 postulants from 68 countries. The beneficiaries were informed in May.

The funds for the prize were granted by the Dutch Development Aid Department and by the Education, Culture and Science Department.

From Latin America there were five colleagues beneficiary from the following countries: Chile - María Antonieta Palmas Vargas, conservation head of National Library; Costa Rica - América Hidalgo Campos, Rain Forest Agricultural School librarian; Cuba - Mireya Goñi Camejo, public relations of the National Library of Science and Technology (BNCT) of the Technology and Scientific Information Institute (IDICT); Mexico - Javier Solorio Lagunas, Science and Health Library manager director, University of Colima; Peru - Luis Miguel Saravia López de Castilla, coordinator of the Communication Area, Intermediary Group of Technology and Development. Twelve representatives of African countries, 15 from Asian countries and 8 from Eastern European countries were also granted.

The meeting was very successful, both professionally and organizationally, and a great experience for all the participants. The prize brought the opportunity of interested people to take part in one of the most up to date events in the profession and possibly the one that gathers the greatest amount and variety of experts in information. It was a good opportunity for learning, socialize and sharing experiences with colleagues from all over the world and for bringing back home a beautiful memory of a unique city.

(Mireya Goñi Camejo - CU)

Obituary

Orlando Garcia, director of the Matanzas Public Library, Cuba, and Cuban chair of the 1994 Pre-Session Seminar on "Libraries for Literacy in Socially and Geographically Isolated Communities" died in May 1998 while return to Cuba from a mission in Mexico.

In Leo Voogt's message to our Cuban colleagues, he wrote: "The message about Orlandito has really brought us shock and grief here at IFLA Headquarters. Orlando was such a vibrant and strong personality, it is indeed difficult imagining Cuban librarianship without him. I am so happy that Orlandito was able to join us in Copenhagen last year. It was good to tell him in person, again, how much we had appreciated his support from Matanzas for IFLA's Cuban Conference, most notably for the very succesful Pre-Conference Seminar. Yes, he was Mr. Matanzas for us - proud of the Provincial Library, proud of the printed products of his province, and proud of the libraries in the sugar mills in his province. I will never forget my visits there, nor will I ever forget his warmth, his commitment and his friendship. Communication with Orlandito for me has proven once and for all that is possible to work together representing different cultures, even without knowing each other's languages. He will be greatly missed, in IFLA and in Cuba. Please send out personal wishes for strength and comfort to his family and friends".(IFLA Journal 24(1998) 4)

"Newsletter" on behalf of all Latin American and Caribbean librarians reinforce IFLA's General Secretary words.

Caucus of Spanish Speaking Countries

On August 18, during IFLA's General Conference held last August at Amsterdam, the Spanish Federation of Archive, Library and Documentation Societies (FESABID) organized a meeting for the constitution of a caucus or group of Spanish speaking persons to represent members of Spanish speaking countries at this international organization. Other cultural and linguistic groups already exist to facilitate communication and knowledge interchange among members and also to strengthen their presence at the professional and steering IFLA's structure.

Approximately 80 professionals from several Spanish speaking countries (Argentina, Chile, Spain, Mexico, Nicaragua and Peru) as well as representatives of French and Portuguese groups as observers participated of its creation.

The publication of a report with the results of this IFLA Conference, including the contributions of Spanish speaking participants was announced in this meeting. A translation into Spanish of next year Conference's programme will also be included. It is presumed that both issues will be financed by "Subdirección General de Coordinación Bibliotecaria" of the Education and Culture Ministry.

After discussing of this matter, it was agreed that "to make real" Spanish as one of the official language at IFLA the Spanish speaking members are the main responsible. So, they will be encouraged to present more papers and communications and to do it in Spanish. It was also agreed that in future IFLA consider need of increasing simultaneous translation into Spanish or from Spanish into other languages. At last, the offer from the French group or caucus to collaborate in the reciprocal translation to Spanish and to French was accepted.

The representation of Spanish speaking countries at IFLA professional groups (Sections and Round Tables) Standing Committees was also discussed. It was agreed to produce a list of the Spanish speaking representatives that are actually members of these Committees in order to articulate a mechanism to get information on the vacancies and how to cover them with Spanish speaking members.

The nomination to IFLA's Executive Board of Jeronimo Martinez, Director of Andalucia's Library, for the elections to be held during Bangkok's Conference in 1999 was also discussed. Celia Zaher, from Brazil, announced the possibility of another Latinoamerican nomination based on the fact that the representation in the Executive Board is not linguistic but regional. Other participants agreed to support Jeronimo Martinez nomination because of his engagement as a representative of all Iberoamerican community members as well because of the possibilities of his election among nominees from other geographical and cultural areas. (Jeronimo Martinez, actually member of the IFLA Committee on Freedom of Access to Information and Freedom of Expression (FAIFE) was firstly nominated to the Executive Board in 1997 elections.(See: Correo Bibliotecario Nr. 16, June 1997, p. 11-12 and Nr. 18, October 1997, p. 10-11).

In the last part of the meeting the highlight point was the announcement of Buenos Aires as candidate for the venue of IFLA's General Conference in 2004 made by Ana María Peruchena, President of the "Asociacion de Bibliotecarios Graduados de la Republica Argentina" (ABGRA), the main professional association in that country, and by Roberto Jorge Servidio, Vice-president of the "Comision Integrada de Entidades Profesionales Bibliotecarias del MERCOSUR" (CIBIM).

Finally it was decided to create an executive committee of the IFLA Spanish speaking group recently founded which will have as its main objective to execute the actions agreed. Among their first initiatives are the arrangements to facilitate a regular communication means with IFLA Spanish speaking members. A WEB page and an e-mail list are considered very suitable. It was recommended to use IFLA List (IFLA-L) as a provisional means of communication.

(Roberto Servidio SC IFLA / LAC - AR)

Caucus of Portuguese Language

The Caucus of Portuguese Language took place in August, during the IFLA's 64th General Conference in Amsterdam, at Quetzal Boeleencentrum, a Portuguese bookstore which kindly offered its facilities for the meeting, besides offering the participants a cocktail. The Caucus was coordinated by the librarian Maria Inês Lopes, from the Kalouste Gulbenkiam Foundation, who substituted ABAD President, Antonio José de Pina Falcão who, by an act of God, couldn't go to Amsterdam. The meeting was very well attended and many actions were outlined.

