A Profile of Health Sciences Libraries in Southeast Asia BY S. C. DHIR, Librarian S. K. ANAND, Assistant Librarian World Health Organization Regional Officefor South East Asia New Delhi, India ASSISTANCE PROVIDED BY WHO the 1969-1970 survey, the WHO ReSince This paper reports the results of a survey undertaken by the World Health Organization of health sciences li- gional Office for Southeast Asia has provided braries in Southeast Asia. It includes information on assistance in the ways listed below. ABSTRACT
clientele, budget, personnel, collections, lending policy, dissemination of information, and reference services. The survey indicates that the collections in most of the health sciences libraries in Southeast Asia are deficient and that services provided to readers are inadequate. Recommendations for improvement are outlined.
WITH the increasing awareness of the need for health reference materials in the countries of the World Health Organization (WHO) Southeast Asia region (Bangladesh, Burma, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, India, Indonesia, Maldive Islands, Mongolia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand) and the rising tempo of health activities during the last decade, especially in research and disease control, it has become necessary to assess the library services available in the region so as to suggest and stimulate efforts at improvement. In 1969-70 a survey [1] of medical school libraries in six countries-Burma, India, Indonesia, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand-showed that most of the libraries had been established during the last two decades, and that the amount they spent on acquisition of literature was hardly sufficient for the basic requirements of an average medical library. As a result, it was recommended that: (1) "student loan libraries" should be established, making full use of the availability of low-priced paperback editions of textbooks; (2) the possibility of bringing MEDLARS services within reach of libraries in the region should be explored; (3) the International Exchange of Duplicate Medical Literature (IEDML) should be extended; (4) consolidated catalogs of periodicals available in medical libraries in each country should be compiled; (5) microfilm/fiche readers should be provided; and (6) library staff should be better trained. 290
"Student Loan Libraries" Nineteen "student loan libraries" have been established in Bangladesh, Burma, India, Indonesia, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. It has been proposed that ten additional libraries be established during 1978 and several more thereafter. The objective of this scheme was to provide much-needed book-lending services to the student community, because most of the libraries surveyed issued books only to the teaching staff. To start with, each medical library was provided with 410 books (10 copies each of 41 textbooks) selected by the WHO Regional Office. Maximum use was made of paperback editions of textbooks published both by the English Language Book Society (ELBS) and under the Indo-American Textbook Programme. The cost of ELBS paperbacks is one-third that of standard editions, and the cost of those in the Indo-American Textbook Programme is even less. These sets of books are provided to selected medical institutions designated by the government of the country concerned. Under this scheme, these books were to be made available on loan to students for a small rental fee (such as the equivalent of twenty-five cents for three months). The rental money, estimated to amount to about one hundred dollars a year, was recommended to be set apart in a revolving fund; the institution concerned should contribute matching funds so that when the original collection was worn out or out-of-date a sufficient amount to purchase another ten sets of books would have accrued. The original scheme was later modified so that countries might select different textbooks, depending on the recommendations of their medical Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 66(3)July 1978
HEALTH SCIENCES LIBRARIES IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
educators. WHO now provides books selected by the countries themselves within the specified amount available for the purpose. These books are provided as an outright grant, and it is not obligatory for the libraries to charge rental fees. An evaluation of these "student loan libraries" is planned for the near future. MEDLARS/MEDLINE The WHO Headquarters Library at Geneva became a MEDLARS center in October 1972 and a MEDLINE center in 1974. In collaboration with the Headquarters Library, where requests are processed, the WHO Regional Office has provided free MEDLARS/MEDLINE retrospective bibliographies and photocopies of selected review articles to national health administrations, health institutions, and individual research workers. Photocopies of articles cited in such searches are also supplied free, provided the relevant references are not available in the country from which the request originates. Although the WHO Headquarters Library ceased to be a MEDLINE center on October 1, 1977, efforts are being made by WHO to continue to provide MEDLINE service by purchasing searches requested by developing countries.
for reimbursement of postal charges, but if they do, they must indicate this fact on their lists. Should the offering library requesting the reimbursement of postal charges not receive the sum, it must apply to the WHO Library, giving full details. Libraries wishing to participate in the IEDML scheme notify the WHO Library and, if possible, send their first list at the same time. All members send at least one list every three years. The WHO Library asks all participating libraries to submit their comments and suggestions on the scheme at least once in five years, and more often if necessary, to decide whether any modifications should be made in the exchange scheme. Continuing Education ofMedical Librarians A few fellowships each year were provided to librarians for continuing education abroad at the request of the member countries of the region.
