Wieslaw Babik

Access of Polish Libraries to the World Information Resources

In Poland, libraries and the libray profession are adapting to the rapid changes in information and communications technologies. For the Polish society that evolves into an information society and heads for the EU, it is crucial to have information (which already is to a large extent in the digital form) not only about their own holdings, but also to have access to the world information resources. Libraries, being institutions oriented towards meeting the information needs of their users and acquiring collections are now transforming into institutions that provide access also to other libraries' collections.

A growing number of computer applications allows Polish libraries to apply new methods of managing information, as well as accessing information resources. The development of telecommunications networks allowed for new possibilities of passing on and disseminating information. The fact that the information recipient is far away from the information source, as well as the speed of passing on the information, began to lose significance. Implementing these technologies in Polish libraries brought about the setting up of computer systems and library networks and therefore the age-long dream of librarians about cooperative venture of cataloging, common collections, mutual use of libraries' holdings and catalogs, as well as the dreams of users about obtaining universal access to information may come true now [1]. The emergence and development of new sources of information, including CD-ROMs, brought down the cost of internal use (i.e. without using the telecommunications network) of big catalog, bibliographic or factual databases.

In consequence of these changes taking place in Polish libraries, more emphasis was put on the access to the information resources than to the acquisition of collections, and this was not possible in the case of only printed resources. Libraries, apart from internal resources (e.g. library catalogs), obtain also access to external resources such as bibliographic and catalog databases, news bulletins, data accessible online. Libraries make available not only their own holdings, but also the collections of other libraries and systems thanks to computer networks, new techniques of passing on and disseminating information, inter-library loans and electronic document supply.

These transformations resulted also in the change of the concept of a library. The traditional library, basing on its own collections and catalogs, has now changed into a library that provides access to the collections and resources of other libraries and news bulletins. The new computer technology makes it possible to access various collections and information resources without the need of visitng the library. Thus the development of IT allows to perceive the library not only as a building or an institution, but also as an organization that provides access to various information resources and gathers them as well.

Now, a considerable number of Polish libraries have access to the Internet. Beside OPAC (Online Public Access Catalog) that provides access to the catalogs of different libraries, there is a possibility of online ordering and supplying even original virtual documents. In particular, it concerns new sources of documentary information, full texts of documents, books and electronic journals [4].

Forms of access to information resources

During the last years, mainly due to the emergence of the Internet, the access of Polish libraries to the world information resources has grown considerably. The reference book that is published every year by the Scientific Research Committee entitled The register of scientific journals and other scientific information resources imported to Poland (Wykaz czasopism naukowych i innych nosnikow informacji naukowej importowanych do Polski) best exemplifies the possibilities of Polish libraries of obtaining access to the world information resources. This publication for the year 1999 gives information on 18.517 titles of foreign journals imported to Poland. They are 49.643 subscribed items, as well as the ones received in exchange or as gifts by 485 libraries which, in 1998, received some financial resources from the Scientific Research Committee to help them finance the import of journals and databases for the year 1999, 326 databases on magnetic and optical (CD-ROM) data media, as well as the list of 23 databases made available through extensive, metropolitan and local networks that are placed on 8 servers. This reference book is available as a monograph, on a magnetic medium and online at the following Web site www.kbn.gov.pl/inne/bazy/

The catalog entitled Computer databases on science and technology (Komputerowe bazy danych o nauce i technice) [3] published by the Information Processing Center (available also as a database at www www.opi.org.pl/) gives an information on foreign computer databases about science and technology that are available in Poland.

CD-ROM databases

From the very beginning Polish librarians enthusiastically accepted the technology of optical discs. In Polish libraries CD-ROMs are being used when dealing with the wealth of information that is not subject to frequent changes: catalogs, dictionaries, encyclopaedias, sets of graphical data (maps, atlases). In the last years there is a tendency to transfer big bibliographic and factual online databases to optical discs. CD-ROM, as a form of access and an information source, is cheaper than online systems. Thus it successfully competes with real-time computer systems, provided that the data do not have to be up-to-date. CD-ROMs are also considered to be essential for multimedia allowing for interactive use of text, sound, image and animation.

