New publication announcements

Union List of Serials in Pacific Islands Libraries, 5th revision (October 2002) has now been published.

Formerly titled the Union List of Serials in the Libraries of Guam and Micronesia, the title reflects an expansion of geographic boundaries to include Pacific Island libraries outside the Micronesian region. This new revision now includes the holdings of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community Library in Noumea, New Caledonia and the University of the South Pacific Library in Suva, Fiji, as well as complete updates of all the libraries previously included from Guam and Micronesia.

This edition includes e-mail addresses, reflecting the growing use by Pacific Islands libraries of e-mail and ARIEL, an internet based document delivery software. It is hoped that, where it is available, this will support more widespread resource sharing within the region.

Paper copies are available for US$18.00. To order, send a cheque made payable to the Pacific Islands Association of Libraries and Archives to:

Arlene Cohen, PIALA Publications Editor, University of Guam, RFK Library, UOG Station, Mangilao, Guam 96923, acohen@uog9.uog.edu.nospam.nospam (please remove '.nospam' from address)

Digital Community Services: Pacific Libraries and Archives. Future Prospects and responsibilities - a report/prepared by Esther Batiri Williams. New Delhi, UNESCO, 2002. 69 p.

There has been the view that it was only a matter of time before many Pacific libraries and archives move into the digital age. This study, commissioned by UNESCO as part of the Pacific Pathway project, seeks to establish a clearer view of the Pacific situation.

It appears that the state of libraries, archives and museums has not improved in the past five years when the study on Information Needs in the Pacific Islands was undertaken. In fact, in some countries, for example in Fiji, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, the situation in many of the libraries has deteriorated. Many do not have appropriate facilities, space, staff, operational budget, adequate collections or internet access.

The Digital Community Services report is available online from the UNESCO web portal.

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