For more than ten years ELISAD has played a major role in organising knowledge and information exchanges between the information and documentation centres in Europe. Due to the ELISAD activity many professionals now have an accurate vision of available information, know each other and have sometimes tried to elaborate technical projects on a common scale.
At the same time the EMCDDA has developed an ambitious information system, based both on the Reitox network and its internal departments work programme. This system serves to inform the scientific and the specialised professionals community in the European Union and world-wide.
The information goals, targets and methods must be systematically strengthen. The ELISAD meeting hosted at Lisbon by the EMCDDA provides a good opportunity to share knowledge and ideas on the information processes and to identify common needs and project works. How can the EMCDDA use the expertise of ELISAD and how can ELISAD members have a better collaboration in the framework of the EMCDDA?
In order to make this meeting fruitful for everyone, it is strongly required that each participant brings concrete information on his experience in the field and participates actively in the workshops: that can improve its own - and others - goals and methods.
Thus the 1999 ELISAD meeting will be organised to provide enough time to communicate, through presentations, accurate information on ELISAD members projects and on EMCDDA programmes, but also to discuss and to compare our activity, at a professional level, during the workshops.
10.00 - Check in and registration of the participants
11.00 - Welcome and introduction to the meeting
Marianne Van der Heyden, ELISAD Chair
11.15 - Hello from ELISAD overseas friends
George Marcelle, SALIS Chair
11.25 - Coffee break
Session 1: Networking
12.00 ELISAD: history and goals
Thomas Rouault, Toxibase, France
Marianne Van der Heyden, ELISAD Chair
This communication will present the process of the creation of ELISAD, from its background and the role the association has played. ELISAD has been created in 1988, a period when many European information and documentation centres were founded, to strengthen professional relationship between European documentalists and information specialists and to facilitate common projects between institutional members. ELISAD has allowed a real communication development, for instance through annual conferences organised each year by one member on many subjects of interest: networking, qualitative assessment, thesaurus, internet etc. Networking with other organisations has been enhanced with other professional associations like SALIS, EUSIDIC, EAHIL, ICAA Many ELISAD members maintain a partnership and links with international organisations like the EMCDDA, the European Commission and thus participate to the framework of work projects focused on information and documentation. Considering the formal and informal role of ELISAD some questions should be raised to progress on the idea of European networking in the field of information and documentation on drug abuse: which priorities for information projects, evolution of professional skills and relationship with various information professions, which level for integrated European documentation services ? which coordination of projects ?
12.30 Reitox and the Electric Spider: building links and gathering data Drugs, European Networks and National Focal Points
Roger Lewis, Coordinator of the Reitox dept.
The EMCDDA has constructed a robust network of organisations and individuals in the fields of research, information, prevention, treatment and care across the European Union. Electronic networking based upon web sites, e-mail and news groups has become an increasingly important tool. The REITOX Network, co-ordinated by the EMCDDA / OEDT and based upon human and electronic linkage to National Focal Points in all EU countries, plays a central role in the collection, transmission and dissemination of information at a national and European level. Roger Lewis describes the evolution, purpose and operation of the REITOX Network and its perspective for the future.
13.00 - Offered lunch
Session 2: The use of information sources
14.30 Introduction by Thomas Rouault, Toxibase
14.40 Information goals and experience of the Demand Reduction Department of the EMCDDA
Margareta Nilson, EMCDDA
The demand reduction department of the EMCDDA collects, analyses and disseminates information about actions, strategies and policies regarding prevention, outreach work, harm reduction, treatment and related areas. The educational, health, social, and criminal justice sectors as well as NGOs are all involved in such activities.
The work of the department consists of three pillars:
The information system EDDRA (Exchange of drug demand reduction action), a database, available on the Internet, containing examples of good practice, fulfilling certain quality criteria, e.g. evaluation.
The analysis of concepts, practice and terminology in specific areas of demand reduction, e.g. outreach work or alternatives to prison.
The promotion of evaluation of drug demand reduction through guidelines for evaluation, an evaluation instrument bank, training and publishing of scientific monographs.
