Art. 1: Lidia Derfert-Wolf, Marek M. Górski,
Analyzing research library operations in Poland: an acquisitions and data processing program

The article presents early results of projects undertaken by the Standardization Team. The process of developing a questionnaire on the analysis of operations of a research library is described. The questions address the following aspects of library activity: employees, collections, budget, infrastructure, collections access, information services, didactics, publishing, databases, library cooperation, organization of events, professional activity of librarians. The article presents the assumptions and elements of an internet application intended for completing the questionnaire online by library directors and for conducting individual and group analyses, as well as, for conducting comparative studies.

Art. 2: Lidia Derfert-Wolf,
The BIX project: comparative studies of German libraries.

The article presents BIX, a project of comparative studies of German public libraries, undertaken by the German Library Association, Bertelsmann Foundation and Institut für angewandte Sozialwissenschaft (infas). About 200 public libraries participate in the project by completing surveys on their operations, annually. As part of the project, effectiveness indicators are calculated and a ranking of libraries is created in four areas: achievement of goals (collections, space organization, employees, computer services), focus on the client (collections usage), economic productivity, and staff development. The results of the studies are printed every year in the BIX-Magazine and they also appear online on the BIX website at: http://www.bix-bibliotheksindex.de/index.php

Art. 3: Mirosław Górny,
Methods of defining standards for Polish research libraries: a proposal.

The article deals with a proposal of defining a set of standards for Polish research libraries. The author points to a need of establishing some assumptions that will serve as the foundation for devising a set of standards. For example, one of the assumptions deals with separating the information content from the infrastructure which presents it. The proposed standards were divided into ones dealing with quality, technology and assistance. Examples of some standards were also provided.

Art. 4: Teresa E. Szymorowska,
Applying the project of ISO 11620 standard to develop procedure-measuring indicators according to the Quality Control System ISO 9001 at the Nicholas Copernicus Provincial and Municipal Library in Toruń.

The author presents key problems with applying the ISO 11620 and 9001 standards in her library. She points out that there is a possible chance for organizing the library's statutory activities in the development of a management system that will not only inventorize, identify and standardize the various interconnected processes, but that will also show how to manage them. She discusses the library's 2002 decision to strive for achieving the ISO 9001 certificate mainly due to the standard's straightforward way of reaching organizational success. She stresses that the public library, as any organization that wishes to be a successful competitor on the market, should strive for the most efficient and effective management of all of its processes, whose final product becomes subject to client evaluation. It is especially important now, that the harsh laws of the marketplace are beginning to effect all organizations. Regardless of whether an organization is profit-oriented, or whether it is financed by the taxpayers, it will need to prove its indispensability to the society in which and for which it operates.

Art. 5: Grażyna Tetela,
Current operations models of library information networks in universities.

From within the vast subject of university library operations, the article discusses issues dealing with organizational structures, presented in the form of models. This approach calls for defining several theoretical terms such as, a model, organizational structure, and scheme. The author attempts to clarify their meanings and describe the models of organizational structures functioning currently in Poland and abroad. Her extensive description includes:

• The traditional model consisting of a main library and associated faculty libraries;
• The subject model (also called one-track model), based on the division of collection according to subject areas;
• The information model, connecting the library with other university centers where information is generated or disseminated;
• The virtual model, functioning as a result of the development and universalization of computer technology.

The article acquaints us with a subject that is very important for the changing of library operations in Poland.

Art. 6: Jadwiga Sadowska,
Bibliography in Poland as compared to international tendencies.

The article discusses current tendencies of national bibliographies in the world and compares it to bibliographic efforts undertaken in Poland. It analyzes the types of documents registered in national bibliographies, questions the selection of materials, compares bibliographic description standards, authority file entries, subject classification and talks about bibliographic services, as well as, issues of access and distribution. Additionally, it focuses on the problems of retroconversion and creating retrospective bibliographies. It describes special bibliographies and presents the works of the Bibliographic Institute of the National Library between the 4th and 5th National Meeting of Bibliographers, as well as, the realization of the meeting resolution in the years 1996-2003. Finally, it defines further issues for discussion on bibliography-making in Poland.