Education for librarianship in India

The ‘globalization’ phenomenon has infiltrated many societies and cultures, promoting the creation of ‘global villages’ where the risks of cultural levelling are evident. The Agence de la Francophonie (ACCT), secretariat of the Francophone Summits, has raised awareness about this issue, through information gathered by its Banque internationale d'information sur les États francophones (BIEF) programme. The last Francophone Summit (Cotonou, 1996) adopted a recommendation recognizing the global impact of the ‘information highway’ while urging the Francophonie to promote the cultural specificities and diversities of its Member States. The information and communication technologies and the information highway seem to favor the linguistic imperialism of certain societies and cultures. This trend triggers two types of reaction: (1) an accelerated merger of cultures into one single conventional universe and (2) an assertion of national cultural identities. The Francophonie has chosen the latter and has developed strategies to support its position.     

Africana acquisitions problems: The view from both sides

This article discusses the book publishing industry in Africa in the early 1980s, the problems faced by North American librarians attempting to acquire African-published materials, and reviews the major bibliographic reference tools. The difficulties involved in producing books in Africa are examined at length and suggestions are made for easing the acquisitions problems of North American librarians.     

Systems thinking about acquisitions and serials issues and trends: A report on the 1993 Charleston Conference

The Charleston Conference, under the guiding light of Katina Strauch, now looks back upon a rich tradition of information-packed sessions. This report attempts to synthesize the massive data gathered at the 1993 conference in a way that will organize the issues for both those attending and those not there. The author chose the theme, systems thinking, to illustrate how interrelated many scholarly communications issues really are. Topics covered ranged from document delivery to collection assessment, from electronic data interchange to current trends in publishing. The article is presented with a thematic approach, looking at the talks from four angles: perspective, context, evaluation, and communication.     

Mergers and acquisitions of professional and scholarly publishers: A contrarian view

J. Kendrick Noble seeks the reasons for mergers and acquisitions in schlarly and professional publishing in the desire for market penetration and growth. He also offers a forecast about how long the current wave of merger activity is likely to last. J. Kendrick Noble, Jr., is first vice president of PaineWebber, Inc. and a leading analyst of the publishing industry. Address for correspondence     

Education for acquisitions: Problems at the Danish Library School

The dominant theme of this article is the interaction between collection problems as experienced by Danish libraries and the teaching the Danish Library School offers as at least a partial solution to these problems. First, a brief outline of acquisitions and collection development problems in Danish libraries is presented, with emphasis on topics like collection growth, budgetary reductions, changing user patterns, and needs for systematic evaluation and control. A characterization of the librarians' debates on acquisitions problems is also provided because it illustrates professional attitudes and different obstacles. The way in which the Library School copes with these problems is described including the integration of the subject in the curriculum and how it is treated in continuing education courses. A major focus is the content and substance of teaching, particularly the topics emphasized and the theoretical frames of reference used. The article evaluates the library School's success in meeting the needs of libraries and librarians.     

Education for health sciences/biomedical librarianship: past, present, future

This paper offers an analysis of and some predictions for the fields of library education and medical librarianship. The recent past of education for medical/health sciences librarianship is outlined, with emphasis on the changing nature of the library school, its faculty, and its students. The present situation is described, with specific reference to faculty, curriculum, and accreditation issues. A future agenda is proposed, identifying the need for interdisciplinary and cooperative efforts within the larger realms of medical informatics, high technology, a variety of health professions, and the community of contemporary library practice.     

Preparation for medical librarianship: status and potential

The educational programs for the preparation of health sciences information personnel are described and the lack of evaluative criteria or studies in relation to these programs is noted. The author recommends an extension of MLA's role in four areas of the educational process: curriculum design, teacher development, development of learning materials, and evaluation of the educational effort. Preconditions for the fulfillment of the projected MLA role are identified as unity of purpose, leadership by the headquarters staff, and money.