15.10 Information goals and experience of the Epidemiology Department of the EMCDDA
Richard Hartnoll, EMCDDA
The department of epidemiology deals with information on drug use and dependence in the EU and on its consequences, correlates and causes. It collects, registers, analyses different types of information from different sources and aims to disseminate the results to different audiences. The main categories of information are: statistics on drugs; results of research studies (quantitative and qualitative); methodological instruments and guidelines; data sources; bibliographic reviews; inventories (e.g. of researchers). The sources of information include the NFPs (national reports, drug statistics, information map on sources); expert working groups and external contractors (research studies, bibliographic reviews, methodological instruments, inventories); the wider scientific community (published and grey literature) and other European or international partners (Pompidou Group, UNDCP, WHO etc.). The main audiences are policy makers and advisors; NFPs and their national partners; researchers and practitioners; and the interested public.
One important priority facing the department is to implement 5 key indicators of drug prevalence and health consequences in the EU. This will involve the development of an ambitious electronic information system for collecting, entering, storing, analysing and disseminating core (statistical) data in standard format from the 15 Member States. Another aspect of the departments work which may be of more direct relevance to ELISAD is the large and accumulating amount of documentation, which is rather diverse in nature (research studies, bibliographic reviews, reports etc.). The remainder of this presentation focuses on our experience and needs in terms of handling and exploiting this documentary material, both for our internal use and for the benefit of external users.
15.40 - Coffee break
16.10 ELISAD member experience: information on new synthetic drugs on the web
Greet Van der Spek, Information specialist,Trimbos Institute, The Netherlands
The profession of librarian, information specialist nowadays, changes rapidly because the sources of information are multiplying every day. This will be illustrated by showing sites with information on new synthetic drugs on the web. Different sources with different target groups will be discussed and the different use that could be made of these sources. Often it is difficult to establish the reliability of this kind of sources. The question arises: what is the most efficient way of co-operation between the information specialist and the scientific expert?
16.30 A strategic approach to research using Internet tools and resources
Lyn Robinson, School of Library, Archive and Information Studies, University College, London, UK
The spread of communication networks over the past ten years has made access to and distribution of multimedia information very easy. This has led to an astonishingly rapid increase in the number and type of information resources which can potentially contribute to any reference or research query. Often, the information professional feels overwhelmed by the amount of relevant material which has to be organised and evaluated, and the concept of "information overload" is often an unfortunate reality. This paper describes a methodical approach to carrying out research in our contemporary environment, encompassing printed, electronic and Internet based resources. The framework was used to compile a listing of toxicology information resources, as part of a larger study on the effect of new information and communication technologies on scientific communication within this field. It is likely, however, that the approach can be applied to research in any subject, and the example of alcohol and drug related resources will now be considered.
17.00 - End
10.00 Introduction by Marianne Van der Heyden
10.10 / 12.30 Three workshops :
Workshop 1 - Networking, how and why?
Chair: Lucia Bianco, Gruppo Abele, Italy
Reporter: Frédéric Denecker, EMCDDA
The experience of Elisad has been to enable networking between various organisations that - in different European and non-European countries - share the same goal: to collect and disseminate professional and reliable information on alcohol and other drugs.
Networking has meant and still means to link the experience and "know-how" of each subject, by stimulating the exchange, confrontation and integration of information, thus avoiding it from becoming obsolete in a short time.
In fact there is not a single "expert place" where you can find the right answers to all the questions regarding information and documentation: networking makes it possible to create the appropriate links to find qualified answers on alcohol and drug related issues.
Some open questions:
- How to connect various networks?
- How to make structurally different - but equally significant - agencies communicate with each other (i.e. governmental agencies and NGOs that collect documentation and information, etc.)
- How to safeguard the characteristics and wealth of knowledge and expertise of every organisation, within a network that adds value to each of them?
- How can the network help every documentation centre to be acknowledged as reliable?
- How to use the new technologies effectively?
Workshop 2 - Use of information sources
Chair: Thomas Rouault, Toxibase, France
Reporter: Chloe Carpentier, EMCDDA
Internet has increased the number of accessible information sources enormously. It is more and more important, especially for the information specialist, to know how to handle these sources. It is difficult to recognise the reliability and the importance of these sources.
And further, if you have found the right sources, how can you use them in a responsible way. More and more it becomes important to have a good understanding and cooperation between the scientific experts and the information specialists.
Some open questions:
- Who can judge the reliability of a source?
- Where ends the responsibility of the information specialist and begins the responsibility of the scientific expert?
- Does making reviews belong to the competence of the information specialists or should it be restricted to scientists only?
- Do you have to give the context when providing data to the public?
- Do you provide extra sources in order to improve comprehensiveness?