IFLA / ALP

DANIDA Travel Fund for Developing Countries

IFLA/ALP is pleased to announce the availability of the Danida Travel Fund, to support a number of delegates from developing countries to the IFLA Conference in Bangkok. The funds have been brought together by Danida for the year 1999.

Priority will be given to younger professionals with a minimum of five years of experience in the library field. In appointing the grants, the Grant´s Committee will look for balance between all sectors of library & information work.

Applications, including professional curriculum vitae and information on present occupation should be sent as soon as possible and not later than February 1, 1999 to:
IFLA/ALP,
c/o Uppsala University Library, Box 510, S-75120
Uppsala,
Sweden.
Application form can be requested from:
IFLA Regional Offices,
the ALP Office:
Fax: 46-18-4713994,
E-mail:ifla.alp@ub.uu.se

(Birgitta Bergdahl - IFLA ALP)

Attention to Native Communities through Public Library Services

"Newsletter" issue from December 31st, 1997, gave extensive news about the second international seminar "Capacitación en Producción y Promoción de Materiales de Lectura en Lenguas Indígenas". Now it has just been published by ALP the Project report # 12 "Atención a Comunidades Indígenas a través de Servicios Bibliotecarios Públicos" (Attention to Native Communities through Public Library Services) produced by Milagro Medina de Silva, Maria Elena Zapata and Livio Rangel. This project, developed with the support of the "Asociación de Bibliotecas Públicas de la América Latina y del Caribe - ABIPALC" (Latin American and the Caribbean Public Libraries Association), "Biblioteca Nacional de Venezuela" (Venezuelan National Library), "Red de Bibliotecas Públicas del Estado Amazonas" (Amazonas State Public Library Network), and the IFLA-ALP Programme, answered the need to project, evaluate and systematize specific actions oriented to meet the requirements of information and life quality improvement of differentiated population groups, such is the case of native communities located in Venezuelan border regions.

IFLA/LAC

Lourdes Feria, from México, selected as correspondent member of the Section on Management and Marketing

Professor Lourdes Feria, from University of Colima, in México, was selected as correspondent member of the new Section on Management and Marketing. The next election for this section Standing Committee will be in 1999 and we hope that Professor Lourdes Feria will be elected for that Committee

IFLA/LAC Standing Committee Meeting

The Standing Committee meetings took place in August 14th and 21st. During the meetings, the Committee President, the ALP Coordinator, and the Regional Office Manager informed about the actions taken since the last meeting, in Salvador, Bahia. There were information on the Bibliographic Control Seminar, which will take place in September, in Mexico; also about the possibility of doing a librarian associations meeting from March 14 to 20th, in Taxco, Mexico and about the future publications of the Studies Plans Guide of Librarianship, Archivology, and Museology of Ibero-America by the "Sociedade Argentina de Investigaciones Bibliotecologicas" (Argentinean Library Science Research Society). The Standing Committee manifested its support to the "Asociación de Bibliotecarios Graduados de la Republica Argentina" (Argentina Graduated Librarians Association) concerning IFLA General Conference taking place in Buenos Aires, in 2004.

(Stella Maris Fernández SC IFLA/LAC - AR)

News/ IFLA Affiliates and Members in the Region

ARGENTINA

Symposium: “At the Crossroads of Information and Culture: 64th IFLA Conference

On November 18, the Cultural Center of the Institute for Cooperative Funds together with the Society for Library Research, sponsored a symposium titled "At the Crossroads of Information and Culture: 64th IFLA Conference" in the Pueblo Theater. The themes of the Amsterdam meeting were discussed: IFLA's objectives; World Memory Program, School Libraries, and the IFLA Manifesto, Public Libraries and the Unesco Manifesto, New Technologies and author's rights.

(Stella Maris Fernández SC IFLA / LAC - AR)

XXXIII National Meeting of Librarians. Utopias and Realities of Libraries in MERCOSUR. Buenos Aires

This meeting will be held in April 12-16, 1999 during the International Meeting of Book Professionals at the 25th International Book Fair of Buenos Aires and it is expected that important national and foreign colleagues will participate of it.

Themes proposed for this meeting are the followings:

  • Libraries for social development
  • Information access at the end of the century
  • New missions of the librarian in the 3rd. millennium
  • Library management within the organization
  • Is information access democratized by technologies?
  • Regional information systems
  • Author's property, copyright and library services
  • Professional communication levels
  • "Transfrontiers" libraries, links for the integration
  • User studies
Papers should be sent before January 8, 1999 to:
Papers Selection Committee
Asociación de Bibliotecarios Graduados de la Republica de Argentina (ABGRA)
Tucuman 1424, 8º piso, Dto. "D"
1050 - Buenos Aires
Argentina

Official languages: Spanish and Portuguese

Papers should be in WORD (6.0 or superior) in 3-1/2 diskette, with a printed original 12 pages maximum, double space, in A-4 format, with 3cm top margin and 2 cm bottom margin at each page.
Heading: Title followed by the author´s name.
An abstract of 150 words maximum should be included.
Bibliography and conclusions included at the final of the paper.
Bibliograhphical quotations should be completed and presented as usual for these cases.

Authors should also send the following information no longer than a half page: full name, profession, entity which one belongs or represents, curriculum vitae and address, as it is requested by Congress organizers.

Authors are recommended to present suggestions or concrete projects and not ideas or other expressions.

All works are exclusively responsability of their authors and do not represent in any case the opinion of the Congress authorities

ABGRA reserves the right of the publication of the works presented. The copyright of the works is automatically transfered to ABGRA.
Only one work by each author/authors will be received.
The work will be inmediately rejected if any of these rules is not fulfilled.
The acceptance of the works selected will be communicated to their authors before February 12, 1999 with the due information on date, time and place of their presentation.

For more information, please contact:
Comité Organizador
XXXIII reunión Nacional de Bibliotecarios
Asociación de Bibliotecarios Graduados de la República Argentina (ABGRA)
Tucumán 1424, 8vo. Piso, Dto. "D"
(1050) Buenos Aires
Argentina
Tel. (54 1) 371-5269/373-0571
Fax: (54 1) 371-5269
E-mail:reuniones@abgra.org.ar
abgra@ciudad.com.ar
URL: http://www.sisbi.uba.ar/abgra/

(Roberto Servidio SC IFLA / LAC - AR)

IV Meeting of University Libraries. Utopias and Realities of University Libraries in MERCOSUR

Organized by the Information and Library System of the University of Buenos Aires (SISBI) and ABGRA, this meeting will take place during the XXXIII National Meeting of Librarians to be held in April 12-16, 1999.