SURVEY OF HEALTH SCIENCES LIBRARIES In 1975-1976 a follow-up of the 1969 survey was conducted; the new survey included not only medical school libraries but also all health sciences libraries. In 1969-1970, 114 medical school libraries in countries of the region had been contacted; of these, 90 (79%) replied. The present survey, covering Bangladesh, Burma, India, IndoInternational Exchange of Duplicate Medical nesia, Mongolia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, Literature (IEDML) began in November 1975; a questionnaire was sent A pamphlet describing this scheme was circu- to 267 libraries; 185 (69%) replied. lated to those libraries included in the 1969-1970 survey who were not already aware of it. Under SURVEY RESULTS this scheme the WHO Headquarters Library in The findings of this survey are summarized Geneva has made periodicals, books, and reports below. Comprehensive information about each on medical and allied subjects available for free is shown in country Appendix 1. The scheme disposal by cooperating libraries. neither deals with regular exchange of current peClientele Served riodicals and other newly published material nor The total clientele of the libraries covered by provides complete sets of long runs of periodicals. The participating libraries are requested not to this survey is 31,004 teaching staff, 112,632 include out-of-date editions of textbooks nor students, and 13,453 other medical and research books of a purely commercial or ephemeral na- personnel-a total of 157,089. Of these, 28,091 visit these libraries every day for reference purture. The IEDML scheme operates between indi- poses and to borrow publications. The average vidual libraries. The requests for material and amount spent by these libraries per reader per offers of duplicates are first cleared through the year is $1 1.00. national exchange center wherever one exists. Library Staffand Their Continuing Education However, the requests not met nationally must be Since the last survey there has been an increase sent to the WHO Library at Geneva, which acts as an information clearinghouse and does not in the number of libraries which have at least one usually handle duplicates. Lists of wants and librarian formally trained in library science. Of offers, which are prepared by the participating li- the 185 libraries in the present survey, 161 (87%) braries, are duplicated and distributed by the have trained librarians, as compared to only 70% WHO Library. Members are requested not to ask in 1969. 291 Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 66(3)July 1978
DHIR AND ANAND
Basic training in library science is necessary for the proper functioning of a library. This training needs, however, to be updated from time to time. In order to keep abreast of changes and developments in the library field and of modern methods of information storage and retrieval, the library staff should be exposed to professional meetings, seminars, and refresher courses. Knowledge acquired from such contacts will be useful for introducing changes and discarding old and outdated practices. The survey shows that only 38 of the 185 libraries have staff who participated in such meetings during the last three years.
Indexing and A bstracting Journals The situation concerning periodicals is much more difficult than that concerning books, because cheap editions of periodicals do not exist. If an institution cannot afford to purchase a large number of periodicals, it should at least have some indexing or abstracting periodicals so that its clients may know where the relevant references in their field of interest are published. We found that forty libraries (22%) do not receive any indexing or abstracting periodicals, an even worse proportion than the thirteen out of ninety (14%) in the last survey.
Technical Processing and Collection Maintenance A good library is judged not only by the size of its collection but also by the quality of services offered to satisfy the needs of its readers. The collection should be properly classified and cataloged and the clientele informed about the information and material available in the library, as well as in other libraries. Among the 185 libraries, 144 (78%) classify their holdings according to internationally recognized schemes of classification, 26 have devised their own schemes, and the schemes used in 15 are not known. In 1969 80% of libraries used widely recognized schemes of classification. One hundred and seventy-three libraries have some sort of catalog, eleven do not maintain a catalog, and the situation in one library is not known.
Literature Produced in Developing Countries A study of the use of health literature in the countries of Southeast Asia [2] indicates that only 11% of the medical periodicals produced in the English language in Bangladesh, Burma, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand is covered in Index Medicus, 29% in Biological Abstracts, and 12% in Tropical Diseases Bulletin/A bstracts on Hygiene. Very few libraries in the developing countries receive all four of these periodicals, as the entire budget of some libraries for the purchase of books and periodicals is less than the amount needed for subscribing to these four (about $1,900). There is no periodical which indexes or abstracts the medical literature generated from developing countries. The periodicals imported from Western countries are useful, but the work done in the developing countries is equally useful because it is more applicable to the conditions prevailing in these countries. Thus, there is a great need to develop some mechanism by which information on such literature may be collected and disseminated to the medical and scientific community in these countries. One positive step that has already been taken in this direction is to abstract published and unpublished material produced in the countries of the region on the subjects of human reproduction, family planning, and population dynamics. The Regional Documentation Centre at WHO Regional Office, New Delhi, publishes annotated bibliographies in these areas. There is, however, a great need to cover other subjects in the health sciences.
