A consortium of library and information professionals from Slovakia and the U.S. will focus on objectives that are intended to increase the free-flow of information to all segments of Slovak society. The project's global objectives are intended, among other things, to;

1. Introduce practical applications of new technology and new library services

2. Increase community and institutional access to the Slovak Parliamentary Library through technology and reciprocity agreements.

3. Establish a network of technologically integrated university and community  libraries.

4. More closely connect the library community through increasing pro-active engagement of the Slovak Library Association with the library community and codifying standards for service, access, and ethics.

5. Increase public access to library services, including local as well as global information resources.
   

SK-Libris has received commitments to participate from both Slovak and U.S. institutions including: Bratislava University Library; Slovak Parliamentary Library; Rector and Director of Information Systems management of Comenius University; Rector and Director of Library Systems, Constantine the Philosopher University; Agricultural University Library, Nitra; Slovak Library Association; Bratislava Library Consortium; University of Northern Iowa Rod Library; American Library Association; Iowa State Librarian; Iowa State Law Library and Cedar Valley Library Consortium. Individuals from these Slovak institutions will serve as members of the SK-Libris planning team.

Beginning in April 1998 Dr. Herbert Safford and Matt Kollasch will meet in Slovakia with Slovak project participants to form a study team to conduct a status evaluation of present library conditions and needs and develop detailed plans for autumn Study Tours of U.S. libraries. The study tour will bring eight Slovak library and information professionals to the U.S. for three weeks of intensive seminar and site visit training. During the 98-99 academic year a series of two-week seminars will be presented in Slovakia by U.S. library specialists to consortium members as well as larger Slovak library community.

Project Objectives/Outcomes

Project objectives will vary by institution or organization. However, several objectives will guide overall project activities. They include:

1. Introducing the practical use of new technologies and services through promotion and use of library technologies such as: access to online catalogs, providing free citizens access to the World Wide Web, shared library resources through technology and formal agreements of reciprocity (e.g. inter-library loans), technology applications for enhancing library management, improving collection organization and increasing citizen access to resources.

2. Improving library networks for eventual integration of library systems to increase citizen access to multiple library collections including public, university and other specialty libraries.

3. Increasing library services to library consumers.

4. Increasing access to global full-text databases.

5. Increasing access to professional library literature through translation of seminal documents from the American Library Association.

6. Increasing practical use of new technologies that enhance library services and increase the flow of information to citizens.

7. Engaging the Culture Ministry in dialog regarding the move towards an integrated library system.

8. Establishing formal agreements of reciprocity among the Slovak partnership institutions participating in this project.

9. Increasing citizen awareness and access to the Slovak Parliamentary Library.

Project content will be coordinated by Matt Kollasch, Director, Instructional Resources and Technology Services of the University of Northern Iowa College of Education and Dr. Herbert Safford, Director, Rod Library, University of Northern Iowa. The grant recipient is the University of Northern Iowa. SK-Libris will be monitored through the College of Education's Office of Education for Democracy, director Dr. Kurtis Meredith and, in Slovakia, by the co-directors of the Orava Project, Dr. Jeannie L. Steele and again, Dr. Kurtis Meredith.

Questions about the project may be directed to Matt Kollasch <matthew.kollasch@uni.edu>.