Objectives:
To establish a forum to debate specific matters of this kind of library during ABGRA National Meeting.
To analyze the situation of university libraries in MERCOSUR regarding their achievements and lacks, their expectations and opportunities.

Themes to be developed:

  • Information access in university libraries at the end of the century
  • New mission of the librarian in the university of the 3rd. millennium
  • Management models in the university library
  • Real and virtual users of the university library
  • University library networks
  • Author's property, copyright and university library services
  • User studies in the university coommunity

Participants
The meeting is addressed only to those working at library universities.
Participants should be registered in the XXXIII National Meeting of Librarians.
Participation certificates should be delivered.

Those interested in participating in the Meeting should contact:
Susana Soto
SISBI - UBA
Azcuénaga 280, piso 2, of. 203 (1029)
Buenos Aires
Argentina
Fax 54 1 952-6567
E-mail:ss@sisbi.uba.ar
Claudia Rodriguez
y a ABGRA

(Roberto Servidio SC IFLA / LAC - AR)

10th Argentina Meeting of Health Libraries - JABS 99. Utopias and Realities of Health Libraries in MERCOSUR

Organizers: "Red Nacional de Información en Ciencias de la Salud" (Health Science National Information Network) (RENICS/BIREME/ OPS/OMS), "Sistema de Información Cooperativa en Ciencias de la Salud de La Plata " (La Plata Health Science Cooperative Information System) (SICCS/La Plata) and ABGRA.

Objectives
To know new information technologies, cooperation ways and information resources generation and management in health libraries in MERCOSUR.
To analyse professional education and the future of Health Libraries in MERCOSUR.

Conclusions of this meeting will be presented during National Meeting plenary session.

Themes to be developed

  1. The health virtual library: Utopias and realities (Management, Services, Products, Librarian role, User trends)
  2. Health libraries for social development
  3. Health information access at the end of the century
  4. New mission of the health librarian in the 3rd. millennium
  5. Library Management in a health organization
  6. Is health information democratized by new technologies?
  7. Regional systems on health information
  8. Communication levels of the health librarian
  9. Transfrontiers health libraries as a link for the integration
  10. Users studies at health libraries

Participants

  • Librarians and professionals of health areas
  • Participants should be registered in the XXXIII National Meeting of Librarians
  • Participation certificates should be delivered

The rules for the XXXIII are also applied for this meeting. The résumés of those interested to give free lectures (10 minutes) on the themes 2-11 must arrive before November 30 1998 to:
Maria Fernanda Astirraga - Coord. SICCS
Biblioteca Hospital Zonal Especializado Noel H. Sbarra
Calle 8 No. 1689 1900 -
La Plata, Buenos Aires
Argentina
Tel. (021) 57-3497, Int. 127
Fax: (021) 51-3310
E-mail:sbarra@way.com.ar
ó a ABGRA

(Roberto Servidio SC IFLA / LAC - AR)

VI Meeting of Agriculture and Cattle Raising, and Veterinary Sciences Libraries. Utopias and Realities of Agriculture and Cattle Raising Sciences Libraries in MERCOSUR

Organized by ABGRA with the collaboration of the Agriculture, Fishing and Food Department Library.

Objectives

  • To foster the cooperation, generation and management of agriculture information units in MERCOSUR
  • To analyse the state of art of agriculture and cattle raising science libraries in MERCOSUR and the professional education: achievements and lacks, expectations and opportunities.

Themes to be developed

  1. Agriculture cooperation, reality or utopia?
  2. Mission of the agricultural librarian in the next era
  3. Network for agriculture and cattle raising development: experiences and remarks
  4. Infrastructure of agriculture information in MERCOSUR countries
  5. Is agriculture information democratized by new technologies?
  6. Are the present information services the answer to the small productor and also to the owners of large estates needs?
  7. Development of agriculture and cattle raising information services
  8. Agriculture and cattle raising in MERCOSUR: present and perspectives

Participants
Specially addressed to those working at agriculture information units
Participants should be registered in the XXXIII National Meeting of Librarians
Participation certificates should be delivered.

For more information please contact:
Irene Herl
SAGOyA - Biblioteca Central y Biblioteca Dirección Producción Forestal
Tel.: (54 1) 349- 2462/2463 - (54 1) 349-2124/2125
Fax: (54 1) 349-2102
E-mail:fsanti@sagyp.mecon.ar
Iherl@sagyp.mecon.ar
o a ABGRA

(Roberto Servidio SC IFLA / LAC - AR)

VI School Libraries Meeting. Utopias and Realities of School Libraries in MERCOSUR

The objectives of this meeting organized by ABGRA are the followings:
  • To analyze and to propose possible actions for the development of school libraries in MERCOSUR
  • To foster the determination of a school library model and to think over its concept and functions.

Themes to be developed:

  • Definition of the school librarian profile
  • Education of school librarians in MERCOSUR
  • School library networks and their operation
  • The school library and its social environment
  • New technologies and the information in the school libraries
  • The state of art of school libraries in MERCOSUR countries

Participants:

  • Those working at school libraries
  • Participants should be registered in the XXXIII National Meeting of Librarians
  • Authors have to be present personally at the exposition of their papers in order to receive the participation certificate.

For more information, please contact: ABGRA

(Roberto Servidio SC IFLA / LAC - AR)

1st Public and Popular Libraries Meeting. Utopias and Realities of Public and Popular Libraries in Argentina and MERCOSUR

The objectives of this meeting, organized by ABGRA and the "Comision Nacional Protectora de Bibliotecas Populares - CONABIP" (Public Libraries National Defensive Commission) of the "Secretaría de Cultura de la Nacion" (Nation's Department of Culture), are the followings:
  • To offer an space for information, analysis and debate on the reality of the public and popular library system and its needs, trends and expectations.
  • To promote the role of the public library in the cultural and social development of its community as well as the permanent relation of its collection and services to the characteristics of that community.
  • To increase the interchange of knowledge, techniques, standards and criteria among public and popular library librarians of our country and MERCOSUR countries.

Themes to be developed

  • Public library: realities and utopias. Objectives, services, reading promotion activities, librarian role. Users and ttrends
  • Informatics and communication development in the public and popular library: management and cooperation system. Achievements, difficulties, network services and access
  • Public library and social development. Individual and community reference. Selection and building of a collection for a public and popular library in the threshold of the 21th Century
  • Interchange and professional development of the public and popular library librarian in MERCOSUR environment.