A vailability of Literature
Literature in health sciences libraries in the countries of the region is overwhelmingly in the English language (except in Mongolia, where collections are mostly in Russian) and most of the
literature comes from Europe and the United States. Because the cost of publications obtained from the Western countries is high and involves payment in foreign currency, only a limited number of these publications can be procured by the libraries. Moreover, the cost of publications has gone up considerably since the last survey and continues to rise. This is the probable reason that ninety-two libraries have less than 10,000 book and periodical volumes, and only twentyLoan Service to Readers seven (15%) have more than 25,000 volumes. The production of paperback editions of low-priced Since the last survey, the number of libraries textbooks under the ELBS series and the Indo- lending to students has considerably increased. In American Textbook Programme have been posi- 1969-1970, 41 out of 90 libraries (46%) provided books on loan to students, whereas in 1975-1976 tive factors in relieving financial problems.
292
Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 66(3) July 1978
HEALTH SCIENCES LIBRARIES IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
the comparative figures were 136 out of 185 the availability of this service, and fifty-eight of (74%). The number of libraries giving interlibrary these have used it. loans has also increased-from about 50% in Exchange ofDuplicate Medical Literature 1969-1970 to 57% in the present study. WHO operates IEDML, whereby participating Accessibility of Literature and libraries can exchange duplicate material. Loss ofPublications Twenty-eight libraries in the Southeast Asia Ninety-eight of 185 libraries (53%) have open region are aware of this scheme. access systems, as compared to 47 of 90 (52%) in the previous survey. The accessibility of the SUGGESTIONS BY LIBRARIES SURVEYED collections to readers thus remains more or less A number of ways in which libraries might be the same. In general, readers are required to pay for the loss of any books they have borrowed. assisted in their work were suggested by librarians However, in certain libraries, the librarian is responding to the present survey. They would like asked to pay for books which are not checked out such things as: 1. A "model medical library"; but are missing from the library. The number of 2. A film library on health and allied subjects; such libraries has considerably increased since the 3. A regional medical library system; last survey. In 1969-1970, 3 of the 90 (3.33%) li4. A clearinghouse for health libraries in braries recovered losses from library staff, Southeast Asia; whereas in 1975-1976, 66 (39%) of 171 libraries 5. Publication of standard textbooks in lowrecovered the cost of lost publications from lipriced editions in regional languages; brary staff. Although this is an undesirable 6. Indexing periodicals created at national or practice, this change is probably due to the higher regional levels; cost of books and periodicals, which has made li7. Organization of refresher or orientation brary collections more valuable. courses and seminars for librarians; Dissemination of Information and Photocopying 8. An interlibrary loan system; 9. More cooperation among libraries for proThe number of libraries which issue lists of their vision of information and material to each acquisitions is 133 (72%); those which circulate peother at the national and international level; riodicals, 109 (59%); and those preparing bib10. Cooperative subscriptions to periodicals by liographies on requested subjects, 54 (29%). In nearby libraries; 1969-1970, only 14 of 90 libraries (16%) offered 11. Extension of the scheme of "student loan liliterature-searching services. In the present braries"; survey, 130 libraries (70%) have some arrange12. Translation services; ment for obtaining photocopies and microfilms for 13. Current awareness service (SDI); their clientele, but only 14 (8%) libraries can supProvision of a MEDLINE terminal in 14. ply photocopies or microfilms to other libraries. Southeast Asia; 15. Photocopies made available at a nominal Microfilming and Photocopying Equipment cost; and Fifty-five libraries (30%) have microfilm 16. A more effective program of IEDML. readers, twenty (1 1 %) have equipment for making microfilms, and forty-three (23%) have photoCOMMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS copying machines. Comparative figures in 1969-1970 were: twenty-three of ninety (26%) had There has been improvement in some areas microfilm readers, eight (9%) had microfilming since the last survey: More libraries are now lendequipment, and seven (8%) had photocopying ma- ing publications to students; there is better chines. dissemination of information to readers; and the percentage of libraries having trained librarians MEDLARS/MEDLINE Services has increased. WHO Regional Office Library provides, free of However, availability of periodical literature charge, in collaboration with WHO Headquarters and indexing and abstracting journals has deLibrary, Geneva, MEDLARS/MEDLINE teriorated, probably because of the rising cost of searches and photocopies of some leading articles. such periodicals. The following are considered the most imSixty-two institutions in the region are aware of Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 66(3)July 1978
293
DHIR AND ANAND
ACKNOWLEDGMENT We are grateful to the libraries that have provided the necessary information by completion of the questionnaire.
