Art. 1: Urszula Anna Wojtasik, Politechnical University Library, Wrocław
The Role of Subject Librarians in the Collections Development of Polish University Libraries (Based on a Survey Results)

According to the results of the survey carried out in 1999, in the majority (79.2%) of Polish university libraries the system of subject specialists has not been introduced. Different methods of selecting new purchases are employed. There can also be noticed, in some solutions, particular traits common with the model of subject librarians in western libraries. For example, it can be the cooperation of library staff with consultants, and also the choice of new acquisitions by scientific workers themselves.

Art. 2: Bożena Bednarek-Michalska, Nicholas Copernicus University Library, Toruń
Subject Librarian Job Description in Nicholas Copernicus University Library

The article describes the need to create a job descriptions in institutions characterised by a high organisational culture. It presents a concrete, detailed description of the subject librarian working post in NC University Library, pointing out at the same time that the detailed quality of the analysis depends on the function of DESCRIPTION in the institution. In a nutshell: in which aspects it is supposed to help: motivating the employee, recruiting new staff or reorganising work. The presented material also contains an analysis of staff questionnaires completed in order to create a correct JOB DESCRIPTION together with a method of creating of a personal profile of an employee. In the final part of the article the author points out noticed mistakes made while putting the working post of subject librarian into practice in NC Library.

Art. 3: Rainer Soecknick-Scholz, University Library, Oldenburg, Germany
Changing Tasks and Changing Tools - on the Future Role of Specialist Librarians in Scientific Libraries

The author considers the role of subject specialists in scientific libraries and their future in the face of new trends in science and technical innovations. His considerations are based on the author's working experience in University Library in Oldenburg, Germany.

Art. 4: Urszula Sawicka, University Library, Gdańsk
A Different Look at the Subject Librarians Tasks

Present unsatisfactory financial, accommodation, and staff situation of many university libraries, together with the traditional delay in the development of Polish libraries in comparison to western European and American ones, causes the necessity of collective efforts taken in order to diminish this difference for the sake of all library users. To this end, it seems proper to coordinate the acquisition of all costly documents, their thorough preparation and immediate placing of prepared descriptions in the National Universal Catalogue. The effect of the above mentioned activities will be more perfect if the tasks are undertaken by subject librarians. Limited number of subject librarians employed in university libraries, promoting subject librarians, may guarantee that, without employing additional financial resources, which are scarce in library budgets, we will make possible easier access to scientific resources to all users. "Central" specialist subject librarians appointed (there should be a few of them in every branch of science) will share the acquired materials in preparation. Equipped with rich and well organised working basis, excluded from daily chores of university library work, they will be able to perform their tasks of cataloguing documents better and more thoroughly, rising at the same time the level of information relevance of catalogues and other specialist data bases prepared. They should be charged with managing the information from their respective fields of research.

Art. 5: Artur Jazdon, University Library, Poznań
Unde Venis?

The problem of a subject librarian emerged in the library of Adam Mickiewicz University more than 10 years ago. The author presents factors that determined at that time efforts to create such group of library workers. He also adds new factors that have recently emerged and speak in favour of the introducing of subject librarians. The factors taken into account in the past:

1. connected with the organisational structure of libraries: not providing for the post of a subject librarian. The organisational change should have made them more viable by not multiplying the tasks, but focussing them in one post.
2. content-related factors: acquisition, deciding on a purchase, shifting or selection, subject information on the highest possible level.

A group of people responsible for acquisition, selection, allocation (management) was appointed in Poznań. They normally work at subject description, information, special collections, availability units, but are not officially employed as subject librarians. Automatisation has a deep impact on the change in quality of library work, libraries have become information centres, and it made possible better cooperation of libraries working in a network. The author is for the idea of placing a subject librarian in the libraries of the network. There is only one answer to the question Ouo vadis? it is to the subject librarian.

Art. 6: Krystyna Hudzik, UMCS University Library, Lublin
Subject Librarian - German Experiences and Polish Possibilities of Their Adoptation

The author is convinced that German model of fachreferent is worth introducing into the structure of Polish library system. The article consists of four parts. In the first the functioning of a subject librarian in German university libraries is discussed. The second shortly presents the discussion now taking place among German librarians concerning the importance, role and future of fachreferent in university libraries. The third part describes actual tasks of a subject librarian in Thuringer Uniwersitas- und Landesbibliothek in Jena. The last part is devoted to possibilities of creating the post of subject librarian in Poland.