Participants

  • Those interested in public and popular libraries
  • Participants should be registered in the XXXIII National Meeting of Librarians
  • Certificates and four special mentions should be delivered.

For more information, please contact: ABGRA

(Roberto Servidio SC IFLA / LAC - AR)

Information, Culture and Society Review: a new journal from the Institute of Library Science Research of the School of Philosophy and Literature, University of Bueno Aires

Founded in 1967, the "Instituto de Investigaciones Bibliotecologicas" (Institute of Library Science Research) of the "Universidad de Buenos Aires" (University of Buenos Aires) has long supported research in the field of librarianship. It announces the creation of a new journal titled: "Información, Cultura y Sociedad" (Information, Culture and Society) in which original works will be published concerning the areas of production, copyright, preservation, circulation, dissemination and use of information. The objective of the journal is to offer an interdisciplinary forum for library / information science professionals and professionals from other disciplines to discuss issues and exchange ideas relating to information.

Although the primary goal is to offer a forum for Ibero-American researchers, the editors will accept articles from the international community. The following types of articles will be accepted for evaluation:

  1. articles up to 25 pages concerning research (theory, empirical and revisions) and case studies (subject to independent evaluation);
  2. brief research notes (subject to independent evaluation). Articles up to 10 page;
  3. notices of interest to the academic community

All researchers, teachers and professionals are encouraged to send works to the Insitute. Standards and policies for submitting and acceptance of works are available at the Institute's homepage:
http://www.filo.uba.ar/Institutos/inibi/ICSpor.html
http://www.filo.uba.ar/Institutos/inibi/normas.htm
Feel free to cross-post this information.

Address:
Comité editor
Información, cultura y sociedad
Instituto de Investigaciones Bibliotecologicas
Facultad de Filosofia y Letras
Puan 480 4to. piso of. 8
1406 Buenos Aires
Argentina

(Roberto Servidio SC FLA / LAC - AR)

BRASIL

FID 2000 in Brazil

IBICT, according to FID Council proposition, accepted to organize in Brasilia, in the year 2000, FID's 50th World Congress and Conference. The Congress will offer the opportunity for discussion of critical issues relative to information's global society in a transition moment, besides demonstrating the country's maturity in the information activities. The event will coincide with the celebrations of Brazil's Discovery Five Hundred Anniversary and of IBICT's creation 45th anniversary.

(CFB Informa, ano 03,No. 03, julho/98)

VI Informational Science Studies Cycle - CECI

Organized by the Information and Libraries System - SIBI of Federal University of Rio de Janeiro - UFRJ, the VI CECI took place in October 7 - 9, 1998. The themes approached were: Libraries: modernization; Financial Resources: captivation and utilization; Users/ Informational Resources; Communication Networks: connection with information; Consortium: Cooperative Administration.

IFLA 's Regional Office Manager for Latin America and the Caribbean, Elizabet Maria Ramos de Carvalho, headed the meeting Users/Informational Resources.

The "Newsletter" congratulates SIBI Coordinator, the librarian Mariza Russo and her staff for the seminar success.

The works presented can be found on the Internet at:
http://acd.ufrj.br/sibi/

(Informativo IBICT, Vol.18, No. 1/2, jan./abr., 1998)

Virtual Library of Long-Distance Education in Bahia

The Virtual Library of Long-Distance Education started to function at the "Universidade Federal da Bahia - UFBA" (Federal University of Bahia).

Opened in March 13th, it displays as setting the Internet and it allows access to information about use of tools capable of improving teaching relations. The project, which is part of Prossiga Specialized Information Education Virtual Net, has the support of "Conselho Nacional de Pesquisas - CNPq" (Research National Council) in partnership with Universidade Federal da Bahia - UFBA (Bahia Federal University).

Based in Salvador, Bahia, and coordinated by professor Nelson Pretto, it allows access to worldwide information. According to its coordinator, the use of new communication and information technology in schools, such as video, television, computers, and, above all, the Internet, are some of the applied resources in the long-distance teaching, which proposes substantial transformation in the country's educational process.

With the http://master.prossiga.br/edistancia/ site, the library provides sections with long-distance courses, in praesentia courses, financing tips, scientific associations and societies, contemporary controversial issues and discussion lists. Through the texts there are links to other Brazilian and foreign sites.

(Informativo IBICT Vol 18, no.3 maio/junho 1998)

Seminar: "School Library: pedagogical education space

It took place in Minas Gerais, in October 6-9th, aiming to congregate researchers, students and librarians, involved with the the school library issue, for share and trade of experiences and discussion of problems concerning the issue. The seminar gathered around 170 people and it was organized by the UFMG Librarianship School and by the "Associação de Bibliotecários de Minas Gerais - ABMG" (Minas Gerais Librarians Association), affiliate to FEBAB, with the aid of "Fundação de Apoio à Pesquisa de Minas Gerais - FAPEMIG" (Minas Gerais Research Support Foundation). At the event, the School Libraries Guide was released by the "Comissão Mineira de Bibliotecas Públicas e Escolares" (Public and School Library Commission of Minas Gerais).

"Model Library Association Project" – 2nd phase / last module

In November 17 -18, the Second Seminar on Management of Librarians and Information Scientists Unions and Associations took place in Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, as the last module of the second phase of the "Model Library" Project which beheld the Librarian Associations of Minas Gerais, Pernambuco and Santa Catarina.

The financing covered, besides the seminar's organization, the 3-day lodging costs of some of the invited institutions presidents. The Seminar was very successful, and counted on the presence of class institutions presidents from several Brazilian states.

Meeting on the IFLA's 64th Conference: In the crossroad of information and culture

IFLA's Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, the "Conselho Regional de Biblioteconomia da 7a. Região - Rio de Janeiro" (7th Region Regional Council of Librarianship - Rio de Janeiro) and the "Universidade do Rio de Janeiro - UNIRIO" (Rio de Janeiro University), through the librarians Elizabet Maria Ramos de Carvalho, regional manager, Fátima Raposo, CRB-7 president, and Ludmila Mayrink da Costa, professor of "Escola de Biblioteconomia e Documentação" (Librarianship and Documentation School) organized the meeting for celebrating the Book's Week, held in October 21st in Rio de Janeiro's Getúlio Vargas Foundation.

The works presented at the Conference were discussed and put at the participants' disposal. Information as how to become an IFLA member and how to consult IFLANET was also given.

