Israeli library developments

Abstract

Israel has extensive library services: national and university libraries, public libraries, and special libraries and information centres. A report on those services, library legislation, and library education over the past five years follows. In addition to the Hebrew University, Israel has six institutions of higher learning: The Universities of Tel Aviv, Haifa, Beer Sheba, the Bar Ilan University at Ramat Gan, the Weizmann Institute of Science at Rehovot, the Technion (Technical University) at Haifa. In October 1970 the Standing Committee of the National and University Libraries in Israel was founded, which deals with current and common problems of academic libraries, such as acquisition policy. A telex service between all these libraries has been installed, in order to accelerate inter-library loans. The third edition of the Union List of Serials in Israel Libraries, Afatural Sciences and Technology, has appeared under the auspices of the Standing Committee in December 1971. Supplements to the third edition will be prepared by computer. The first supplement will contain Clinical Medicine. The circulation service of the Jewish National and University Library has been computerized, and its Acquisition Department will follow in due course. A special team is preparing the catalogue of the Hebrew National and University Library for photographic reproduction. The Section for Libraries of the Ministry of Education and Culture gives financial aid and professional supervision to 44 Municipalities and Local Councils, and to 13 Regional Councils. The activities of the Section are given to 7 1 y0 of the settlements founded after the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, which are occupied mainly by immigrants from under-developed countries and under-privileged population strata. The Rothschild Memorial Group has sponsored and donated two joint libraries, each of them covering one Local Council and two or three Regional Councils, services given by a central library in each network, main branch libraries, branch libraries and bookmobiles. The joint libraries are pilot programmes for a master plan