Descripciones mejoradas de Syndetics:

Publications of international governmental organizations (IGOs) are among the most difficult documents for librarians to acquire, organize, and use. This revised work examines the documentation, publications, and computerized information services of major IGOs, such as the United Nations, the European Union, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, the League of Nations, the International Development Research Center, and the G-7. Special attention is given to the consequences of recent institutional restructuring and retrenchment. The book covers institutions, resources, and processes. Chapters discuss the organizational and functional characteristics of IGOs; examine their available resources, including documents now available through electronic sources; and explore the role of the private sector and institutions outside the IGOs in providing access to IGO information. Hajnal also discusses collection development and reference and information work. This authoritative, up-to-dat

Reseñas proporcionadas por Syndetics

CHOICE Review

The intended audience of this eagerly awaited second edition (first ed., CH, Dec'88) is so broad that the work lacks focus. Several chapters seem to have been written between 1994 and 1996, an unfortunate delay in publication. Nevertheless, Hajnal's book remains the only comprehensive resource for users of international information. The first section (240 p.) consists of histories of specific organizations and describes their publications, reference works, and other resources. The second section contains a brief, thoughtful discussion of the Dag Hammarsj"old Library and several chapters that are frustrating because they lack analysis. The latter include overviews of UN-produced electronic resources and of the UN Scholars' Workstation at Yale; "The Role of the Private Sector" (35 p.), written by employees of the firms discussed; and summaries of interviews with users of IGO-produced information. The final section, covering collection development and reference service for international publications, is clear and concise and will help researchers as well as librarians. Too bad the rest of the book is not so focused. Recommended with reservations for upper-division undergraduates through faculty. C. Teague; Michigan State University

Booklist Review

Government documents are often among the most complex information sources with respect to format, organization, and access. Courses in library schools tend to focus on U.S. government publications, with some attention given to major U.S. state publications, leaving the documents of other countries and international governmental organizations (IGOs) in third or fourth place. So the second edition of this authoritative compilation of a wide range of information about international governmental bodies, their publications, and the indexing and abstracting tools that help access them is especially valuable, not only for librarians, but also for the scholars who rely on these documents for vital information. The first edition was published in 1988. Editor Hajnal is international organizations and government information specialist at the University of Toronto Library and an adjunct professor at the Faculty of Information Studies. He has written five of the 14 chapters and helped compile the extensive bibliography (50 pages) at the end of the volume. The individual chapters have their own bibliographies as well. The other contributors include several documents librarians, staff of several international organizations, database producers, and publishers involved with international documents. These authors are well aware of the complications, as well as the richness, of these resources. The volume addresses the United Nations, the European Union, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the International Development Research Center, and the G7 (group of seven industrial countries). One historical chapter discusses the documents of the League of Nations. Subsequent chapters address the growing importance of electronic media--both for publishing of IGO documents and for tracking them through indexing and abstracting services--the resources of the UN library, a special electronic workstation developed for UN studies at Yale University, contributions of private-sector indexing and abstracting services for access to IGO documents, a study of users and their problems, collection development, and reference and information work with IGO documents. As is inevitable with print publications of this magnitude, the time required for publication means that much of the information included is now outdated. Compilations such as this may need to move to electronic publication to facilitate more timely updating. The contributed chapters were due in the spring of 1995, yet the volume was published in 1997. Several chapters have appendixes of late-breaking information. One major change noted in the appendix to chapter 14, for example, is the cessation of UNDOC, the major indexing and abstracting tool of UN documents. At this very moment, the UN Library is considering the design of a new indexing and abstracting tool. The editor recognizes the incompleteness and unavoidable lateness of this volume. He reports plans for a second volume to augment and further update the information. Prospective topics include "the role of IGOs as publishers; microform documentation; maps and other cartographic materials; IGOs archives; UN information-gathering in the area of peace and security; cataloging and classification of IGO source material; and forms of citation of IGO documents, publications, and electronic information." This volume must be considered a work in progress, now somewhat dated. Nevertheless, it is full of vital information for all librarians and scholars dealing with the rich store of IGO information. (Reviewed April 15, 1998)

Notas de autor provistas por Syndetics

PETER I. HAJNAL is Research Associate, Munk Centre for International Studies, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and Adjunct Professor, School of Information Studies at the university. He is recipient of ALA's James Bennett Childs Award for his significant contribution to the field of documents librarianship, and he was the first recipient of the Academic Librarianship Award of the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations.