Implementation
Core Elements
The core elements represent the chief implementation activities of SK-Libris. The project objectives and outcomes served as guiding principles for the development of these activities, which were jointly planned and implemented by Slovak colleagues and U.S. specialists. Each section outlines specific activities with a bulleted list of activities, followed by an overview of the work undertaken in that area.
Slovak library cooperation has been formalized in two specific ways. First there is the formation of a library consortium of Bratislava libraries that collaborated on reference work and jointly implemented an EBSCO database project. The three libraries in this consortium are: Faculty of Arts Library at Comenius University, Slovak Academy of Science Libraries and the Economical University Library of Bratislava.
SK-Libris provided the Bratislava Library Consortium full access to EBSCO databases via the WWW. Concurrently, the Open Society Institute (OSI) in Budapest negotiated a thirty-nine-country contract with EBSCO to provide access to EBSCO databases in the former Soviet Union and Africa. Due to SK-Libris leadership, Slovakia was the first country to receive direct training on these EBSCO databases. This OSI funded project is known as the EIFL (Electronic Information For Libraries) Direct Project. EIFL Direct provides nation-wide licenses for full text databases for libraries of all types at deeply discounted prices that are fixed for three years. While OSI did pay the first year’s license for each country, OSI fully expects each country to pay their respective licensing fees. Thus, SK-Libris assisted the Slovak library community in lobbying government officials regarding the importance of EFIL and the need for adequate government funding to support it. Once this OSI contract for EBSCO was put in place, SK-Libris worked to help train as many librarians as possible in the use of these databases. SK-Libris worked closely with EBSCO and the OSI, Budapest, and the Open Society Foundation, Bratislava, to coordinate implementation and training. SK-Libris provided the Bratislava consortium eight months of access to EBSCO databases, which ended at about the same time the OSI contract with EBSCO began. Thus, this training was a natural extension of an established SK-Libris initiative because the project leveraged its experience and expertise with EBSCO and the Slovak library community to provide training for the Slovak library community. SK-Libris presented workshops in May (Bratislava) and September (Bratislava and Nitra) of 1999 on how to maximize this resource from a technical, reference and marketing perspective. Effective marketing of this product/service is essential; citizens must know about it to make full use of this wealth of information.
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"Our students
are hungry for it." ~ Darina Krausova (right) On access to EBSCO full- text databases. September
1999 |
SK-Libris worked closely with Ministry of Culture and Education officials, library association officers, and individual librarians regarding the importance of lobbying appropriate parties to support the EIFL Direct Project. This project has great potential for providing Slovak citizens with a wide-range of information. SK-Libris emphasized that the EIFL Direct Project is a historical opportunity that must be addressed now. It is doubtful that Slovakia will ever again have such a robust database made available at such an affordable price. The key to EIFL Direct’s success in Slovakia is two fold: 1) There must be adequate funding from the government and, 2) Effective promotion and implementation by all library types in Slovakia, including a campaign to widely market this resource. EIFL also provides for the issuance of passwords by libraries so that citizens with the requisite home computer access can search the databases from home or office. SK-Libris repeatedly emphasized the need to market to patrons and administrators in the various institutions and encouraged librarians to visit department heads, deans and rectors to demonstrate the value of this resource. SK-Libris believes that if marketed properly that use of these databases would become an integral part of the institution. Consequently, once the OSI support is gone the verity of these databases will be recognized, validated and funded. SK-Libris emphasized that the decision makers -- department heads, deans, rectors, directors, et al, must be targeted for marketing and training. Some librarians did a better job of this than others. We also recognize that this type of activity -- marketing -- is not part of the Slovak librarian’s experiences. Thus, even some of our best Slovak librarians had a difficult job in doing this. The library advocacy concepts are ones that still need to be instilled into the Slovak library community. The library associations must take an active and highly visible lead championing the use and proliferation of EIFL.
