Branko Collin writes “Lisnews reported earlier about a study to establish a pan-European service “which would ultimately give access to the combined resources of the national libraries of Europe”. National libraries of several European countries are working together to provide a single access point for their online presences, called The European Library. See
www.europeanlibrary.org (warning: rich in marketese).
Apparently, the site will open for business in March 2005.”
Um….ILL
Wouldn’t ILL seem to fit the bill? Would one have to go to this library? Where would it be Bruxells?
That is the ticket, created a bloated bueraucracy. Some people have strange ideas. Give it a rest they haven’t even approved their Constitution yet.
It seems the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) does not really care. Nada on its web site.
I’d say that I think the ALA will love the idea due to the bloated organizational structure, but since I didn’t renew I’ll not comment on that. Pay up or shut up ya know.
Re:Um….ILL
I’m confused. What exactly is your objection to unified web access to the resources of the European national libraries–something which would greatly simply the library user’s efforts to locate and request what they need? Is it really the establishment of a small office in the Netherlands national library to create and maintain that access?
That seems a bit over the top, I must say.
Or did you not even bother to look at what their site says, and just have a Pavlovian reaction to the word “European” ?
Re:Um….ILL
I thought I should have been clearer seconds after I posted. That was sarcasm. I used Bruxells rather than Brussels, made fun of the EU Constitution, poked fun at the ALA and myself.
I guess I missed the mark on that sarcasm bit.
My reaction to the word European is not Pavlovian, more like Laurel and Hardian. I find the whole EU nonsense amusing, and I was born there. (Well it was not the EU then but I’m dating myself)