"The Intellectual Capital of Institutions"

After the IFLA 64th General Conference in Amsterdam, invited by Ana Flávia Fonseca, head of the World Bank Information and Knowledge Sharing Services, the LAC regional office manager , librarian Elizabet Maria Ramos de Carvalho, gave a lecture titled "The Intellectual Capital of Institutions" at that Bank, Washington, DC, USA.

The lecture was very appreciated and in November she received an e-mail from Dr. Irene Farkas, president Arthur L. Conn. and Associates, Ltd., asking her to send the paper to be published on ASIS (American Society for Information Science) Bulletin.

CUBA

INFO'99 - International Congress of Information. Havana, Cuba, October, 4-8, 1999

The "Instituto de Información Científia y Tecnológica - IDICT" (Institute of Scientific and Technological Information) of the "Ministerio de la Ciencia, Tecnología y Medio Ambiente" (Department of Science, Technology and Environment) of the Republic of Cuba, has the pleasure of inviting you to participate in the International Information Congress, which will be held on October 1999, under the theme: "Information at the Threshold of a New Millenium" at the "Palacio de las Convenciones" (Havana International Conference Center).

INFO'99 will organize for you: Seminars, round tables, workshops, courses, keynote papers. Parallel to the Congress the International Exhibition EXPOINFO'99 will be held. In this exhibition interested companies, institutions and organizations will show their products, equipment and software, as well as exhibit added value services.

Main themes of this meeting will be:

  • Information and communication technologies in the new century
  • Information use and access in different scenarios and moments
  • New information management styles, as expression of repositioning information services
  • Requirements and challenges that information professionals will have to face at the beginning of a new era
  • User's demands and needs as an exponent of the requirements for a new era
  • New conditions and necesssary changes that information institutions will have to deal with

Official languages in INFO'99 will be Spanish and English. If you are interested in receiving additional information about this meeting, please contact:
Lic. Nicolas Garriga Mendez
INFO'99 Organizing Committee Chairman
Postal Code 2019,
La Habana 10200,
Cuba
Fax (537) 338237
Phone (537) 635500
E-mail:info@ceniai.inf.cu
URL:http://www.ceniai.inf.cu

(Luiz A. Mourelos Rodriguez - CU)

Iberoamerican Colloquy on Book and Libraries Destiny: from papyrus to the virtual library. Havana, March 22-26, 1999

Sponsored by UNESCO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean and "Fundación Jorge Guillen" (Jorge Guillen Foundation) from Spain.

The library is the symbol of the civilization, of the human development, of the success of the man imaginative creation, of his fears, of his faith in himself. Several theories have announced not only the end of the history and the ideologies but also of the book and the traditional library.

Will compact disk defeat paper? Will we read El Quijote on screens instead of printed pages in the next decades? Will the book be a museum object inside the walls of a museum-library? Which is the real scope of the new technologies in a cultural community with high levels of illiteracy and huge budget problems? What are the possible answers of our countries to the increasing globalization of the information?

The Colloquy invites librarians, writers, publishers, information specialists, popular educators and researchers to think over the past, present and future of the book and libraries in Iberoamerica by means of presentation of papers, debates, round tables and discussions on local or regional projects for the application of new technologies.

Themes, besides those already mentioned:

  • Library, information and economic development
  • World market in the information industry
  • Informatics for culture
  • Impact of new technologies in library services
  • Document conservation and preservation in libraries and archives
  • New technologies in the preservation and promotion of Iberoamerican cultural heritage.
  • Library and its cultural heritage for identity

The professional programme includes sessions for papers , round tables, workshops and conferences. Papers should be no longer than 10 pages (30 lines, 60 characters each) double space and speakers will be given 20 minutes for their presentation.The workshop will include the presentation of experiences and projects on conservation and restauration, automation and other matters linked to the Colloquy general theme. The Conference programme will be planned by the Organizing Committee.

Papers abstracts including those for the workshop should be sent to Casa de las Americas no later than February 26, 1999. They should have 250 words maximum and should include author's name and the institution represented. Abstracts of papers should include information on technical requirements for the exposition to be presented at the workshop.

Registration fee: USD $100.00 and should be paid personally in Casa de las Americas. Cuban participants should pay the same fee but in national money.
Registration fee includes the participation in all programmed activities and a working bag. You may contact your travel agency or the Organizing Committee directly. Casa de las Americas offers its academical residence at a low cost. Due to its limited capacity, you should make your reservation at least 30 days before your arrival to Havana.

All documents should be sent to:
Casa de las Americas, 3a y G,
El Vedado,
Ciudad de La Habana,
Cuba C.P. 10400
Tel.: 552706 al 552709, 552703, 552711
Telex: 51 1019 CARMER CU
Fax: (537) 33-4554, (537) 33-4641
E-mail:casa@artsoft.cult.cu
Ernesto Sierra - Director
Biblioteca Casa de Las Américas
Calle 3ra. esq. G El Vedado
La Habana 4 CP 10400 Cuba
Tel.: 552706 al 09 Fax: 33454, 327272
E-mail:casa@artsoft.cult.cu

(Estela Morales Campos SC IFLA / LAC - MX)

MEXICO

The Bibliographic Control in Latin America and the Caribbean Towards the Third Millenium

UNAM's "Centro Universitario de Investigaciones Bibliotecologicas" (Library Science Research University Center) organized the International Seminar on Universal Bibliographic Control, from September 21 to 23rd. The seminar was supported by IFLA, "Dirección General de Intercambio Academico" (General Directorate of Academic Interchange) de la "Universidade Autonoma de Mexico" (Mexican Autonomous National University) and "Asociación Mexicana de Bibliotecarios - AMBAC" (Mexican Librarians Association).

The Seminar's theme was focused on the following considerations:
The Universal Bibliographic Control represents for the librarians a permanent theme for analysis and discussion due to its evolution through the times. In the present century, and on the edge of the third millenium, the main themes for a wide debate are: communication and information technologies application, the orientation given to document organization, the request for bibliographic norms and formats in information organization, the need for establishing informational flows and the cooperation strengthening among the Latin American and Caribbean information units. The last one fits mainly in IFLA's Fundamental Programme on Universal Bibliographic Control - International MARC (UBCIM).

In this way, the seminar objectives were the following:

  • Learning, in the framework of communication and information technologies cooperation, the Universal Bibliographic Control trends.
  • Analyzing the Latin American and the Caribbean bibliographic control situation aiming to identify research problems related with the use of norms, bibliographic formats and communication and information technology.
  • Formulating proposals destined to strengthen the Latin American and the Caribbean bibliographic control aiming to collaborate for a wider bibliographic cooperation in the region.