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Never in our
history have library resources been more important. We need to look to the financial and
cultural significance of libraries -- libraries as carriers of our national cultural
identity. We are not giving libraries the priority they need. Think of a new model of
library because technology will change organizational culture to accommodate new
technologies. We need systems and professional changes. ~ Helena Pangrácová, Director of the State Pedagogical Library, March 2000 |
L-R: Daniela Gondová, Comenius University, Andrea Doktorova, Ministry of Culture, Milan Ftácnik, Education Minister and Helena Pangrácová, Director, Pedagogical Library |
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The second occurrence of formal cooperation within the library community is the Nitra consortium. The Karol Kmetka Public Library, Agriculture University Library and Constantine the Philosopher University Library have formed the Nitra Valley Library Consortium. They have begun establishing the necessary policy and technical infrastructure needed to build a union catalog. They have completed an "intent to cooperate", a legal document, that allows them to share funding. This document was modeled after the one written to bring structural organization to the Cedar Valley Library Consortium in Cedar Falls/Waterloo, Iowa. This is likely the only such document to exist in Slovakia and it serves as a model for the Slovak library community. SK-Libris has helped fund telecommunication charges for Karol Kmetka Public Library so that they can fully participate in this project. This consortium will serve as a model for other Slovak libraries to follow in the years to come. Establishing and maintaining formal collaboration among Slovak libraries is crucial in maintaining the free-flow of information among Slovak citizens. When libraries collaborate their users benefit by having access to wider range of information through interlibrary loan and shared services such as cataloging, reference or readers’ advisory. Collaboration also serves as an informal method of continuing education because librarians who collaborate are learning from each other as well.
Interest in this consortium now comes from three Trnava libraries (one regional and two university libraries) that now want to join the Nitra Valley Library Consortium. Marilyn Mercado, in her April 2000 technical report, wisely cautions, "Don’t rush into adding more libraries into the union catalog until the initial three libraries have the system working…" It is encouraging to see this interest by Slovak librarians in consortium work. However, continued training and financial support are needed to proceed.
The first study tour emphasized both the importance of library association building as well as library advocacy at large. This is an area of great importance in Slovakia and has been seriously addressed by SK-Libris. Encouraging signs of progress in this area include the Týzden slovenských knizníc or the Week of Slovak Libraries. (For more information on this, see Appendix B for a news article from American Libraries.) The idea for a national celebration came out of a SK-Libris workshop presented by Gerald Hodges and Sharman Smith for members of the Slovak library associations. As a direct result of this workshop, leaders of the library community in Slovakia planned and implemented the first-ever "Week of Slovak Libraries." However, the work to make it a reality came from the Slovak library associations. Another example of an increased awareness of the need to advocate your library is a brochure that the Slovak Academy of Science Libraries produced to promote their services. It is a brief, well-designed brochure that outlines library services for patrons.
The discussion of the importance of libraries in Slovakia has begun to be raised on a national level as witnessed by the recent successes of the Library Week celebration and the effective lobbying of Parliament for changes in the library law (e.g., the legal separation of the National Library and Matrica Slovenská). However, it is interesting to read Slovakia 1998-99: A Global Report on the State of Society (Bratislava: Institute for Public Affairs, 1999) and to find no mention of libraries. Until Slovak libraries are part of a widespread national discussion they will find themselves continuing their noble, but frustrating struggles with inadequate budget and buildings.
Another opportunity that the library associations can now take advantage of is the recent passing of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The library associations have an opportunity to be awarded a grant from the Democracy Commission Small Grants Program out of the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy in Bratislava. Kollasch helped them begin writing the grant during meetings in Slovakia in May 2000. The goal of this grant would be to provide public libraries with training on the libraries’ role in providing citizen access about the FOIA law that would lead to them becoming clearinghouses for information to help citizens learn about and use FOIA.
The library associations must maintain an active and ongoing campaign to systematically lobby Slovak officials on all aspects of the library community.
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Danila Gondová,
President, Slovak Association of Libraries Tibor Trigna, Past-President, Slovaka Library Association. Silvia Stasselova is the |