Beside scientific databases such as: SCIENCE CITATION INDEX (USA ¹), SOCIAL SCIENCE CITATION INDEX (USA), JOURNAL CITATION REPORT FOR THE SCIENCE CITATION INDEX (USA), JOURNAL CITATION REPORT FOR THE SOCIAL SCIENCE CITATION INDEX (USA) the users of Polish libraries have access to CD-ROM databases representing nearly four hundred fields of knowledge. Most of databases on CD-ROMs deal with the following fields: environmental sciences, librarianship and information science, biology, business and economics, chemistry, physics, geography, mining, history, linguistics, computers, mathematics, medicine, earth sciences, law, religion and theology, agriculture, sociology, technology and military science. Let us enumerate some of them. Polish libraries have access to nearly all national bibliographies published on CD-ROMs. At present they make available mainly American databases on environmental sciences (such as: CURRENT CONTENTS - AGRICULTURE, BIOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES (USA), ENVIRONMENT ABSTRACTS PLUS (GBR), ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES AND POLLUTION MANAGEMENT (GBR), WASTEINFO (NLD), AQUALINE ABSTRACTS (USA), E-CD. ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION, AMELIORATION AND CONSERVATION (GBR), ENVIRONMENTAL ROUTE NET (USA), WATER RESOURCES ABSTRACTS (GBR), librarianship and information science (such as: BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX (USA), BOOK FIND (USA), INFORMATION SCIENCE ABSTRACTS PLUS (GBR), LISA PLUS (GBR), OCLC EDUCATION LIBRARY (USA), WORLD GUIDE TO LIBRARIES PLUS (DEU), biology ( such as: BIOCHEMISTRY AND BIOPHYSICS CITATION INDEX (USA), CURRENT CONTENTS PROCEEDINGS - BIOMEDICAL, BIOLOGICAL AND AGRICULTURE SCIENCES (USA), business and economics ( such as: WORLD DEVELOPMENT INDICATORS (USA), WORLDWATCH DATABASE (USA), physics and chemistry ( such as: CHEMBANK (USA), CHEMICAL ABSTRACTS (USA), CURRENT CONTENTS PROCEEDINGS - PHYSICAL, CHEMICAL AND EARTH SCIENCES (USA), 13TH CUMULATIVE INDEX OF CHEMICAL ABSTRACTS (USA), philosophy ( such as: BIOETHICSLINE (USA), PHILOSOPHER'S INDEX (USA),geography (such as: GEOBASE (NLD), REGIOMAP. THE STATISTICAL TOPOGRAPHIC SOFTWARE OF THE REGIONS OF EUROPA (DEU), history ( such as: HISTORICAL ABSTRACTS (USA), linguistics (such as: LLBA - LINGUISTICS AND LANGUAGE BEHAVIOR ABSTRACTS (USA), MLA INTERNATIONAL BIBLIOGRAPHY (USA), mathematics ( such as: APPLIED MATHEMATICS AND OPTIMIZATION (USA), MATH SCI DISC (GBR), NUMERISCHE MATHEMATIK (DEU), ZENTRALBLATT FUR MATHEMATIK UND COMPACTMATH (DEU), medicine (such as: CURRENT CONTENTS - CLINICAL MEDICINE (USA), EMBASE CD: PHARMACY (NLD), MEDLINE PROFESSIONAL (USA), law (such as: IP LEX (CH), JUSTIS EC REFERENCES SCAD AND SPICERS (NLD), psychology (such as: PSYCLIT (USA), theology (such as: ATLA RELIGION DATABASE (USA), INSEGNAMENTI DI GIOVANNI PAOLO II (ITA), OLD TESTAMENT ABSTRACTS (USA), art ( such as: ART INDEX (USA), DESIGN AND APPLIED ARTS INDEX (GBR) , etc.

Access to some CD-ROM databases, especially the ones containing the journal contents, is also possible through the Internet. It concerns, among other things, MATH SCI NET (USA), PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY (USA), TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY (USA). Of course they are accessible only for those who have access to the Internet, and this sometimes creates a barrier in the free access to information. This barrier is a derivative of the present possibilities of using the Internet.

The possibility of using optical discs for library catalogs was perceived relatively quickly. It has the same advantages and disadvantages as in the case of databases. However, it requires overcoming a very serious problem of preparing enough CD-ROMs containing catalogs. CD-ROMs are suitable especially for union catalogs. To a large degree it concerns big libraries of exceptional importance, for example national libraries. To give an example, the National Library in Warsaw compiles and edits the Union Catalog of Foreign Periodicals. Its electronic version can be accessed as a bibliographical database at the National Library's Web site www.bn.org.pl. There are also discs containing catalogs of individual libraries.

A CD-ROM catalog not only takes up less space, but it is also cheaper than the printed one. Besides there are more possibilities of using it. However, it turns out that users do not make full, regular use of all its search tools.

CD-ROM databases contribute to the growing number of inter-library loans, the growing use of foreign journals and the pressure from the users on the purchase of new titles. Online databases arouse less interest. Some libraries no longer provide online access to databases that are available on CD-ROMs. The same is with printed documents. However, this is not a popular solution in libraries where CD-ROMs are not networked, so there can only be one user at a time.

Optical data media have a favorable impact on the organization of Polish libraries and the way they function. The information sectors, till now predominated by printed documents, are now equiped with microcomputers and electronic documents.

Library systems and online news bulletins

Online information systems offer online news bulletins and library catalogs [5]. All the users who suscribe to the computer regional networks or foreign news bulletins may access the system online. Online news bulletins are multibase systems. Among the most popular online information resources are: DATASTAR, DIALOG, ECHO, EUROBASES, ORBIT, STN. These are the systems that make it available to use hundreds of databases from different fields of science and technology, for example the EU news bulletins ECHO and EUROBASES. EUROBASES consists of seven databases: CELEX, SCAD, ECLAS, SESAME, INFO'92, RAPID, UROCRON. The second bulletin ECHO (European Commission Host Organization) is a metabase that directs to other information resources. These systems are constantly being developed and new databases are being added. One has to pay for access to many news bulletins. A guidebook to the world online resources is available at the Web site login.eunet.no/~presno/index.html.

