THE UNIVERSE OF INFORMATION.pdf - ideals

purpose was to examine a project known as the Mont des
Arts. In the Mont des Arts were to be centralised and coordinated
in appropriate and adjacent locations the Royal
Library, Archives, Museums and other educational, cultural
agencies under the aegis of the Minister. The Mont des Arts
was intended to give effect to the World Conference of Economic
Expansion's resolutions concerning Museums. The
existing buildings were to be altered and Others built on to
or around them. Otlet was the junior member of the Commission,
and as such, in what seems to be a long hallowed tradition,
was asked to take the minutes of its meetings.; by the
Chairman, Cyrille Van Overbergh, the Director-General of
the Ministry's Administration for Higher Learning, the Sciences
and the Arts. " ,
In his address to the Commission Otlet enlarged upon
his earlier proposals to the government concerning the future
of the OIB. He described the movement of international associations
towards setting up their headquarters in Brussels.
Brussels was, as a result, rapidly becoming an important scientific,
educational and cultural centre for the, whole world.
It seemed clear to Otlet that the Government should encourage
this trend, should assure the international associations hospitality
and support. As one of these organisations iand already
situated in buildings destined to be part of the Mont des
Arts, the I IB should logically become their centre,and should
gradually extend its services to provide an international documentation
service. Already the IIB had attempted to encourage
co-operation between Belgian learned associations and
societies and similar international associations located ' in
Belgium. Otlet gave an account to the Commission of his
attempts to set up a Collective Library of Learned Societies.
He had conceived of this as early as 1903 even before the
IIB had begun the survey resulting in Annuaire des societes
scientifiques, artistiques et litter air es de Belgique. He had then
approached the government for an allotment of increased space
for the OIB and had been rebuffed with the comment that
the OIB's Royal Decree of 1895 in no way committed the
government «to furnish a location for the libraries of learned
societies*. 63 In 1905, however, the Government agreed to allow
the OIB to occupy the Chapelle Saint Georges, 27a Montagne
de la Cour, This was a very old structure which had been
rebuilt in 1516, restored in the nineteenth century, and was
of some architectural interest. It was part of the Palais de
Beaux Arts, close to the other OIB—IIB locations and had
an entrance in the Rue de la Regence. 64 In February 1906,
six associations had agreed to participate in the Collective
Library.
It was possible now, Otlet informed the Commission, to
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