portant of the many suggestions made by the survey respondents: 1. Establishment of more "student loan libraries"; 2. Providing reference services and photocopies at nominal cost; 3. Creation of an index to health sciences literature published in the countries of Southeast Asia; 4. Publication of additional health sciences textbooks in low-priced editions; and 5. More continuing education opportunities for librarians, such as professional meetings and refresher courses, so that they can keep abreast of the latest developments and provide better services to their clientele.
REFERENCES 1. DHIR, S. C., AND ANAND, S. K. Survey of medical school libraries in South-East Asia. UNESCO Bull. Libr. 26: 315-322, Nov.-Dec. 1972. _ AND 2. _ Study on the Use of Health Literature Published in the Countries of SouthEast Asia: A Report. New Delhi, WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia, 1976. (Document No. SEA/HLT/ 1.)
Received November 7, 1977; accepted December 19, 1977.
APPENDIX RESULTS OF A SURVEY OF HEALTH SCIENCES LIBRARIES Indonesia.
Bangla- Burma Idi desh desh Number of libraries surveyed Clientele Teaching staff Students Others Number of readers Annual budget, U.S. $ Average spent per reader, U.S.$ Libraries with trained staff Libraries with continuing education program Technical processing Recognized classification scheme Ad hoc classification scheme Status of classification not known Catalog maintained Catalog not maintained Status not known Holdings Up to 10,000 publications Between 10,000 and 25,000 publications Over 25,000 publications Status not known Indexing and abstracting journals received None I to 3 4 and more
294
6 532 3,551 472 4,555 9,067
9
135
19
11.00 4
14.00 123
2.00
3
2
19
9
2
4
109
15
4
5
13
4
5 1
8 1
13 127 7
17 2
3 3
-
4 2 -
Sri ThaiMonland golia. Nepal Lanka land 1
300 20,665 5,651 834* 70,757 27,268 1,500 2,204* 200 788 9,511 372* 3,298t 98,036t 29,798t -t 35,267t 1,361,247t 45,069t -t
2.00 3
_~
IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
_
6 3 _ _
3 3 3
18
-t 1
48 21
5 2
3
22 49 64
31,004 420 2,389 1,162 5,830 112,632 13,453 105 2,005 213 1,687 10,224 147,811 562 25,014 88,218 1,564,444
3.00 1
8 7 4
15.00 2
9.00 9
11.00 161
2
2
38
3
10
144
_
_-
26
_1 11 3
15 173
1
1
1
_
12
185
-
-
I
11
213
1
63
3
1
Total
_
I
2 1
_
11
_
1
7
92
2
2
63 27
1 _
_
_
-
3
1
1 -
1 2
2 4 5
40 67 78
-
Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 66(3)July 1978
HEALTH SCIENCES LIBRARIES IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
APPENDIX (Continued)
Loan services provided to Teaching staff Students Interlibrary loans provided Access to collections Open Partial Closed Not known Libraries where staff pays for publications lost Dissemination of information and provision of photocopies or microfilms Circulating acquisition lists Circulating periodicals Preparing bibliographies Photocopies/microfilms obtained Photocopies supplied to others Availability of equipment Microfilm Photocopy Microfilm reader Libraries aware of WHO
5 5 2
9 8 9
128 93 74
19 16 9
-
2 3 I
2 4 3
75 45 13 2
10 5 3 1
1 -
4
1
42
11
-
5 3 I
4 4 2
100 82 43
12 8 5
-
2
6
96
13
1
8
1 3 2
MEDLARS/MEDLINE services Libraries aware of
IEDMLI
1
Sri ThaiLanka land
Indo- MonnesNa golia
Bangladesh
Total
I
3 3 2
11 11 9
176 136 106
1 -
1 2 -
6 4 I
98 63 20 4
1
6
66
1 -
1 2 1
10 9 2
133 109 54
-
I
2
10
130
2
-
-
-
3
14
16 25 47
1 7 2
-
-
1 1
2 7 3
20 43 55
4
38
11
-
I
2
6
62
2
22
I
-
-
2
28
*Figures provided by eight libraries.
tFigures for libraries providing information on budget alone or on readers alone, but not on both, have been excluded. t International Exchange of Duplicate Medical Literature.
Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 66(3) July 1978
295
clientele, budget, personnel, collections, lending policy, dissemination of information, and reference services. The survey indicates that the collections in most of the health sciences libraries in Southeast Asia are deficient and that services provided to readers are inadequate. Recommendations for improvement are outlined.
WITH the increasing awareness of the need for health reference materials in the countries of the World Health Organization (WHO) Southeast Asia region (Bangladesh, Burma, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, India, Indonesia, Maldive Islands, Mongolia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand) and the rising tempo of health activities during the last decade, especially in research and disease control, it has become necessary to assess the library services available in the region so as to suggest and stimulate efforts at improvement. In 1969-70 a survey [1] of medical school libraries in six countries-Burma, India, Indonesia, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand-showed that most of the libraries had been established during the last two decades, and that the amount they spent on acquisition of literature was hardly sufficient for the basic requirements of an average medical library. As a result, it was recommended that: (1) "student loan libraries" should be established, making full use of the availability of low-priced paperback editions of textbooks; (2) the possibility of bringing MEDLARS services within reach of libraries in the region should be explored; (3) the International Exchange of Duplicate Medical Literature (IEDML) should be extended; (4) consolidated catalogs of periodicals available in medical libraries in each country should be compiled; (5) microfilm/fiche readers should be provided; and (6) library staff should be better trained. 290
"Student Loan Libraries" Nineteen "student loan libraries" have been established in Bangladesh, Burma, India, Indonesia, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. It has been proposed that ten additional libraries be established during 1978 and several more thereafter. The objective of this scheme was to provide much-needed book-lending services to the student community, because most of the libraries surveyed issued books only to the teaching staff. To start with, each medical library was provided with 410 books (10 copies each of 41 textbooks) selected by the WHO Regional Office. Maximum use was made of paperback editions of textbooks published both by the English Language Book Society (ELBS) and under the Indo-American Textbook Programme. The cost of ELBS paperbacks is one-third that of standard editions, and the cost of those in the Indo-American Textbook Programme is even less. These sets of books are provided to selected medical institutions designated by the government of the country concerned. Under this scheme, these books were to be made available on loan to students for a small rental fee (such as the equivalent of twenty-five cents for three months). The rental money, estimated to amount to about one hundred dollars a year, was recommended to be set apart in a revolving fund; the institution concerned should contribute matching funds so that when the original collection was worn out or out-of-date a sufficient amount to purchase another ten sets of books would have accrued. The original scheme was later modified so that countries might select different textbooks, depending on the recommendations of their medical Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 66(3)July 1978
HEALTH SCIENCES LIBRARIES IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
educators. WHO now provides books selected by the countries themselves within the specified amount available for the purpose. These books are provided as an outright grant, and it is not obligatory for the libraries to charge rental fees. An evaluation of these "student loan libraries" is planned for the near future. MEDLARS/MEDLINE The WHO Headquarters Library at Geneva became a MEDLARS center in October 1972 and a MEDLINE center in 1974. In collaboration with the Headquarters Library, where requests are processed, the WHO Regional Office has provided free MEDLARS/MEDLINE retrospective bibliographies and photocopies of selected review articles to national health administrations, health institutions, and individual research workers. Photocopies of articles cited in such searches are also supplied free, provided the relevant references are not available in the country from which the request originates. Although the WHO Headquarters Library ceased to be a MEDLINE center on October 1, 1977, efforts are being made by WHO to continue to provide MEDLINE service by purchasing searches requested by developing countries.
for reimbursement of postal charges, but if they do, they must indicate this fact on their lists. Should the offering library requesting the reimbursement of postal charges not receive the sum, it must apply to the WHO Library, giving full details. Libraries wishing to participate in the IEDML scheme notify the WHO Library and, if possible, send their first list at the same time. All members send at least one list every three years. The WHO Library asks all participating libraries to submit their comments and suggestions on the scheme at least once in five years, and more often if necessary, to decide whether any modifications should be made in the exchange scheme. Continuing Education ofMedical Librarians A few fellowships each year were provided to librarians for continuing education abroad at the request of the member countries of the region.
