Guidelines for Libraries of Government Departments - IFLA

which needs to be learned, if necessary, by doing. Forming a network takes
patience, commitment and enthusiasm.
Working groups or circles can begin as “organisations of self-help,” but there may
come a point when they need to devise bylaws and elect a managing committee.
This can make it easier to make plans and enforce decisions. It can also mean
that management, other committees, publishers, book suppliers and providers of
continuing education will take you more seriously.
Apart from those informal contacts and networks which make the daily work
easier (enquiries over the phone, quick lending of books to fellow librarians),
formally-organised co-operative groups have existed in government librarianship
universally for many years. Librarians have realised that by coming together they
could make their voices heard inside their parent organisations and outside, such
as, in their professional bodies.
Other possible activities are an index of government libraries, support for
students working on their theses, and support for those providing professional
training in librarianship. Another key interest might be in supporting one-person
libraries. In a number of countries a substantial number of government libraries
may fall into this category. There might also be co-operation on the publication
of material of particular interest to government librarians and discussion on
cataloguing rules, and other special library topics. More privileged libraries might
co-operate with developing libraries to create wider benefits.
12.5 Examples of regional, interregional and professional
activities in co-operation
• Regular meetings about professional topics
• Shared cataloguing (union catalogues)
• Support for colleagues facing closure or budget cuts
• Library visits
• Annual events for information exchange among government libraries
• Creation of a “virtual government library" – a “government library without
walls”
• Working circles for special topics or projects
• Creating and managing government libraries’ mailing lists and weblogs
(blogs)
• Joint agreements as a money-saving measure (for example, to obtain better
pricing for the purchase of software and for the purchase of CD-ROMs, legal
or other databases, licence agreements, etc.)
• Obtaining lower prices as a group when subscribing to electronic journals and
books
• Lists of government libraries and contact details/indexes of the journals,
newspapers etc. they hold
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