Poster Paper SPS.080 P, Presented at:

XXIVth International Astronomical Union (IAU)

General Assembly, August 2000

The Physics-Astronomy-Mathematics Asia-Pacific Forum:

A Network for Librarians and Information Specialists

B.G. Corbin, U.S. Naval Observatory, Washington, U.S.A., M.E. Gomez, European Southern Observatory, Chile, M. Koch C., Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, C. Louis, Indian Institute Astrophysics, India, J.M. Regan, Australian National University, Australia

Introduction

Non-commercial astronomical publications have been freely distributed world wide to relevant institutions for more than a century. Astronomers have considered collaboration a very important aspect of their work and, to assist them, librarians have established a supportive international network. However, new technology is providing new approaches for both the research communities and those managing the resources. The role of librarians and information specialists is not changing, but the method of providing the resources required by researchers has changed dramatically. Now much of the work undertaken by librarians and information specialists is done inconspicuously, but without this, researchers would not have access to the many bibliographic databases that are used on a daily basis.

As many other papers at this session are noting, the distribution of resources is inequitable between North and South. On 1 April 1999, Nature published a special supplement Science in Latin America; on 11 June 1999 Science published a two page article, “A second chance to make a difference in the Third World?”. Both these articles highlighted the benefits that can be made through supportive networks. This is the purpose of PAM-APF.

During the past three years the International Relations Committee, Physics Astronomy Mathematics and Computer Science Division (PAM) of the Special Libraries Association (North America) has been working with the Asia Pacific Special Interest Group (APSIG) of the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) in the formation of PAM-APF.

The aims of PAM-APF are:

Fostering the exchange of information amongst colleagues;
Ensuring that publishers are aware of technological weaknesses in developing countries, especially in the Asia Pacific Region; and
Assisting colleagues to obtain the bibliographic information required by their research communities.

Background

In 1988 the first Library and Information Services in Astronomy (LISA) meeting was held in Washington DC, USA. From this meeting, an Internet discussion list was established. Shortly afterwards, the lack of resources for astronomers in the former Eastern Block countries was realised and the twinning of libraries in this region with sister institutions in developed countries was introduced. Such a program had not been developed for libraries in the Asia Pacific Region.

There have now been two more LISA conferences. In 1995 LISA II was hosted by the European Southern Observatory and in 1998 LISA III was hosted by Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias. These last two meetings have been held in places easily accessible to Europe and especially focused on the needs of those from former Eastern Block countries. Unfortunately, the last meeting received little publicity in Asia and the Pacific, and the only delegates from this region were one from India and one from Australia. This fact emphasizes the need for publicising the problems faced by those in this Region.

Since its establishment two years ago, PAM-APF has been an intermediary between the international library community and publishers, to publicise the problems faced by libraries and their research communities in developing countries. A website was developed in 1998, to enable PAM-APF to act as a forum for the sharing and exchange of information resources and knowledge. This site includes a list of participants from 23 countries and the pages are now translated into Chinese and Spanish. These pages are maintained in China and Chile respectively.

Methodology

After the 1995 LISA II meeting, a need for support for astronomy librarians in the Asia Pacific Region was perceived. Jeanette Regan, Australian National University, who chaired the PAM IRC from 1997-2000, established regular meetings with other astronomical librarians in Australia and maintained contact with colleagues in China. Then, in 1997, this contact was formalised through the involvement of Liz Bryson of the Canada France Hawaii Telescope, and the PAM International Relations Committee (IRC). Under the direction of the IRC Chair, and supported by APSIG, objectives were developed emphasizing world wide equity of access to information resources, through PAM-APF.

Since 1998, a discussion list with over 100 participants from 27 nations has been developed, a web site has been established at http://msowww.anu.edu.au/library/pam-apf/intro.htm and a list of those willing to share their expertise and knowledge is maintained on this site.

It was decided that the most appropriate and effective method to assist librarians in developing countries was through direct exposure to colleagues and publishers in developed countries. To achieve this, a strategy was developed that directly involves these colleagues by:

providing publicity through announcements over relevant discussion lists and articles in library newsletters and magazines;
providing a Forum for these colleagues to present the situation within their country at major conferences;
providing the opportunity to network with colleagues and publishers;
involving colleagues from developing countries in policy decisions through their participation on the PAM International Relations Committee.

Approximately 600 librarians from Asia, Australasia, Latin America and the Caribbean were contacted at the end of 1998, and invited to participate in the Forum and to complete a questionnaire detailing their level of Internet access. The World of Learning was used as the source for addresses, supplemented occasionally with information from the WWW. Chinese and Spanish translations of these letters were sent to relevant colleagues. The organisation of this survey was managed by the then IRC Chair and involved librarians from five continents. Full details of a report on this survey were presented by Christina Louis at the 1999 SLA Annual Conference and are available at http://msowww.anu.edu.au/library/pam/intro.htm.