The users of Polish libraries have access to the following databases through extensive, metropolitan or local networks: BIOTECHNOLOGY ABSTRACTS (GBR), CAMBRIDGE STRUCTURAL DATABASE (GBR), CHEMICAL ABSTRACTS (USA), CROSS FIRE + REACTIONS + ABSTRACTS (DEU), CURRENT CONTENTS (USA), series: AGRICULTURE, BIOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES, LIFE SCIENCES, PHYSICAL, CHEMICAL AND EARTH SCIENCES, GMELIN (DEU), HISTORICAL ABSTRACTS (USA), INDEX TO SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL PROCEEDINGS (USA), INSPEC (GBR), LIFE SCIENCES COLLECTION (USA), MATH (DEU), MAURER SLEGER WERBER (USA), MEDLINE (USA), OVID CORE BIOMEDICAL COLLECTION (USA), PHILOSOPHER'S INDEX (USA), SCIENCE CITATION INDEX (USA), SCIENCE CITATION INDEX EXPANDED (USA), SOCIAL SCIENCE CITATION INDEX (USA), WESTEINFO (NLD), WILLEY (USA).

Internet

In the world of virtual information the Internet is used in libraries for:

• obtaining access to the online library catalogs (OPAC);
• searching for specialist source materials using text files (FTP);
• having access and taking part in discussion lists;
• automatic requesting and supplying of documents (email).

The library databases on the Internet are significant as for their quality and quantity. They make it possible to access the world library catalogs, catalogs of publishers and bibliographies. The OPACs are useful for researchers in compiling a subject bibliography and verifying the data. One of the most important services available on the Internet is the union catalog of American libraries OCLC (Online Computer Library Center). The other significant libray databases available on the Internet are full text archives, especially the ones belonging to virtual libraries. A lot of documents are being stored and disseminated in electronic format, including electronic journals. They can be accessed at the following Web sites: rosa.nbr.no/e-tids.html or www.mannlib.cornell.edu/. Electronic journals play a special role in the network resources. They are usually sent out by means of email and address distribution lists.

At present, the WWW systems offer new possibilities of accessing the information, and for Polish libraries they serve as a kind of directory on their resources, make it easy to use their catalogs and - being connected to the other Internet library resources in similar fields - bring libraries together by building common networks and systems. ²

The future of Polish libraries

New computer and information technologies offer Polish libraries a helping hand in the library information management, i.e. in using the catalogs, searching for information, in obtaining remote access to information, and in supplying documents to users.

The Internet services offer Polish libraries and their users many new possibilities of accessing the automated catalogs, resources, archives and information bulletins worlwide. Polish libraries more and more frequntly contribute to the exchange of electronic information, thus not only making the access to the universal information resources and virtual libraries possible, but they also produce and offer "domestic" information resources and in this way they join these libraries. Thanks to the electronic services offered, Polish libraries of the future will rather focus on providing services than play the role of a traditional institution.

Footnotes:

1. A list of three-letter codes of countries was taken from the ISO 3166 standard
2. Hytelnet is one of the global network resources searching programs that helps to search mainly library catalogs. It makes it possible to have an online access to the virtual library catalogs, where the user is present only theoretically, but in fact he stays at his local computer [2]

References

1. Babik W., Rykaczewska-Wiorogorska B.: Telematyka - koncepcja i wykorzystanie w spoleczenstwie informacyjnym. "Zagadnienia Informacji Naukowej" 1998 nr 1(71) s. 63-72.
2. Chmielewska-Gorczyca E.: Biblioteka wirtualna - wizja czy rzeczywistosc. "Przeglad Biblioteczny" 1996 z.2/3 s.117-131.
3. Komputerowe bazy danuch o nauce i technice. Wyd.II. Warszawa: Osrodek Przetwarzania Informacji 1995.
4. Kuligowska K.J.: Ksiazka elektroniczna - chwilowa moda czy zwiastun rewolucji w bibliotekach? "Bibliotekarz" 1997 nr 1 s.19-21.
5. Pulikowski A.: Internetowe serwisy wyszukiwawcze w informacji naukowej. "Praktyka i Teoria Informacji Naukowej, Technicznej i Ekonomicznej" 1999 nr 1 s. 3-8.
6. Wykaz czasopism naukowych i innych nosnikow informacji naukowej importowanych do Polski w 1999r. T. I-III. Warszawa: Komitet Badan Naukowych 1999.

Translated by: Michalina Byra

EBIB special edition
Wieslaw Babik: Access of Polish Libraries to the World Information Resources
Issue for Frankfurt Book Fair, 2000. ebib.oss.wroc.pl/Frankfurt/babik.html