The Seminar counted on the presence of experts from Germany, Canada, USA, and England, all of them as IFLA's representatives. From Latin America and the Caribbean the following took part: Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Cuba, Chile, Guatemala, Panama, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela. From Mexico many UNAM organizations took part: "Centro de Estudios Sobre la Universidad" (Center of Studies on the University), "Dirección General de Bibliotecas" (Libraries General Directorate), "Dirección General de Servicios de Cómputo Académico" (Academic Record Services General Directorate), "Instituto de Investigaciones Bibliográficas" (Bibliographic Reasearch Institute) and "Centro Universitario de Investigaciones Bibliotecológicas" (Library Science Research University Center). Besides UNAM, the Seminar counted on the collaboration of "Colegio de Mexico" (College of Mexico) .

In the program there were 23 speakers, 8 moderators and 3 reporters.

The audience counted on professionals from Central America, South America, Mexico City and Mexican Republic states. Formally, there were 67 people registered and informally, 35 more, making a total of 102 participants.

The Seminar had open sessions and one closed session: in the first ones, specialists, researchers and librarian teachers involved with bibliographic control study, as well as the other fields' professionals interested in the theme, took part.

It was assigned that IFLA, seriously committed with the factors that affect the information use and transference in our countries, constitutes a feasible alternative to supports us, in a short term, through continuous education formal programs. It is understood that in this updating process it is necessary to involve the librarian associations and other organizations from the region, for their responsibility in human resources formation, which afterwards will be multiplying agents in their own countries.

On the other hand, the region's participants manifested their interest in having a greater tie with IFLA and required to ask this organization central authorities to study the possibility of establishing special shares for Latin American countries. This request is based on the confirmed fact that there are serious economic difficulties both on the part of institutions and on the professionals' to participate in IFLA. Elsa Barberena and Julio Castro will conduct this petition to IFLA/LAC Standing Committee.

It's worth saying that, in the seminar's organization and development, the support of Marie France Plassard, Programme Officer, Universal Bibliographic Control and International Marc of IFLA, was determinant for its success, for her wide experience in the discussed themes. The donation of several IFLA's publications performed by Marie France Plassard was very appreciated by the audience; the CUIB's library was given a set of the mentioned publications, once they are widely requested and very important for the users' consultation.

Finally, it is important to recognize that, thanks to IFLA's economical support, it was possible to invite 10 bibliographic control experts from Latin America and the Caribbean. These experts, along with the Federation's representatives and Mexican speakers, provided a very interesting and beneficial seminar for the region, once it was able to transmit to the audience the speakers' set experiences.

The open and closed sessions' conclusions and other information can be reached at CUIB/UNAM.

(Elsa Ramírez Leyva; Roberto Garduño Vera-MX )

Future associations. Latin-American Seminar of Librarian and Related Professionals Associations. Mexico City, March 15 – 17, 1999

IFLA/LAC Section and (Asociación Mexicana de Bibliotecarios" (Mexican Librarians Association), A. C. (AMBAC) are organizing this important seminar, which aims to obtain information and to reflect on the current situation of the region's associations, its weaknesses and strengths. In this way, the objective is to work together in the future, knowing the important role that the associations should play and the challenges which they should face as non-governmental organizations in a global world of commercial and cultural treaties which knows no frontiers.

For this meeting organization, IFLA ALP Programme support will be required, such as others'. Pertinent invitations will be sent according to the obtained resources. Professor Rosa María Fernández de Zamora, researcher of UNAM's "Centro de Investigaciones Bibliotecologicas" (Library Science Research University Center), is coordinating the seminar's organization.

For further information:
e-mail:rmfe@servidor.unam.mx,
Fax (525) 550 74 61,
Phone 623 03 44.

Librarianship College of National Autonomous University of Mexico study plan updating

The "Colegio de Biblioteconomia" (Librarianship College) of the "Facultad de Letras y Filosofia" (College of Literature and Philosophy) of "Universidade Autonoma de México - UNAM" (National Autonomous University of Mexico) - considering the most notable aspects for a librarianship school to be able to train future professionals for the current world needs - undertook this year the task of updating its studies programs and plans. In this way, the fields and courses included in this new proposal are focused on training future professionals capable of: adequately organizing information; learning - both tradition and modern - information resources for offering top quality services; being able to efficiently manage the libraries and other information units and for using new information technologies in their professional activities.

The works are performed by a college's teachers commission, headed by Dr. Filiberto Felipe Martínez Arellano, Librarianship College Coordinator, aided by distinguished UNAM librarians, such as Dr. Estela Morales Campos, Professor Jose Adolfo Rodríguez Gallardo, Professor Rosa María Fernández de Zamora and Dr. Elsa Barberena Blásquez, among others.

(Estela Morales Campos SC IFLA / LAC - MX)

IV National Meeting of Teachers and Students of Librarianship, Library and Documental Information Sciences

The event took place in October 21-23, 1998 at "Universidade Nacional Autonoma do Mexico - UNAM" (National Autonomous University of Mexico), organized and sponsored by the Licentiateship Coordination in Sciences of Documental Information of the "Colegio de Humanidades" (Humanities College) of UNAM.

Students and teaching staffs from the six Mexican specialized schools attended the meeting. The main themes were: "Schools infra-structure for teaching-learning", "local and national working market", and "graduate studies possibilities"

One of the meeting's important aspects was that progress was presented concerning students' theses and teachers' and former student's research works.

For further information:bibliote@cmq.colmex.mx

(Estela Morales Campos SC IFLA / LAC - MX)

XVI Library Research Colloquy: Internet, meta-data and access to information in libraries and networks in the electronic era

UNAM's "Centro Universitario de Investigaciones Bibliotecologicas" (Library Science Research University Center) held its XVI Colloquy with the mentioned theme, from August 5-6, 1998. The event's aim was to analyze the multiple problems derived from electronics research organization and to look for possible solutions which could give answers to an adequate information systematization in the electronics era.

The key-note conference "Meta-data and cataloguing: a mistaken option", presented by Prof. Michael Gorman, was transmitted through video-conference for "Universidad Veracruzana" (Vera Cruz University), "Instituto de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey" (Monterrey's High Studies Institute), "Universidad de Colima" (Colima University) and UNAM's "Colegio de Biblioteconomia" (Librarianship College). Besides CUIB's researchers participation, there were teachers' and librarians' conferences from the following institutions: State University of New York at Buffalo, Harvard University, Iowa State University, Dakota State University, Lund University Library, "Universidad de Colima", "El Colegio de México" (College of Mexico), "Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez" (Autonomous University of Ciudad Juárez) and, of course, academics from other UNAM facilities.

