CORDIS Archive

Extracts from Country Studies: France

Notable changes to traditional public library services
New services in Public Libraries
Inspiring examples of Public Libraries
Main barriers to development
Professional development of public librarians
Regional co-operation
The telematics market place

Notable changes to traditional public library services:

A survey by the Direction du livre et de la lecture in 1995 revealed that out the 2,138 public libraries in France 38% were automated and 6 % were in the process of doing so. Out of those automated, only ca 50% used the acquisitions function, ca 20% made use of machine readable bibliographic records. Automating the library also fosters networking: between 1992 and 1995 the number of library networks increased by 50% from 19 to 38. Only 2 public libraries had a Telnet connection to their catalogue, 13 offered on-line services, 82 access to CD-ROM players and two had started to digitise their collection.

The most important changes to traditional services were brought about by the use of bibliographic CD-ROMs to improve public library catalogues, increased opportunities for networking and financial support by the government to acquire hard and software amounting to 25% or 40% if the library intends to join a network.

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New services in Public Libraries :

On-line access to databases is as yet not widely available in public libraries (offered by 13 so far), but growing demand from users to access the Internet is acting as encouragement. Although there are 21 libraries offering collections of software, this is not a popular service amongst public libraries. Public libraries have started to offer training sessions on the use of CD-ROMs, a popular medium in many public libraries.

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Inspiring examples of Public Libraries:

These include:

• La Bibliothèque Publique d'Information , Paris (free Internet access, classification of servers by the librarians, a CD-ROM collection, on-line access to databases and on-line document ordering facilities, and special computer equipment for visually handicapped patrons)
• La Médiathèque de la Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie, Paris (catalogue available on Minitel, on-line document ordering facility, special information service for private companies - providing access to international databases - and teachers - providing an educational software collection).
• La Bibliothèque Municipale de Lyon (multi-media network with access to CD-ROMs and digitised documents, Internet, Multimedia science and technics department). This library was also a case study
• La bibliothèque Municipale de Valenciennes (multimedia catalogue including CD-ROM access, pictograms for digitised texts, pictures, sound or video, zoom and save facilities. Participation in a DG-XIII project connecting cultural services, schools and universities in Valenciennes and with the Belgian city Mons)
• La bibliothèque municipale d'Issy-les-Moulineaux (multimedia collections including ca 500 CD-ROMs, a software library, Internet access, language training area. The policy is to provide access to any type of information and have the users train themselves. Cooperation with private companies and the national employment agency)

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Main barriers to development:

Copyright regulations hindering the digitisation of documents / sound, etc. and their availability in networks, the cost of providing public access to the Internet are seen as major barriers.

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Professional development of public librarians:

Most training institutions (Technological University Institutes, Training Institutes for Librarians and Ecole Nationale Supérieure of Information and Library Science) offer sessions on new technologies e.g. use of CD-ROMs and Internet, management of LANs, etc.

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Regional co-operation:

The following networks are significant for public libraries:

• the network of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France (inter alia access to 54 public library catalogues through the French collective catalogue)
• the BRISE network (Telnet: brise.univ-st-etiennne.fr/) (Bibliothèques en Réseau Informatisé de Saint-Etienne, linking together 30 libraries in the region with access to 400,000 catalogue records available via Minitel. A survey showed that this facility is especially appreciated by small libraries)
• the REDOC network (linking 100 libraries belonging to the Documentation Department of the Grenoble European Centre. It aims to create an index of all libraries and documentation centres in the Grenoble region, provide access to their holdings, highlight cultural heritage by means of digitisation. Users can search the libraries index via www, the catalogues via Telnet or WAIS)

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The telematics market place:

Main examples are the CD-ROMs produced by the Bibliothèque Nationale de France , the many projects concerning regional union catalogues, the Burgundy bibliographical database accessible via Minitel (created jointly by 28 public and academic libraries), the CD-ROM Mémoire et Actualités de la Région Rhône-Alpes (holding records from 22 different libraries) and the discussion list for French speaking librarians (moderator LeCrosnier@unicaen.fr ) Cable Book Library

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