- Do you warn information providers when their information is outdated?
Workshop 3 - Role of the information professionals
Chairs: Marianne Van der Heyden, Andromeda, The Netherlands
Reporter: Ove Sundby, NDPADP, Norway
Information has become a major item for everyone, also for professionals from other disciplines. Information has become more accessible and is easier to handle with the arrival of information technology. Because nowadays also from outside our information professions people are involved with "information", now it has become very important to reflect on our own tasks. Professionals from different disciplines are moving in the field of information and endusers are moving towards more self-service.
The role of the information professional is changing from a role as mediator to a more advising and consulting role.
With the changing role the relevance of a professional organisation becomes more important.
Changes in the working environment include pressure in the organisation, decreasing budgets, digitisation and the use of computers. The new economy has brought use the concept of disintermediation and the growing importance of networking.
Some changes in the tasks of the information professional are the value added services, the consulting services and the support activities.
Some open questions:
- Has ICT changed the core task of the information professional?
- Can the librarian still have a library?
- Can the librarian still use the same information sources?
- Is knowing (and knowing how to find) and identifying sources still the crucial skill of the information professional?
- Is disintermediation a threat to our profession?
- How can we implement value added services?
- How can we support our users?
- How can we create order in the chaos of information overload?
11.00 / 11.30 - Optional coffee break during the workshops
12.30 - Offered lunch
Session 3: Information profession
14.00 The EMCDDA's Department of Information Strategies and Communication Resources
Wolfgang Goetz, EMCDDA
Broad dissemination of 'objective, reliable and comparable information at European level concerning drugs, drug addiction and their consequences' enables policy-makers to take their decisions on the basis of sound facts, facilitates the work of scientists and professionals and increases the awareness of the general public.
The EMCDDA provides the information described above through a wide range of targeted publications with the Annual Report on the State of the Drugs Problem in the European Union and the bi-monthly newsletter DrugNet Europe on top. A comprehensive set of findings, important documentary information and a complete overview of EMCDDA publications are accessible via the regularly up-dated web site at "HYPERLINK http://www.emcdda.org/", "http://www.emcdda.org/"_
Press releases conveying key findings and announcing events are frequently disseminated to the written and electronic media and journalists constitute the largest group requesting information. The Centres efforts in the area of media relations and the dissemination of data through the WWW are motivating more and more Europeans, local and regional authorities and NGOs to seek information from the EMCDDA. The Centres dialogue with the European citizen has therefore become a task of increasing importance.
14.20 ELISAD member experience: Electronic journals - An introduction
Ove Sundby, NDPADP (Norwegian Directorate for the Prevention of Alcohol and Drug Problems), Norway
Electronic journals will be briefly described in terms of formats, history and typology. Then there will be a short overview of the different interests, both academic and commercial, in this new field of scholarly communication publishing. Copyright problems related to electronic journals will be touched upon before the question of acquisition versus access will be discussed together with the problems of archiving electronic journals.
14.40 SALIS at the Crossroads of the Century: Tensions, Successes and Beyond
Andrea Mitchell, Director, Alcohol Research Group Library,
Executive Director of the Substance Librarians and Information Specialists. USA
Given the information professional's challenges of the late 20th century, including changes in attitudes towards libraries, and the paradigm shift in information access through technology, SALIS has endeavoured to stay focused on its mission and to accomplish its goals. In tune with the larger forces, SALIS has had to change in order to grow and keep its constituency.
This presentation will outline SALIS's historical roots, goals and experiences including tensions and successes. Tensions have ranged from the need for funding, versus being a handmaiden of the government, to the attitudes of some individuals towards the acceptance of alcohol industry members. Successes have been with making the alcohol science database public, and creating the ATOD Thesaurus to guide the indexing and retrieval of alcohol information.
Finally, there will be an exploration into the next century, to envision the further growth and development of an organisation who's ultimate goal is to move the ATOD field forward, while still respecting some of the major philosophies which have guided librarians for centuries.
15.00: Coffee break
15.30 Reports from the three workshops
Workshop 1: Frédéric Denecker, EMCDDA
Workshop 2: Chloe Carpentier, EMCDDA
Workshop 3: Ove Sundby, NDPADP
16.00 General discussion
Marianne Van der Heyden, ELISAD Chair
16.30 - Conclusion
George Estievenart, EMCDDA Director
Marianne Van der Heyden, ELISAD Chair