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Information retrieval from European documentation centres
Government Publications Review, Vol. 8A, pp. 241-244, 1981 Printed in the USA. All rights reserved.
ON-335X/81/030241-04SO2.00/0 Copy-right 0 1981 Pergamon Press Ltd
INFORMATION RETRIEVAL FROM EUROPEAN DOCUMENTATION CENTRES
REPORT OF A SEMINAR HELD AT THE CENTRE FOR EUROPEAN AGRICULTURAL STUDIES, WYE COLLEGE, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON, 2-4 JULY 1980.
JOHN JEFFRIES The Library,
The University,
Canterbury,
Kent, England CT2 7NU
Representatives from seventeen organisations and speakers from the Commission of the European Communities met to discuss a variety of problems concerned with the exploitation and use of the documents and publications of the European Communities. Although mechanised information retrieval played a prominent part in these discussions, it became apparent that there were a number of fundamental issues which remained to be resolved. COMMUNICATION Considerable emphasis was placed on problems of communication with Community Institutions, and with the Commission in particular. It was noted that Depository Libraries (DEPs) were established as part of an inter-institutional policy agreed at the highest Community level but that European Documentation Centres (EDCs) were part of an education policy of just one Institution, namely the Commission. It was recognised that the efficient operation of the EDC system, particularly as regards the supply of documents and publications, depends upon cooperation between the different Institutions and parts of Institutions. As a result of these complexities it was felt that there was much uncertainty over lines of communication. Participants welcomed the establishment of a working group set up by the Consultative Committee on Publications to consider a revised statute for ELCs and DEPs; the continuing discussion of the German ENC Librarians under the auspices of the Bonn office of the Commission; and the possibility of a meeting at Community level of representatives from the EDCs in 1981. The recent improvements in bibliographic control and the possibility of a newsletter were noted with satisfaction. It was agreed that further improvements might result from the following: Recommendation 1. That the Commission establish, at a high level, a body which should have oversight of the continuing problems of EDCs and DEPs. Such a body would have a EDITOR’S NOTE: Anyone wishing to comment on these recommendatons or to explore the possibility of drafting a further document which would have the weight of international support is invited to contact Mr. John Jeffries. The Library, The University, Canterbury, Kent, England CT2 7NU.
242
JOHN JEFFRIES
coordinating role in respect of the supply of materials and the formation of policy. It was suggested that, given permanent status and a wider mandate. these functions could be undertaken by the Working Group set up by the Consultative Committee on Publications. Recommendation 2. That Information Offices in member countries should provide a national point of contact between EDCs and the Commission. In particular. they should deal with EDC Librarians’ day to day problems of administration and acquisition and they should organise annual meetings of EDC librarians to provide a forum for discussion of problems of common interest and issues of policy. Recommendation 3. That the Central Library should be the principal point of contact between individual EDCs and the Commission. especially regarding the provision of bibliographical services both in relation to publications and documents. Recommendation countries.
4. That
British
EDC
librarians
INFORMATION
establish
links with colleagues
in other
RETRIEVAL
Participants welcomed the public availability of some of the Commission’s own data bases through the Euronet DIANE host ECHO. Considerable interest was shown in the facilities available and under development in the CIRCE project. The public availability of the CRONOS and CELEX data bases is a venture of great importance which will greatly enhance public access to statistical and legal information about the European Communities. Recommendution.5. That printed products documents and proposals under discussion
from the CIRCE system such as lists of COM final should be distributed to EDCs automatically.
Recommendation 6. That consideration be given to making available those parts of the CIRCE data bases which are neither controversial. confidential nor otherwise politically sensitive. Recommendation 7. That as well as public availability through networks the possibility of selling computer tapes or sections of data bases should be considered. It was pointed out that some users of statistical data might prefer it in machine-readable form to hard copy or microfiche. Recommendation 8. That further consideration development of local data bases of bibliographic European Documentation Centres.
be given in the United Kingdom to the information relating to the contents of
Recommendation 9. That when national Information Offices obtain direct on-line access to CIRCE data-bases they be prepared to undertake. as far as is practicable. bibliographical searches on behalf of individual EDCs. ACQUISITION The problems involved in the acquisition of the official publications and documents of the European Communities have been stated many times. Nevertheless participants realised that the Institutions were devoting substantial resources to the deposit of materials and were
Information
retrieval from European
documentation
centres
243
inclined, understandably, to question whether it was cost effective. The possibility of selective distribution was discussed in some detail. It was felt that an arbitrary policy of selective distribution would alter the concept of EDCs as multi-disciplinary collections of European documentation able to satisfy the various requirements of the academic user and the more general needs of the wider public, and undermine the basis of the service provided. The case was argued that the Commission might have a lot to gain from the deposit of materials in terms of its own information policy ifdistribution arrangements were regularised. Recommendurion
IO. That the entitlement
of EDCs and DEPs be defined
precisely.