The conferences summaries can be consulted at:
http://cuib.laborales.unam.mx, at the events section.

(Estela Morales Campos SC IFLA / LAC - MX)

VENEZUELA

Book Bank of Venezuela

The Book Bank of Venezuela is a non-profit public service organization founded 38 years ago for the promotion of reading and children/YA books in conjuction with the National Section for IBBY (International Organization for Children's and Youth's Books). Initially created as an exchange center for textbooks, it has branched into other services in response to the changing needs of the population.

The Book Bank has developed a number of public service oriented activities including the outstanding "Centro de Información y Documentación sobre Literatura Infantil y Lectura - CIDLIL" (Center for Children's Literature and Reading) . This center seeks to assist children's specialists in addition to the "Red de Centros de Documentación sobre Literatura Infantil" (Network for Children's Literature Documentation Centers) which is comprised of 23 member countries from Latin America, France, Spain. Another activity it supports is the "Centro de Estudios y Promoción del Libro Infantil y Juvenil" (Center for the Study and Development of Childrens and YA Books) which focusses on the promotion of reading.

The Center for Studies is also responsible for the coordination of evaluation and selections of the Best Children's Books competition, an annual event that started in 1980. By means of this event, the Center awards editorial excellence while promoting the habit of reading and contributing to the improvement of the quality of children's books published in Spanish. Traditionally the award ceremony is accompanied by an exposition of books, this year titled "It's Raining Books!"

The 1998 exhibition contains 55 recreational books, 14 books about information, and 26 YA books. The jury consisted selected the 10 best children's books for 1998 including 5 original and 5 translations in addition to 4 YA novels.

(Maria Elena Zapata SC IFLA / LAC - VN)

General News of Interest to the Region

Electronic publications on Latinamerican information science in Internet

"Bibliotecologia, Bibliotecas, Bibliotecologos: Revista digital de Ciencias de la Informacion" (Library Science, Libraries, Librarians: Digital Journal on Information Sciences)
http://www.geocities.com/ResearchTriangle/2851/

"Ciencia da Informação" (Information Science). Instituto Brasileiro de Informação em Ciência e Tecnologia (Science and Technology Information Brazilian Institute)
http://www.ibict.br/cionline/250296/

"Encontros BIBLI Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina" (BIBLI Meetings of Federal University of Santa Catarina)
http://www.ced.ufsc.br/bibliote/coord/encontr3.html

"Investigacion Bibliotecologica: Archivonomia, Bibliotecologia e Informacion" (Library Science Research: Archives, Librarianship and Information). Centro Universitario de Investigaciones Bibliotecologicas de la UNAM. Mexico.
http://132.248.72.221/publica/revista/lis_rev.html
Editor:Carlos Ceballos Sosa
E-mail:csosa@servidor.unam.mx

"Libros en Mexico" (Books in Mexico). Camara Nacional de la Industria Editorial Mexicana.
http://www.libromex.com.mx/

"Perspectivas em Ciência da Informação" (Perspectives in Information Sciences). Escola de Biblioteconomia da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil
http://www.eb.ufmg.br/pci/default.html

"Revista de Biblioteconomia e Comunição" (Librarianship and Communication Journal). Faculdade de Biblioteconomia e Comunição, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
http://orion.ufrgs.br/fabico/revistbc.html

"Transinformação". Departamento de Pos-Graduação em Biblioteconomia PUCCAMP
http:www.pucc amp.br/ biblio/trnas.html

(Estela Morales Campos SC IFLA/LAC - MX)

Latin American Newspapers Database on the Web

The University of Connecticut Library has completed a finder's list for a database of historical Latin American newspapers. The materials are housed in the archives and special collections unit of the Dodd Center of the University Libraries. The website for the database is: http://www.lib.uconn.edu/collections/latamnews/
There is an alphabetical list by title and each entry includes the place of publication, dates, notes, call number, and descriptors for region, country and city of publication. With most web browsers one can use the "Edit/Pull Down Menu" and "Find or Find in Page" to search for papers from a given country or city.

There are some 2,000 entries in the database, so please be patient when accessing the information.

For more information please contact:
Darlene Waller
Reference Librarian Latin American Specialist
Liaison to Political Science Research & Information Services
U-5RI Homer Babbidge Library University of Connecticut storrs, CT 06269-1005
Phone: 860-486-1148 Fax: 860-486-3593
E-mail:dwaller@lib.uconn.edu

(Darlene Waller - USA)

"The Impact of Information and Telecommunications in the Creation of Policies for Development"

The accelerated pace of technological development, the massive quantities of databases and the communication needs between administrators of information have spawned a wide variety of projects dedicated to joining forces to put order to and make useful the information that is produced every second of the day. One such project is already having results.

The project started by the Latin American Association of Financial Institutions for Development (ALIDE) and the International Development Research Center (IDRC) is geared towards the development of activities that will identify user-client information needs of the participating networks and determine the impact of information in the creation of development policies of the region.

The following networks are participating in the study: "Red de Agroindustrial Rural" (Rural Agroindustrial Network) (PRODAR/ICCA); "Red de Investigación en Sistema de Producción Animal de Latinoamérica y el Caribe" (Latin American and Caribbean Animal Production Research Network) (RISPAL/IICA); Panamerican Network for Sanitary Engineering and Environmental Science Information and Documentation (REPIDISCA); the Inter-American Program for Childhood and Family Information (PIINFA); "Centro Latinoamericano para Administración del Desarrollo - CLAD" (Latin American Center for Development Administration); and of course the ALIDE.

The project encompasses user education for online services; the development of online applications and value-added services generated by information networks; the identification of spheres of influence for policy formation and regional listserves to disseminate the project's results.

  1. I) Two of the three studies designed to learn user-client needs, as well as his impressions of online media usage have been completed:
    • Study #1: User Profile (71 users) The majority have direct access to e-mail and show an interest in more training for email and Internet usage.
    • Study #2: User Benefits.- The subjects felt they had benefitted greatly from the information services provided by their respective networks: they have access to timely information, save time in downloading, hence reducing communication costs.The users opined that they were better equipped to make informed decisions.
    • Study #3.- Impact of Information Services. Personal interviews will be conducted in November 1998.
  2. II) From May 5-8, the "Pilot Training Course for E-mail and Internet Distance Trainers" was held at the "Red Científica "Peruana" (Peruvian Scientific Network) headquarters. It was organized by ALIDE and the "Consejo Latinoamericano de Ciencias Sociales - CLACSO" (Latin American Council for Social Sciences). The final meeting of the research project will take place in November 1998 and will focus on new mechanisms for cooperation among the participating networks and plans for future actions.

