APSIG Newsletter number 51 - March 2003

News from the National Library of Australia

NLA signs MoU with National Library of Indonesia

On 8 October 2002 the National Library of Australia finalised a memorandum of understanding [MoU] with the National Library of Indonesia at a signing ceremony in Jakarta. Seventy guests attended the function held in the auditorium of the National Library of Indonesia. Mr Ric Smith, the Australian ambassador, witnessed the signing of the document by Pak Dady Rachmananta, director of the National Library of Indonesia. Ibu Mastini Hardjoprakoso and Pak Hernandono, the two former directors of the national library, were among guests of honour at the ceremony.

The MoU formalises the close relationship that has existed between the two national libraries for at least the last 30 years, since the time that the NLA's office was established in Jakarta in the early 1970s. The collaboration is facilitated by the presence of the library's regional officer in Jakarta, and it encompasses a number of activities, including: the sharing of advice, acquisitions, exchange of publications, bibliographic control, preservation and interlibrary loans. Recent activities have also included participation by the National Library of Indonesia in the NLA's Regional Co-operation Program and the contribution of rare Indonesian items to the Treasures from the World's Great Libraries exhibition in Canberra.

The signing of the MoU with the National Library of Indonesia complements the signing last year of a minute on co-operation between the Jakarta offices of the National Library of Australia and the Library of Congress. It is hoped that a similar agreement may be reached in the future with the KITLV (The Netherlands' Royal Institute of Linguistics and Anthropology) office in Jakarta.

NLA signs MoU with National Library of Singapore

A memorandum of understanding [MoU] between the national libraries of Australia and Singapore was signed on 5 December last year by Dr Christopher Chia, CEO of the National Library Board of Singapore and Jan Fullerton, at the National Library of Australia. The MoU strengthens the co-operation between the two libraries in three key areas: the exchange of information about strategic directions and performance management; information sharing about new programs, systems and services and co-operation in resource sharing across all areas of library operations.

Discussions have already commenced between the two libraries on a range of activities that will allow both libraries to improve the delivery of services directly to users. A gateway between Kinetica and the NLBS equivalent system, SILAS, will be explored and discussions have already commenced on possible NLBS participation in the NLAs AskNow digital reference service.

Staff Changes at the NLA

Following Andrew Gosling's retirement, Wan Wong, senior Chinese librarian, is now acting chief librarian.

Amelia McKenzie, who has a long association with APSIG, has been appointed to the post of director, Asian collections and will take up the position later this year.

Mrs Lily Li, a long time member of staff in the Chinese Unit, has also opted for early retirement and will leave the library in late May. Her contribution to the Chinese collection is greatly appreciated.

Research on NLAs London Missionary Society collection

Dr Ryan Dunch, an Australian scholar based at the University of Alberta, Canada, started his Harold White fellowship at the NLA in mid January. His research on reading missionary modernity in late Qing China will mostly be based on the London Missionary Society Collection of rare and unusual items in Chinese, which the library acquired from the Society in 1961.

New Chinese acquisitions at NLA

New Chinese acquisitions are listed on the NLA website since October 2002. Published on a monthly basis, they contain brief bibliographic information, in Chinese and Romanised forms, for new items acquired, including monographs, serials and electronic publications.

New Indonesian Acquisitions Program participant

Oliver Mann

On 1 January 2003 the Australian Defence Force Academy Library joined the National Library's Indonesian Acquisitions Program, which is managed by the NLA regional office in Jakarta. The purpose of the program is to acquire recent Indonesian publications in accordance with program participants' specific profiles. The addition of the ADFA Library brings to nine the number of libraries participating in the program - seven in Australia, plus the National Library Board of Singapore and the British Library.