Recommendurion f 1. That further consideration be given to the fundamental implications of selective distribution before any firm decisions are taken. It was suggested that improvements in the present distribution system could effect greater economies than the introduction of selective distribution. Discussions with each EDC and recognition of differing individual needs would be essential before any introduction of selective distribution. Recommendation 12. That discussions should continue between groups of EDCs in each region with a view to defining strengths and weaknesses so that an informal policy of cooperative acquisition might be followed. Recommendation 13. That scientific publications and officially sponsored commercial publications should be supplied automatically to DEPs in order to preserve the principle of the existence of libraries of last resort. Recommendation 14. Further consideration EDCs. Attention was drawn to the problems because of the multiplicity of mailing lists.
should be given to the streamlining of mailing to of acquiring information publications from DC X
Recommendation 1.5. It was noted that COM documents were of vital importance to the understanding of European Community affairs and that only about one third were subsequently published in the Qificial Journal. It is urged ‘that complete sets of COM final documents be supplied to EDCs and that they be mailed promptly and regularly. Recommendation 16. That documents of widespread interest and concern be supplied promptly. It was noted that the point had been made at the Second World Symposium on the Documentation of International Organisations of the vexation caused when there is press comment on documents or even the publication of summaries of documents which have not been supplied to EDCs. A notable recent case had been the Spierenburg report. and recognised Recommendation 17. That a standard request form, supplied Commission. should be used by all EDCs when claiming material not supplied.
by the
EXPLOITATION Librarians in the United Kingdom are concerned to disseminate information as widely as possible. Some participants felt that they had been handicapped in this by a lack of support from the centre. Some speakers felt that the Commission lacked a coherent information policy so far as the supply of documents and publications was concerned. In particular it was suggested that little attention had been paid to the needs of users of documents. Certainly
JOHN
244
documentation Recvmmenda/ion information
JEFFRIES
did not seem to have been considered in the lnfornlationpro~rammqfor 18. That the Commission
policy from the support of ED%
1980.
reconsider what benefits might accrue to its own as purveyors of information
about the European
Communities. In this respect a continuing dialogue will be necessary in order to monitor formulation and implementation of policy.
the
Recwmmendaation 19. EDCs should where possible establish contact with their local Member of the European Recommendation the Commission
Parliament. 20. EDCs should have a close relationship as part of the information
with the Information
offices of
supply process.
Recommendation 2/. That the commission give further consideration training of EDC librarians.
to the question of the
ON-335X/81/030241-04SO2.00/0 Copy-right 0 1981 Pergamon Press Ltd
INFORMATION RETRIEVAL FROM EUROPEAN DOCUMENTATION CENTRES
REPORT OF A SEMINAR HELD AT THE CENTRE FOR EUROPEAN AGRICULTURAL STUDIES, WYE COLLEGE, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON, 2-4 JULY 1980.
JOHN JEFFRIES The Library,
The University,
Canterbury,
Kent, England CT2 7NU
Representatives from seventeen organisations and speakers from the Commission of the European Communities met to discuss a variety of problems concerned with the exploitation and use of the documents and publications of the European Communities. Although mechanised information retrieval played a prominent part in these discussions, it became apparent that there were a number of fundamental issues which remained to be resolved. COMMUNICATION Considerable emphasis was placed on problems of communication with Community Institutions, and with the Commission in particular. It was noted that Depository Libraries (DEPs) were established as part of an inter-institutional policy agreed at the highest Community level but that European Documentation Centres (EDCs) were part of an education policy of just one Institution, namely the Commission. It was recognised that the efficient operation of the EDC system, particularly as regards the supply of documents and publications, depends upon cooperation between the different Institutions and parts of Institutions. As a result of these complexities it was felt that there was much uncertainty over lines of communication. Participants welcomed the establishment of a working group set up by the Consultative Committee on Publications to consider a revised statute for ELCs and DEPs; the continuing discussion of the German ENC Librarians under the auspices of the Bonn office of the Commission; and the possibility of a meeting at Community level of representatives from the EDCs in 1981. The recent improvements in bibliographic control and the possibility of a newsletter were noted with satisfaction. It was agreed that further improvements might result from the following: Recommendation 1. That the Commission establish, at a high level, a body which should have oversight of the continuing problems of EDCs and DEPs. Such a body would have a EDITOR’S NOTE: Anyone wishing to comment on these recommendatons or to explore the possibility of drafting a further document which would have the weight of international support is invited to contact Mr. John Jeffries. The Library, The University, Canterbury, Kent, England CT2 7NU.