At the same time, the IRC has also worked to establish awards which would enable colleagues in developing countries to have a means with which to voice their concerns to both publishers and colleagues in developed countries. This has been achieved through the establishment of the PAM International Membership Award (PAM IMA) and the PAM International Travel Award (PAM ITA). The first award provides two years membership to SLA. The recipient is also made a member of the IRC, and so able to advise directly on how developing countries can best be assisted. The PAM Travel Award, which is sponsored by the Geelong East Rotary Club (Australia), fully funds the PAM IMA winner to attend the SLA Annual Conference in the USA.

In August 1999, the first PAM-APF meeting was held as a focus session of an ALIA conference, held in Hobart, Australia. The proposal, suggested by Dr Nancy Lane, Australian Academy of Science, to establish the Email Partnership Program was announced at this meeting. This program aims to establish email partnerships between librarians in developing countries with those in developed countries. Guidelines were developed from the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) Twinning Guidelines and those used by law libraries in Australia with their colleagues throughout the Pacific region.

Within many developing countries there is no facility to share bibliographic resources. In India astronomy librarians, led by Christina Louis of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, are establishing a combined catalogue through the Forum for Resource Sharing in Astronomy (FORSA). This base is then being used by PAM-APF to broaden library resources to other subject areas involved within the physics, astronomy, mathematics and computer science areas. A report on recent developments in FORSA is available as appendix 1 .

In 2000 a brief survey was undertaken by Myrna Koch, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile and Maria Eugenia Gomez, European Southern Observatory, Chile, of facilities that are available in five countries within the Latin Americas. Comments on the situation in these libraries are available as appendix 2.

Achievements and challenges

There have now been two PAM IMA recipients. At the time the first award was given, the PAM ITA had not been established. However, the winner, Christina Louis from India, was able to attend the SLA Annual Conference as a recipient of another award, the Sci-Tech Award. The Sci-Tech Award is an annual award available to SLA member librarians who are outside North America. The second PAM IMA winner is Nancy Gomez from Argentina. Nancy is the first to receive the PAM ITA.

In both cases the aims of the awards have been achieved. There have been immediate benefits at several levels for the winners from the high profile that the awards have produced:

the recipients have received recognition from their home institutions;
by observing, at first hand, the example of their colleagues in developed countries, they have realised the enormity of the benefits that networking produce;
they have established personal contacts and networks with both publishers and colleagues in developed countries;
some publishers have responded with special arrangements for the libraries involved;
Christina Louis was invited to present further papers at both a local library seminar and at a major national conference, Recent Advances in Information Technology 1999 (READIT 99) ;
Nancy Gomez received further financial assistance from other sources, to attend the Computers in libraries 2000 and to present a paper at Transborder Library Forum, Albuquerque, New Mexico 2000 .

The last two points show how librarians in specialised subjects can lead others with their example.

In early 2000 a trial group was contacted for the Email Partnership Program and partnerships formed. This trial group is to be regularly monitored. From this group the guidelines were amended to better reflect the informal style of partnerships that are being proposed. Then, in June 2000, all colleagues who had responded to the initial questionnaire, and are listed on the web-site at <http://msowww.anu.edu.au/library/pam-apf/sites.htm> were contacted and asked to complete a web form so that like-minded partners could be matched. At this stage, there is some concern regarding the reticence of colleagues from some cultures to interact with colleagues that they have not personally met.

Future developments

At this stage a basis has been developed on which to establish this Network. As well as the main PAM-APF, there are now groups of librarians active in both India and the Latin Americas. Future work will be aimed at consolidating all these networks and emulating them throughout the Asia Pacific Region. This will be achieved by continuing to use the strategies that have been developed and implemented successfully by and for PAM-APF.

Conclusions

There is no doubt that PAM-APF has made an impact both within specific developing countries and to the relevant library communities world wide.

There is still much work to be done to consolidate networks, and to ensure that librarians and information specialists from the many different cultures throughout this region are not too reserved to participate. Co-operative networking ventures such as PAM-APF serve librarians and information specialists with the facilities to better provide the bibliographic resources required by their research communities.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to express their sincere thanks to Dr Nancy Lane, Australian Academy of Science and Amelia McKenzie, Chair, Asia and Oceania, IFLA, for their advice on this paper and their continued support of PAM-APF.

Last updated 21 August 2000