ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries July /August 1985 / 353 C ollege a n d r e se a r c h lib r a r ie s a n d IFLA By R obert M aloy Director of Libraries Smithsonian Institution The work of the University Libraries and Other General Research Libraries Section. T he International Federation of Library Associ- ations and Institutions (IFLA) is an international library organization comprising eight large Divi­ sions subdivided into 31 professional Sections; fur­ ther, there are ten Round Tables, and six distinct and major Core Programs. Its members and affili­ ates at the end of 1984 were 1,182 from 121 coun­ tries. Full complexity and range of content, m eth­ ods and responsibilities of librarianship on the current international information scene are repre­ sented. Although IFLA as the general voice of li­ brarianship is independent of UNESCO, neverthe­ less, b ecau se of U N E S C O ’s m a jo r role in information issues, IFLA closely follows UNESCO work and indeed has performed contracts for UN­ ESCO in such areas as universal bibliographic con­ trol, training, national libraries, libraries for the blind, etc. In 1984, 19.2% of IFLA resources came from UNESCO. Academic and research libraries and IF L A A C R L ’s in te re sts are re p re s e n te d in IF L A through the association membership held by the American Library Association and through institu­ tional memberships held by individual libraries, li­ brary schools, bibliographic and research insti­ tutes, e.g., the University of Illinois at Chicago. The Association of Research Libraries is also an as­ sociation member. IFLA is organized for the broad interests of its general membership into eight Divisions'. Obvi­ ously there are overlaps among Divisions; how­ ever, concerns of ACRL members are dealt with mainly in the General Research Libraries Division, in which group are large, general academic and re­ search libraries, national libraries, the central or integrated library systems of universities, and the parliam entary libraries, e.g., Library of Congress, because the la tte r serve as general research li­ braries. The General Research Libraries Division is further divided into three Sections“, and ACRL- type work is done in the University Libraries and Other General Research Libraries Section. Here the objective is the development of models for aca­ demic and research library service with a particu­ lar eye for uniform bibliographic control, profes­ sional e d u c a tio n , an d th e effectiveness of technology’. W ithin recent years the Section has 1General Research Libraries, Special Libraries, L ibraries Serving the G eneral Public, b ib lio ­ graphic Control, Collections and Services, M an­ agem ent and Technology, E ducation and Re­ search, Regional Activities. “National Libraries, University Libraries and Other General Research Libraries, Parliam entary Libraries. 354 / C&RL News been concerned w ith the im provem ent of aca­ demic research library services in less developed countries. D uring the period 1986-1991 the spe­ cific concentration of the University Libraries Sec­ tion will be on: 1. the evaluation of the effects of financial and other resource constraints on university library ser­ vices; 2. the development of standards criteria for aca­ demic libraries w ith special reference to develop­ ing countries; 3. a study of the treatm ent and use of official publications in academ ic libraries; 4. the identification and evaluation of relevant models for the collection of university library statis­ tics as indicators of perform ance; 5. the study of m anagerial problems associated w ith the continuing acquisition and availability of research m aterials in the context of networks, and cooperation at the local, regional and national and/or subject level; 6. the study and evaluation of the relationship betw een resource sh arin g and local collection building; 7. the study of the relationship between preser­ vation methods and collection development; 8. the examination of preservation programs (in­ cluding the contribution of new technology) and their influence on methods of resource sharing. W hile the depth of work on any one project de­ pends on a complex in ternational cooperation, sometimes progress is speeded by one or the other members preparing a draft docum ent which can be am ended and approved at an annual IFLA m eet­ ing as the Section’s position. An example of such a d ra ft w ould be “ S tan d ard s for U niversity L i­ braries,” prepared by a W orking G roup led by Dr. Beverly Lynch and stressing local, analytic state­ ments on a university library’s purposes, adm inis­ tration, services, collections, staffing, financing, etc. If the Section’s studies and positions are en­ dorsed, they can be useful not only to a particular library, but also in efforts to move national and in­ ternational bodies tow ards greater awareness of re­ search library needs and purposes. Much of the day-to-day section work falls on the s h o u ld e rs of its c h a ir , A n th o n y J. L o v e d a y (SCONUL, London), and secretary, G. G atter­ m ann (University Library, Düsseldorf). There is also a Standing C om m ittee for the Section: from the United States, Richard D ougherty (University of Michigan), Shirley Echelm an (ARL), Beverly Lynch (University of Illinois at Chicago), Peter S p y ers–D u r a n (W ay n e S ta te ), R o b e rt M aloy (S m ith s o n ia n ), a n d Jo sep h N ite c k i (SUNY- Albany). The 51st IFLA Council and General Conference will be held at Chicago’s Palm er House on August 18-24, 1985. Its them e will be “Libraries and the Universal A vailability of In fo rm a tio n .” Invited speakers at the plenary sessions include Daniel J. Boorstin, U.S. L ibrarian of Congress; Octavio Paz, Mexican diplom at and w riter; V.S. Lesokhina, U.S.S.R. Ministry of Culture; and P.B. Mangla, the University of Delhi. Simultaneous translation services will be available in English, French, G er­ m an, Russian, and Spanish. F or fu rth e r in fo rm atio n , co n tact R obert P. D oyle, IF L A ’85 C o o rd in a to r, 50 E ast H uron Street, Chicago, IL 60611; (312) 944-6780. ■ ■ B altim ore ’8 6 A progress report on A C R L ’s 1986 National Conference. T he program for th e F ourth ACRL N ational Conference, “Energies for T ransition,” is taking shape. Librarians in and around C harm City are setting the stage to welcome you to Baltimore April 9-12, 1986. Them e speakers will stim ulate your thinking. They will include representatives from