(Lourdes Feria Basurto - MX)

New CD-Rom for Latin American Photography

There is a new CD-Rom available containing 3,000 photographic images of Latin America and the Caribbean in the 19th and early 20ieth centuries.

The fruits of a project of the Preservation and Conservation Program of IFLA-PAC and coordinated by the National Library of Venezuela, the collection represents images located, restored and preserved from 26 Latin American libraries.

The CD-rom was edited with assistance from the Unesco World Memory program and produced in CD-Rom format by the University of Colima, Mexico

APOYO creates clearinghouse for Spanish language preservation resources

The "Associación para la Conservación del Patrimonio Cultural de las Américas - APOYO" (Association for the Conservation of the Americas' Cultural Patrimony) is creating a bibliographic information database of Spanish language materials on conservation, with an emphasis on preventive conservation. The database includes materials from Latin America, the USA, and Europe that were either written in Spanish or were translated into Spanish from other languages. The database will serve as a clearinghouse of information and will help avoid duplication of translation efforts.

APOYO will distribute the list of translated titles as an annotated bibliography. The Apoyo newsletter in Spanish, published twice yearly, will announce the availability of the bibliography. The newsletter is co-edited by Amparo R. de Torres and Ann Seibert, in collaboration with volunteers and with the support of the Library of Congress's Preservation Directorate, the Smithsonian Center for Materials Research and Education, and the International Center for the Study of Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property.

For information about APOYO, please contact: Amparo R. de Torres or Ann Seibert
Library of Congress,
POB 76932 Washington, DC,
USA,
Fax: 202 7071525,
E-mail:ator@loc.gov

(IFLA Journal 24(1998) 4)

IV Conference of the Mercosur Professional Librarians Integrated Commission

Asuncion, Paraguay was the host city for the sixth conference of "Comisión Integrada de Entitades de Profesionales Bibliotecarios del Mercosur - CIBIM" (Mercosur Integrated Commission of Professional Librarians Institutions) from August 28-30, 1998. Sponsored by the "Asociación de Bibliotecarios del Paraguay" (Paraguayan Librarians Association), representatives from the following institutions were present: "Asociación de Bibliotecarios Graduados de la República Argentina - ABGRA" (Republic of Argentina Graduated Librarians Association), the "Conselho Federal de Biblioteconomia do Brasil" (Federal Council of Librarianship - Brazil) and the "Asociación Uruguaya de Bibliotecarios" (Uruguayan Librarians Association -ABU), in addition to several regional Brazilian librarianship councils, "Sindicato de Bibliotecarios do Paraná" (Library Union of Parana, Brazil) and the "Associação de Bibliotecarios de Belo Horizonte" (Librarians Association of Belo Horizonte, Brazil).

During the meeting an overview of the Commision from its establishment in Buenos Aires in 1996, the situation of the library professional vis-a-vis the Montevideo Protocol and commercial services in Mercosul were presented. Progress reports from the working groups of the four countries were also presented and there was a panel in which the library associations of the four CIBIM countries discussed their present circumstances and future prospects.

On the last day of the conference, the Executive Committee approved the first resolution of CIBIM which established the Working Group for National Policies for Information and Professional Legislation. With reference to the Montevideo Protocol, it was resolved that each country study the text of specific obligations related to professional library services in the Mercosul that will be dealt with during the next meeting

The following additional resolutions were approved:

  1. To request that the CIBIM meetings be formally recognized as Specialized Meetings of the Common Market Group of Mercosur
  2. That institutions responsible for the registration of professionals be established in each country
  3. That guidelines be established for national information policies in all Mercosur countries
  4. That all CIBIM documentation be sent to the Administrative Secretary of Mercosur, located in Montevideo
  5. That studies be initiated for a uniform code of ethics for Mercosur country librarians
  6. That those countries without legislation for librarians be encouraged to adopt such legislation. The "Conselho Federal de Biblioteconomia" (Brazilian Federal Council Librarianship) will approach the "Ministério das Relações Exteriores" (Department of Foreign Relations) to convey the message to the governments of Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay
  7. That notices from/about CIBIM be regularly distributed
  8. That CIBIM be accepted in observer status to the annual meetings of the Directors and Teachers of the Mercosur Library Schools

Finally, approval to support the candidacy of Bueno Aires as the host city for the 70th IFLA conference in 2004 was granted.

The calendar for 1999 is:
Buenos Aires, April 12-16, 1999, V CIBIM meeting and assembly for Working Groups;

Montevideo, September 1999, VI CIBIM meeting and Executive, including the Executive Committee.

Sattelite Meeting in the North-East of Thailand

Instead of the Pre-Session Seminar programmed a Sattelite Meeting will be held for about 100 participants which will pay a small fee plus the air fares and lodging in order to raise funds to pay air tickets for some developing countries representatives. This meeting will take place either Monday-Thursday or Tuesday-Thursday, before the IFLA General Conference at Bangkok and will be sponsored by Division of Regional Activities, Division of Preservation and Conservation, and the ALP Programme.

The theme will be: Recover and Preservation of the Oral Tradition.

The ALP Office will act as the Secretary of the Planning Committee. The IFLA Section for Latin America and the Caribbean selected the region's candidates for the Meeting and sent the list to the ALP Coordinator. Country reports on very specific points about the oral tradition will be presented in no more than five minutes each.

For more information:
IFLA ALP Uppsala University Library
P.O.Box 510 s-751 20 Uppsala Sweden
E-mail:ifla.alp@ub.uu.se
Fax: 46 18 4713994

 

INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF LIBRARY ASSOCIATIONS AND INSTITUTIONS (IFLA)

REGIONAL OFFICE FOR LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

c/o FEBAB Rua Avanhadava, 40 - cj. 110
01306 - São Paulo - SP - Brazil
Telefax: +55 11 2579979
Fax: +55 11 2922993

c/o Delegacia Regional do MINC no Rio de Janeiro
Palácio da Cultura
Rua da Imprensa, 16 - 2o. andar
Centro - Rio de Janeiro - RJ - Brasil
Tel.: +55 21 3225330
Fax: +55 21 3225733
E-mail:iflalac@nutecnet.com.br

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