Art. 7: Danuta Konieczna, University Library, Olsztyn
The Role of Subject Librarians in the Process of Education

The paper states the role of a university library in the processes of educating taking place at higher education schools in the face of the growing importance of education and professional development. The role of subject librarians comprises, among others, organisation of didactic activities for students and university workers, with the greatest stress put upon the introduction of new informational technologies, help with giving information, preparation of informational materials and computer programmes, together with taking part in multimedial educational curricula. The tasks of subject librarians in the library of Warmińsko-Mazurski University in Olsztyn were discussed together with their future prospects connected with the development of the university.

Art. 8: Halina Ganińska, Politechnical University Library, Poznań
Acquisition and a Subject Librarian (in Polish Polytechnic Libraries)

In the paper acquisition was presented as a process of creating collections, or in other words, ways of acquiring and completing collections in accordance with the library regulations and strategies. It is also a process of making library bibliographic and text resources available. in electronic form on line. This process puts forward another challenges and, at the same time, tasks, before librarians. They can be stated in the form of the following question: striving for better acquisition or, more often, managing the availability of different texts? Present projects, dealing with the organisation of access to university manuals in the electronic form, seem to be in favour of the latter approach. In the legally accepted form there are no subject librarians engaged in acquisition-connected problems in Polish polytechnics. On the other hand, in every library there are employees burdened with this task. They are heads of books sections or units who choose publications to be purchased, analyse orders, promote the availability of information concerning new publications, create own informatoria. They are responsible for:

1. withdrawal of certain positions from the collection, by stating their opinion and actual engagement in this process.
2. acquisition of special collections, deciding on a particular purchase in accordance with and in close cooperation with the scientific and didactic staff.
3. acquisition of publications: preparation of the final list of purchases tendered for, in accordance with the wishes of scientific staff
4. organising the access to electronic resources, with the exception of periodicals, their role here varies in different libraries, in most cases they state their opinion.

The author presents information about thematical library collections, kinds of collections and acquisition methods from the years 1993-1999. Polytechnic libraries are conscious of the fact that subject librarians are necessary, especially in the acquisition process.

Art. 9: Svend Larsen, University Library, Aarhus, Denmark
Subject Specialists in Danish University Libraries Mandarins of the Past of Future Stars?

The article describes the tasks of a subject specialist in Danish research libraries. These tasks have changed recently. Traditional tasks were selection and acquisition of materials, and their classification. The last of them was regarded as the most important. At present, a new kind of a subject specialist is being formed in Denmark, the person able to cope with the flood of information multi-accessible via the Internet. There has emerged a need for the unification of subject knowledge, the awareness of new informational technologies, skill in dealing with the world wide web, and demanded by the library familiarity with information resources, collections and their structure. The new subject specialist has to be a unification of all these professional qualities.

Art. 10: Bruno Blueggel, University Library, Greifswald, Germany
Subject Librarian in Greifswald University Library

A subject librarian in Greifswald is a part of a complex system of services in passing information inside and outside the university. His or her tasks are twofold: library-connected and administrational. Subject specialists are responsible for acquisition and preparation of incoming literature in the university libraries. They have worked out, together with the scientists, a spectrum of purchases. In what follows the author describes consecutive tasks of subject specialists, such as: responsibility for special collections, carrying on special courses for students and workers, classification, caring for directly accessible collections. In the final part of the paper the author describes the tasks of a fachreferent as an administrator.

Art. 11: Danuta Dudziak, Politechnical University Library, Wrocław
Specialist Librarians or Integrated Librarians? A Model of the Cooperation with the University or with All People Eager to Participate in a Difficult Task of the Collection Enrichment

The presented paper is a part of the discussion about the search for an optimal model of library collections development, in accordance with the needs and abilities of Polish universities. The system of central acquisition of materials in the library of Wrocław Polytechnics, constituted by a network of 25 libraries, has been described in great detail. The system is based upon the principles of the library strategy, which are, among others, creating a central computer catalogue comprising 100% of valuable books acquired, regardless the financial resources of purchase or the site of purchase within the university, together with encouraging and motivating scientific workers, students and other users to participate in the process of collections completing and financing. It has been shown that the accepted strategic goals are realised, first of all, by constant rising oh the services' quality. Another factor is the development of a close, far-reaching collaboration with consultants (the library network employees, scientific workers and students), units responsible for classification, accessibility and actualisation of collections; the chancellor and the bursar's office. The role of the integrated acquisition module, which has been employed according to needs since 1998, is also mentioned.