SURVEY OF HEALTH SCIENCES LIBRARIES In 1975-1976 a follow-up of the 1969 survey was conducted; the new survey included not only medical school libraries but also all health sciences libraries. In 1969-1970, 114 medical school libraries in countries of the region had been contacted; of these, 90 (79%) replied. The present survey, covering Bangladesh, Burma, India, IndoInternational Exchange of Duplicate Medical nesia, Mongolia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, Literature (IEDML) began in November 1975; a questionnaire was sent A pamphlet describing this scheme was circu- to 267 libraries; 185 (69%) replied. lated to those libraries included in the 1969-1970 survey who were not already aware of it. Under SURVEY RESULTS this scheme the WHO Headquarters Library in The findings of this survey are summarized Geneva has made periodicals, books, and reports below. Comprehensive information about each on medical and allied subjects available for free is shown in country Appendix 1. The scheme disposal by cooperating libraries. neither deals with regular exchange of current peClientele Served riodicals and other newly published material nor The total clientele of the libraries covered by provides complete sets of long runs of periodicals. The participating libraries are requested not to this survey is 31,004 teaching staff, 112,632 include out-of-date editions of textbooks nor students, and 13,453 other medical and research books of a purely commercial or ephemeral na- personnel-a total of 157,089. Of these, 28,091 visit these libraries every day for reference purture. The IEDML scheme operates between indi- poses and to borrow publications. The average vidual libraries. The requests for material and amount spent by these libraries per reader per offers of duplicates are first cleared through the year is $1 1.00. national exchange center wherever one exists. Library Staffand Their Continuing Education However, the requests not met nationally must be Since the last survey there has been an increase sent to the WHO Library at Geneva, which acts as an information clearinghouse and does not in the number of libraries which have at least one usually handle duplicates. Lists of wants and librarian formally trained in library science. Of offers, which are prepared by the participating li- the 185 libraries in the present survey, 161 (87%) braries, are duplicated and distributed by the have trained librarians, as compared to only 70% WHO Library. Members are requested not to ask in 1969. 291 Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 66(3)July 1978
DHIR AND ANAND
Basic training in library science is necessary for the proper functioning of a library. This training needs, however, to be updated from time to time. In order to keep abreast of changes and developments in the library field and of modern methods of information storage and retrieval, the library staff should be exposed to professional meetings, seminars, and refresher courses. Knowledge acquired from such contacts will be useful for introducing changes and discarding old and outdated practices. The survey shows that only 38 of the 185 libraries have staff who participated in such meetings during the last three years.
Indexing and A bstracting Journals The situation concerning periodicals is much more difficult than that concerning books, because cheap editions of periodicals do not exist. If an institution cannot afford to purchase a large number of periodicals, it should at least have some indexing or abstracting periodicals so that its clients may know where the relevant references in their field of interest are published. We found that forty libraries (22%) do not receive any indexing or abstracting periodicals, an even worse proportion than the thirteen out of ninety (14%) in the last survey.
Technical Processing and Collection Maintenance A good library is judged not only by the size of its collection but also by the quality of services offered to satisfy the needs of its readers. The collection should be properly classified and cataloged and the clientele informed about the information and material available in the library, as well as in other libraries. Among the 185 libraries, 144 (78%) classify their holdings according to internationally recognized schemes of classification, 26 have devised their own schemes, and the schemes used in 15 are not known. In 1969 80% of libraries used widely recognized schemes of classification. One hundred and seventy-three libraries have some sort of catalog, eleven do not maintain a catalog, and the situation in one library is not known.
Literature Produced in Developing Countries A study of the use of health literature in the countries of Southeast Asia [2] indicates that only 11% of the medical periodicals produced in the English language in Bangladesh, Burma, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand is covered in Index Medicus, 29% in Biological Abstracts, and 12% in Tropical Diseases Bulletin/A bstracts on Hygiene. Very few libraries in the developing countries receive all four of these periodicals, as the entire budget of some libraries for the purchase of books and periodicals is less than the amount needed for subscribing to these four (about $1,900). There is no periodical which indexes or abstracts the medical literature generated from developing countries. The periodicals imported from Western countries are useful, but the work done in the developing countries is equally useful because it is more applicable to the conditions prevailing in these countries. Thus, there is a great need to develop some mechanism by which information on such literature may be collected and disseminated to the medical and scientific community in these countries. One positive step that has already been taken in this direction is to abstract published and unpublished material produced in the countries of the region on the subjects of human reproduction, family planning, and population dynamics. The Regional Documentation Centre at WHO Regional Office, New Delhi, publishes annotated bibliographies in these areas. There is, however, a great need to cover other subjects in the health sciences.
