Resource sharing and library development in the South Pacific

Abstract

Library resource sharing is not a new concept. For many years it has provided the answer to the problems of collection building, library staff training, access to library collections, bibliographic and information services etc, in both developed and developing countries. Based on personal interviews, observations, visits to the different countries, reviews and reports, and fifteen years work experience in the region, this study examines the impact of resource sharing on library development in the South Pacific. It emphasizes how in a region with 1.5 million people scattered over 30 million square kilometres of ocean, GDP ranging from US$259 to US$1,248, a total of twenty five qualified regional librarians, and low government support for libraries, resource sharing is enabling many of the small island nations to meet some of their library development objectives. To support this, the study looks at the development of three resource sharing schemes in the region - The Pacific Information Centre, Energy Information Service and the Trade Information Service Network - and provides an analysis of their operations, successes and failures. The study also highlights the fact that in spite of improvements made, many basic deficiencies remain. These mainly relate to the shortage of trained manpower, lack of finance, lack of government support, inaccessible and expensive data bases, lack of information and awareness of existing resources, the proliferation of data bases, and the adoption of new methods without adequate initial evaluation. To tackle some of these problems new approaches to resource sharing are recommended. The resource sharing for a South Pacific data base is accepted as improving access to documents on the region; the use of new technology is regarded as the answer to promoting resource sharing developments particularly the transfer of information and documents over great distances; the rationalisation and pooling of aid resources is seen as facilitating the strengthening of existing and planned new resource sharing schemes; the support of intergovernment regional organizations is recognized as fundamental to the future success of library resource sharing in the region.