Problems and Solutions in Our “New World of Archives”

SUMMARY

This article introduces the volume by making a distinction between authority control and the broader notion of context control. After exploring the differences between the two, and offering a tentative definition of context control, the article describes the organization of the volume, and summarizes the articles from the perspective of context control. The article then discusses the main themes that emerge from the articles, including criteria for identifying ‘new’ records-creating entities when some aspect of the current one changes, the role of standards, and the resources required to fully document contextual information. The article concludes by noting that this is a complex and evolving area in need of more study and reporting.     

Moving Beyond the Name: Defining Corporate Entities to Support Provenance-Based Access

SUMMARY

The second edition of the International Standard Archival Authority Records for Corporate Bodies, Persons, and Families (ISAAR(CPF)2) focuses on describing entities as they exist in reality, rather than on establishing authorized terms. This change allows authority records to include multiple authorized terms representing an entity as it changed over time. Traditionally, an authority record has been created for a corporate body each time its name changed. This practice results in an artificial, fragmented view of the entity, concentrating on heading control rather than on providing contextual information necessary to assist with the provenance-method of retrieval and the interpretation of the records. In order to describe entities as ISAAR(CPF)2 allows and better reflect records-creating environments, the author proposes that an authority record describe a definable unit that performs a distinct function without major temporal interruption.     

The Development and Current Status of Authority Control at the National Library of China

ABSTRACT

This article gives a thorough introduction to authority control at the National Library of China from several perspectives including bibliographic services, the online cataloging center, acquisitions, and the library's integrated library system. It introduces the objectives, principles, applications, solution to the problem, and concludes with comments and insights on the issues surrounding the proposed NLC authority control system. This article also discusses the importance of authority control for access.     

Mapping the Socio-Technical Complexity of Australian Science: From Archival Authorities to Networks of Contextual Information

SUMMARY

This article examines the evolution of a national register of the archives of science and technology in Australia and the related development of an archival informatics focused initially on people and their relationships to archival materials. The register was created in 1985 as an in-house tool for the Australian Science Archives Project of the University of Melbourne. Its potential as a public reference guide for historians of science and technology soon became apparent. The story of the computerisation and publication of the register provides the background for the examination of the use of archival authority records as a means of finding better ways of connecting archives with their potential users. The success of this approach led to demands from the community for a generic database tool using a framework based on the authoritative entities associated with archival materials-an activity that we started to call contextual information management. The Online Heritage Resource Manager (OHRM) was created in response to these calls, and the story of its development as a tool for mapping networks of contextual information is told in the latter part of the article.     

国际图书馆界全面质量管理二十年述评——走向卓越服务的历程

简要阐述从20世纪80年代末期至今,国际图书馆界实施全面质量管理的二十年历程,及其对推动世界图书馆事业发展的意义。     

国内知识管理研究结构探讨——以共词分析为方法

本文在确定国内知识管理领域使用频率最高的54个关键词的基础上,运用共词分析法,以SPSS软件为工具,通过因子分析、聚类分析的方法,揭示了国内知识管理领域的十大研究结构:知识形态、知识发现、知识组织、知识服务、信息资源管理、创新管理、核心能力培育、人力资源、知识产权与知识共享、信息化管理.进而结合相关文献分析了其内涵,发现了国内知识管理研究的两大维度:信息技术与组织管理维度,以及三大理论基础:人工智能理论、组织行为理论、战略管理理论,为把握国内知识管理的研究现状和发展趋势奠定了基础.     

Topic Map as a Method for the Development of Subject Headings Vocabulary: An Introduction to the Project of the National Library of Poland

Subject searches in the National Library of Poland catalog are still comprised of a significant number of all searches, but understanding and exploration of the National Library of Poland Subject Headings causes many problems, not only for the end-users, but also for many librarians. Another problem in the National Library of Poland is the insufficient use of relationships between the terms. The solution could be a properly designed Web application based on a topic map using appropriate visualization that supports indexing and information retrieval in the National Library of Poland. The article presents the main stages of a planned project.     

An investigation into the move towards electronic journals: a case study of NHS libraries in Kent,Surrey and Sussex

Electronic journals are so embedded into practice in academic libraries that it is easy to forget that this is not the case everywhere. In NHS libraries, for example, the staff face a particular set of issues. This article is based on Rebecca England's dissertation on this topic, completed as part of the MSc Econ course in Information and Library studies at Aberystwyth University. Rebecca is E‐resources Librarian at the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust. She investigated the momentum towards electronic journals in NHS libraries in the Kent, Surrey and Sussex region and the potential for a regional purchasing consortium. AM     

The status of health librarianship and libraries in the Republic of Ireland (SHELLI): a mixed methods review to inform future strategy and sustainability

Background

This paper summarises the main points of a review of the Status of Health Librarianship & Libraries in Ireland (SHELLI). The review was commissioned to gain a broad understanding of what was happening in practice in Ireland; acquire knowledge about international best practice, and to inform strategic plans to develop and sustain health libraries and librarianship in Ireland.

Methods

A Mixed Methods approach was used: a literature review; an online survey distributed to health librarians; Semi structured interviews with key stakeholders; a focus group drawing participants from the survey. All evidence was triangulated.

Results

New roles for health librarians needed development and the changing educational needs of health librarians warranted attention. Increased collaboration across institutional boundaries needed more consideration, especially in relation to access to e‐resources. Marketing of library services was crucial. Irish health library standards, needed to be updated and enforced and a proper evidence base established. The literature provided a number of examples of potentially useful initiatives.

Conclusions

A strategic plan of action was drawn up in three areas: (i) to identify champions and promote visibility of health service libraries, (ii) to establish a body of evidence and (iii) to support service development and staff mentoring.