A vailability of Literature
Literature in health sciences libraries in the countries of the region is overwhelmingly in the English language (except in Mongolia, where collections are mostly in Russian) and most of the
literature comes from Europe and the United States. Because the cost of publications obtained from the Western countries is high and involves payment in foreign currency, only a limited number of these publications can be procured by the libraries. Moreover, the cost of publications has gone up considerably since the last survey and continues to rise. This is the probable reason that ninety-two libraries have less than 10,000 book and periodical volumes, and only twentyLoan Service to Readers seven (15%) have more than 25,000 volumes. The production of paperback editions of low-priced Since the last survey, the number of libraries textbooks under the ELBS series and the Indo- lending to students has considerably increased. In American Textbook Programme have been posi- 1969-1970, 41 out of 90 libraries (46%) provided books on loan to students, whereas in 1975-1976 tive factors in relieving financial problems.
292
Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 66(3) July 1978
HEALTH SCIENCES LIBRARIES IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
the comparative figures were 136 out of 185 the availability of this service, and fifty-eight of (74%). The number of libraries giving interlibrary these have used it. loans has also increased-from about 50% in Exchange ofDuplicate Medical Literature 1969-1970 to 57% in the present study. WHO operates IEDML, whereby participating Accessibility of Literature and libraries can exchange duplicate material. Loss ofPublications Twenty-eight libraries in the Southeast Asia Ninety-eight of 185 libraries (53%) have open region are aware of this scheme. access systems, as compared to 47 of 90 (52%) in the previous survey. The accessibility of the SUGGESTIONS BY LIBRARIES SURVEYED collections to readers thus remains more or less A number of ways in which libraries might be the same. In general, readers are required to pay for the loss of any books they have borrowed. assisted in their work were suggested by librarians However, in certain libraries, the librarian is responding to the present survey. They would like asked to pay for books which are not checked out such things as: 1. A "model medical library"; but are missing from the library. The number of 2. A film library on health and allied subjects; such libraries has considerably increased since the 3. A regional medical library system; last survey. In 1969-1970, 3 of the 90 (3.33%) li4. A clearinghouse for health libraries in braries recovered losses from library staff, Southeast Asia; whereas in 1975-1976, 66 (39%) of 171 libraries 5. Publication of standard textbooks in lowrecovered the cost of lost publications from lipriced editions in regional languages; brary staff. Although this is an undesirable 6. Indexing periodicals created at national or practice, this change is probably due to the higher regional levels; cost of books and periodicals, which has made li7. Organization of refresher or orientation brary collections more valuable. courses and seminars for librarians; Dissemination of Information and Photocopying 8. An interlibrary loan system; 9. More cooperation among libraries for proThe number of libraries which issue lists of their vision of information and material to each acquisitions is 133 (72%); those which circulate peother at the national and international level; riodicals, 109 (59%); and those preparing bib10. Cooperative subscriptions to periodicals by liographies on requested subjects, 54 (29%). In nearby libraries; 1969-1970, only 14 of 90 libraries (16%) offered 11. Extension of the scheme of "student loan liliterature-searching services. In the present braries"; survey, 130 libraries (70%) have some arrange12. Translation services; ment for obtaining photocopies and microfilms for 13. Current awareness service (SDI); their clientele, but only 14 (8%) libraries can supProvision of a MEDLINE terminal in 14. ply photocopies or microfilms to other libraries. Southeast Asia; 15. Photocopies made available at a nominal Microfilming and Photocopying Equipment cost; and Fifty-five libraries (30%) have microfilm 16. A more effective program of IEDML. readers, twenty (1 1 %) have equipment for making microfilms, and forty-three (23%) have photoCOMMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS copying machines. Comparative figures in 1969-1970 were: twenty-three of ninety (26%) had There has been improvement in some areas microfilm readers, eight (9%) had microfilming since the last survey: More libraries are now lendequipment, and seven (8%) had photocopying ma- ing publications to students; there is better chines. dissemination of information to readers; and the percentage of libraries having trained librarians MEDLARS/MEDLINE Services has increased. WHO Regional Office Library provides, free of However, availability of periodical literature charge, in collaboration with WHO Headquarters and indexing and abstracting journals has deLibrary, Geneva, MEDLARS/MEDLINE teriorated, probably because of the rising cost of searches and photocopies of some leading articles. such periodicals. The following are considered the most imSixty-two institutions in the region are aware of Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 66(3)July 1978
293
DHIR AND ANAND
ACKNOWLEDGMENT We are grateful to the libraries that have provided the necessary information by completion of the questionnaire.
portant of the many suggestions made by the survey respondents: 1. Establishment of more "student loan libraries"; 2. Providing reference services and photocopies at nominal cost; 3. Creation of an index to health sciences literature published in the countries of Southeast Asia; 4. Publication of additional health sciences textbooks in low-priced editions; and 5. More continuing education opportunities for librarians, such as professional meetings and refresher courses, so that they can keep abreast of the latest developments and provide better services to their clientele.
