Paris
Clearing House Workshop
UNESCO, 14-16 November 2001
Overview
of UNESCO Information resources:
UNESCO encompasses an information rich environment with several
decentralized databases (119), websites, documentation centers and publications.
For a list of these information resources, please consult http://www.unesco.org/general/eng/infoserv/index.shtml
Various
softwares are used in the construction of databases, and no standard
application exists. Most websites are decentralized to the respective
sector, bureau, field office (24 websites) or institutes.
Main
Library
Feedback is needed on information resources provided by the main library
and three concrete inputs are awaited:
- Identify
information needs regarding electronic resources
- Input
for updating the UNESCO Thesaurus. Field Office documentation centers
also need to be informed on the updates of the thesaurus.
- Add
information to UNESBIB (Acquisitions, location etc.)
Archives
The UNESCO archives preserve the memory of the organization and it is
thus also important to keep records of the field offices. It is important
to work out an archiving plan for field offices and what to do with
records of field offices that are closing down. For archiving procedures,
please consult Administrative Circular 2128 or the archiving services.
To better manage records it is important to designate a specific person
to manage the different records, as each office should keep their own
records/archives.
The
Archiving service is in the process of developing an Electronic Management
Project for archives, which will consist of a database on intranet.
UNESCO
Knowledge Collaborative Portal Project
The
UNESCO Collaborative portal project will apply the Simplify software
application. This software "lets managers tasked with supporting
Communities of Practice rapidly create collaborative environments that
connect and engage. Information sharing, knowledge gathering and distribution
are radically simplified". The following tools and services are
foreseen: personalization, push technology, group work, multimedia,
forums and other modules. This software will also be the platform for
the "Partners portal" and could provide in certain instances
a module for Field Office websites.
Presentation
of Field Units Documentation Centers
Field
Office documentation centers form an integral part of the network of
UNESCO information resources, despite a lack of resources:
- Out
of date equipment and not adequate to serve the documentation center.
- No budget
for documentation center, as programme or extra-budgetary funds are
used.
- No staff
for a wide range of services
- Space.
Some offices are moving and help would be needed to establish the
new documentation center (i.e. Venice, New Delhi)
These
documentation centres provide a wide range of important services, not
only to the employees of the offices, UN colleagues, but also contribute
to the visibility of UNESCO in the different countries. Interesting
initiatives are also being carried out by the services, i.e. manual
on information retrieval activities (Caracas), ICT Technologies and
Education (Bangkok) and Regional information service (Bangkok).
The
documentation centers are also responsible for the websites of the field
offices, and rich information resources exist in this regard, especially
as it forms an integral part of the documentation centers. Regarding
Field Office websites it is important to note that several websites
are being reorganized, for example Harare, Amman and New York.
Field
Office staff would appreciate more interactive way to work with headquarters,
i.e. purchase of software, support to information needs and translation
of information (i.e. Russian). It has been suggested that a listserv
for documentation centers will be put in place in order to improve co-operation.
Internet
Connection from Units to Headquarters
A
new contract is being negotiated with the telecommunications carrier
SITA, which will imply a migration of technology. The standard capacity
is 64 K, but updates are possible as is the case with Dakar and Venice.
For
e-mail ID request a backlog exists, and request may take some time.
On
request Field Office websites could be hosted on the UNESCO server,
which will include several advantages (i.e. mirror services, search
engine, statistics ).
UNESCO
Publishing
Regional
Offices are important partners in the distribution and advertisement
of UNESCO publications.
There is house wide a free obligatory distribution list through which
all documents are sent to several different categories of recipients,
including field offices. This list is used by UPO to send a free copy
of each new title published by UNESCO alone, that is, not the co publications.
This free copy is sent in the language the field office works. Except
for this free copy, field offices can buy through the Library (Acquisitions)
any sales title at 50 percent reduction. For that, they request the
specific book to the Library, give them their budget code, and the Library
will forward the request to UPO. Apart from this standard system, there
is another working procedure by which certain field offices sell UNESCO
books to the public. For that, they have a contract with UPO. To be
informed on new publications, list serve exists on UPO Publishing website.
Regional Offices should send the bibliographical detail of their publications
to UPO, in order for it to be included in the UNESCO Catalogue, for
better promotion of their publications.
Interagency
activities
Field offices participate fully in several interagency activities. The
interagency activities include: UN Web site Locator, Depositary Libraries
Depolib, Field Office libraries Fieldlib, small Field Libraries, UN
bibliographic catalogue UNCAPS, Extranet and Consortium.
Conclusion
All
participants applauded the success and importance of a clearinghouse
workshop. It is important to repeat the exercise in two years time.
The need for regional workshops/visits was also underlined.
Information
services are not high on the agenda of field offices, and it is important
to provide the necessary budgetary and staffing resources. Even the
importance of the profession of information officer is under estimated,
and more recognition is needed for this important function of UNESCO.
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