The Library and Information Organizations and Networks Handbook

Citation

Fourie, I. (2000), "The Library and Information Organizations and Networks Handbook", The Electronic Library, Vol. 18 No. 1, pp. 69-75. https://doi.org/10.1108/el.2000.18.1.69.5

The Library and Information Organizations and Networks Handbook (also referred to as the LION handbook) is a guide to organizations and library groups of interest to LIS professionals. Although it is aimed mainly at organizations in the UK, it includes a number of the more important international organizations, such as IFLA, the American Library Association, The Association of Independent Information Professionals and the Commonwealth Library Association. Amongst the almost 200 organizations included from the UK are the less‐known, hard‐to‐trace organizations and groups as well as the more familiar ones. For example entries are included for Aslib, Arts and Humanities Data Service, Association of Senior Children’s and Education Librarians, Construction Industry Information Group and the British Library.

In the Editor’s introduction (p. vii), Sue Broughton states that the aim of the LION handbook is to include:

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  as many of the smaller groups of LIS professionals as possible (including regional library bureaux and cooperative groups, support or special interest groups and research and user groups);

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  major LIS organizations in the UK and a selection of key European and international ones (particularly those that are gateways to the wider LIS community);

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  key government, education and culture bodies with significant links to the LIS sector.

Strictly commercial organizations that can be located through other sources were not included, nor were organizations for which the contact details could not be checked. The latter seems to be the reason why certain organizations and groups are omitted. The editor therefore invites readers to bring omissions (and presumably the contact details) to her attention.

For each organization the following contact details are provided if applicable: address, telephone number, fax number, e‐mail address, Web address, contact names, helpdesk number and sub‐groups. A brief description of the main functions and services are also included. The entries are arranged in alphabetical order according to the titles of the organizations or groups. A useful list of LIS acronyms as well as an index to sub‐groups of library and information organizations and networks are included. Apart from the acronyms for LIS groups and organizations, other acronyms that are often used such as AACR2, CD‐ROM, CITED and eLIB, as well as the acronyms of well‐known organizations that are not listed (e.g. Authors Licensing and Collecting Society), are included.

The LION handbook is very well edited. I spotted only the omission of the country name for South Western Regional Library System (p. 207). The missing URL (http://www.ukolug.co.uk/) of the UK Online Users Groups was, however, surprising.

The LION handbook is highly recommended as a must for every LIS professional in the UK. Librarians from other countries with an interest in UK LIS organizations should also be able to make fruitful use of the book.

Perhaps it will inspire them to compile similar guides for their own countries.