REFERENCES 1. DHIR, S. C., AND ANAND, S. K. Survey of medical school libraries in South-East Asia. UNESCO Bull. Libr. 26: 315-322, Nov.-Dec. 1972. _ AND 2. _ Study on the Use of Health Literature Published in the Countries of SouthEast Asia: A Report. New Delhi, WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia, 1976. (Document No. SEA/HLT/ 1.)
Received November 7, 1977; accepted December 19, 1977.
APPENDIX RESULTS OF A SURVEY OF HEALTH SCIENCES LIBRARIES Indonesia.
Bangla- Burma Idi desh desh Number of libraries surveyed Clientele Teaching staff Students Others Number of readers Annual budget, U.S. $ Average spent per reader, U.S.$ Libraries with trained staff Libraries with continuing education program Technical processing Recognized classification scheme Ad hoc classification scheme Status of classification not known Catalog maintained Catalog not maintained Status not known Holdings Up to 10,000 publications Between 10,000 and 25,000 publications Over 25,000 publications Status not known Indexing and abstracting journals received None I to 3 4 and more
294
6 532 3,551 472 4,555 9,067
9
135
19
11.00 4
14.00 123
2.00
3
2
19
9
2
4
109
15
4
5
13
4
5 1
8 1
13 127 7
17 2
3 3
-
4 2 -
Sri ThaiMonland golia. Nepal Lanka land 1
300 20,665 5,651 834* 70,757 27,268 1,500 2,204* 200 788 9,511 372* 3,298t 98,036t 29,798t -t 35,267t 1,361,247t 45,069t -t
2.00 3
_~
IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
_
6 3 _ _
3 3 3
18
-t 1
48 21
5 2
3
22 49 64
31,004 420 2,389 1,162 5,830 112,632 13,453 105 2,005 213 1,687 10,224 147,811 562 25,014 88,218 1,564,444
3.00 1
8 7 4
15.00 2
9.00 9
11.00 161
2
2
38
3
10
144
_
_-
26
_1 11 3
15 173
1
1
1
_
12
185
-
-
I
11
213
1
63
3
1
Total
_
I
2 1
_
11
_
1
7
92
2
2
63 27
1 _
_
_
-
3
1
1 -
1 2
2 4 5
40 67 78
-
Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 66(3)July 1978
HEALTH SCIENCES LIBRARIES IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
APPENDIX (Continued)
Loan services provided to Teaching staff Students Interlibrary loans provided Access to collections Open Partial Closed Not known Libraries where staff pays for publications lost Dissemination of information and provision of photocopies or microfilms Circulating acquisition lists Circulating periodicals Preparing bibliographies Photocopies/microfilms obtained Photocopies supplied to others Availability of equipment Microfilm Photocopy Microfilm reader Libraries aware of WHO
5 5 2
9 8 9
128 93 74
19 16 9
-
2 3 I
2 4 3
75 45 13 2
10 5 3 1
1 -
4
1
42
11
-
5 3 I
4 4 2
100 82 43
12 8 5
-
2
6
96
13
1
8
1 3 2
MEDLARS/MEDLINE services Libraries aware of
IEDMLI
1
Sri ThaiLanka land
Indo- MonnesNa golia
Bangladesh
Total
I
3 3 2
11 11 9
176 136 106
1 -
1 2 -
6 4 I
98 63 20 4
1
6
66
1 -
1 2 1
10 9 2
133 109 54
-
I
2
10
130
2
-
-
-
3
14
16 25 47
1 7 2
-
-
1 1
2 7 3
20 43 55
4
38
11
-
I
2
6
62
2
22
I
-
-
2
28
*Figures provided by eight libraries.
tFigures for libraries providing information on budget alone or on readers alone, but not on both, have been excluded. t International Exchange of Duplicate Medical Literature.
Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 66(3) July 1978
295