242
JOHN JEFFRIES
coordinating role in respect of the supply of materials and the formation of policy. It was suggested that, given permanent status and a wider mandate. these functions could be undertaken by the Working Group set up by the Consultative Committee on Publications. Recommendation 2. That Information Offices in member countries should provide a national point of contact between EDCs and the Commission. In particular. they should deal with EDC Librarians’ day to day problems of administration and acquisition and they should organise annual meetings of EDC librarians to provide a forum for discussion of problems of common interest and issues of policy. Recommendation 3. That the Central Library should be the principal point of contact between individual EDCs and the Commission. especially regarding the provision of bibliographical services both in relation to publications and documents. Recommendation countries.
4. That
British
EDC
librarians
INFORMATION
establish
links with colleagues
in other
RETRIEVAL
Participants welcomed the public availability of some of the Commission’s own data bases through the Euronet DIANE host ECHO. Considerable interest was shown in the facilities available and under development in the CIRCE project. The public availability of the CRONOS and CELEX data bases is a venture of great importance which will greatly enhance public access to statistical and legal information about the European Communities. Recommendution.5. That printed products documents and proposals under discussion
from the CIRCE system such as lists of COM final should be distributed to EDCs automatically.
Recommendation 6. That consideration be given to making available those parts of the CIRCE data bases which are neither controversial. confidential nor otherwise politically sensitive. Recommendation 7. That as well as public availability through networks the possibility of selling computer tapes or sections of data bases should be considered. It was pointed out that some users of statistical data might prefer it in machine-readable form to hard copy or microfiche. Recommendation 8. That further consideration development of local data bases of bibliographic European Documentation Centres.
be given in the United Kingdom to the information relating to the contents of
Recommendation 9. That when national Information Offices obtain direct on-line access to CIRCE data-bases they be prepared to undertake. as far as is practicable. bibliographical searches on behalf of individual EDCs. ACQUISITION The problems involved in the acquisition of the official publications and documents of the European Communities have been stated many times. Nevertheless participants realised that the Institutions were devoting substantial resources to the deposit of materials and were
Information
retrieval from European
documentation
centres
243
inclined, understandably, to question whether it was cost effective. The possibility of selective distribution was discussed in some detail. It was felt that an arbitrary policy of selective distribution would alter the concept of EDCs as multi-disciplinary collections of European documentation able to satisfy the various requirements of the academic user and the more general needs of the wider public, and undermine the basis of the service provided. The case was argued that the Commission might have a lot to gain from the deposit of materials in terms of its own information policy ifdistribution arrangements were regularised. Recommendurion
IO. That the entitlement
of EDCs and DEPs be defined
precisely.
Recommendurion f 1. That further consideration be given to the fundamental implications of selective distribution before any firm decisions are taken. It was suggested that improvements in the present distribution system could effect greater economies than the introduction of selective distribution. Discussions with each EDC and recognition of differing individual needs would be essential before any introduction of selective distribution. Recommendation 12. That discussions should continue between groups of EDCs in each region with a view to defining strengths and weaknesses so that an informal policy of cooperative acquisition might be followed. Recommendation 13. That scientific publications and officially sponsored commercial publications should be supplied automatically to DEPs in order to preserve the principle of the existence of libraries of last resort. Recommendation 14. Further consideration EDCs. Attention was drawn to the problems because of the multiplicity of mailing lists.
should be given to the streamlining of mailing to of acquiring information publications from DC X
Recommendation 1.5. It was noted that COM documents were of vital importance to the understanding of European Community affairs and that only about one third were subsequently published in the Qificial Journal. It is urged ‘that complete sets of COM final documents be supplied to EDCs and that they be mailed promptly and regularly. Recommendation 16. That documents of widespread interest and concern be supplied promptly. It was noted that the point had been made at the Second World Symposium on the Documentation of International Organisations of the vexation caused when there is press comment on documents or even the publication of summaries of documents which have not been supplied to EDCs. A notable recent case had been the Spierenburg report. and recognised Recommendation 17. That a standard request form, supplied Commission. should be used by all EDCs when claiming material not supplied.
by the
EXPLOITATION Librarians in the United Kingdom are concerned to disseminate information as widely as possible. Some participants felt that they had been handicapped in this by a lack of support from the centre. Some speakers felt that the Commission lacked a coherent information policy so far as the supply of documents and publications was concerned. In particular it was suggested that little attention had been paid to the needs of users of documents. Certainly
JOHN
244
documentation Recvmmenda/ion information
JEFFRIES
did not seem to have been considered in the lnfornlationpro~rammqfor 18. That the Commission
policy from the support of ED%
1980.
reconsider what benefits might accrue to its own as purveyors of information
about the European
Communities. In this respect a continuing dialogue will be necessary in order to monitor formulation and implementation of policy.
the
Recwmmendaation 19. EDCs should where possible establish contact with their local Member of the European Recommendation the Commission
Parliament. 20. EDCs should have a close relationship as part of the information
with the Information
offices of
supply process.
Recommendation 2/. That the commission give further consideration training of EDC librarians.
to the question of the