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Based on an explorative study of sectoral training systems, this paper looks at the opportunities and limitations of a sectoral approach to training from the perspective of the knowledge economy. After the definition of the sector concept, the paper presents a theoretical analysis of the main elements and processes of sectoral training systems, considered as dynamic social systems unfolding in time through joint interactions of sectoral agencies and bodies. Four basic elements are described: sectoral agencies and bodies; training agreements between agencies; sectoral training policies and provisions; and training activities at the level of the firms. A discussion of these four basic processes follows: articulation, negotiation, policy creation, and implementation. An overview is given of the actual state of affairs in Belgium, France, and the Netherlands, three countries with well-developed sectoral training systems in a number of branches. Discussed next are the opportunities of sectoral training systems in relation to the educational system and in relation to employment and innovation, such as flexibility of the educational system, adaptation of qualifications, reduction of unemployment, and transfer of innovations. The paper concludes with a discussion of the main limitations of a sectoral approach to training. (German, English, and French versions appear in side-by-side columns. (Contains 15 references.) (YLB)

From 1995-1998, 12 of the 79 organizations funded by Canada's National Literacy Secretariat (NLS) conducted approximately 40 workplace literacy pilot projects across Canada. Those projects were reviewed to determine their effectiveness in increasing the number and quality of Canadian workplace literacy programs. Information for the review was collected from the following sources: review of pertinent materials available through the NLS; conversations with practitioners involved in workplace pilot projects and provincial government representatives; and interviews with representatives of 4 of the 12 organizations (an employer association, federation of labor, the Prairie Regional Training Consortium, and an industrial sector training council). The pilot projects tended to have three fields of activity: learning activities; short-term organizational change strategies; and long-term structural workplace change. The pilots have introduced literacy into a range of new industries and workplaces; however, only a small number of workplaces have created foundations for ongoing programs. Recommendations emerging from the review included calls for the NLS to fund more innovative workplace learning strategies and extend the time and financial resources for pilots to support more effective organizational change activities. A French translation is included. (Appended is information about how the review was conducted.) (MN)

During the last 5-10 years, a number of countries have introduced methods and systems for identifying, validating, and recognizing prior and nonformal learning that can be viewed as tools for improving the transparency and transfer of skills. In most cases, they have been operational for a comparatively short time, which makes it difficult to decide whether expectations regarding them are justified. Some of the most important initiatives and innovations connected with the identification and validation of prior and nonformal learning include examples from Australia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, and United Kingdom. The French, Australian, Irish, and British methodologies are based on related principles, introducing different versions of portfolios, dossiers, or passports. Finland, Germany, and Japan have been reluctant to introduce the portfolio method. In spite of similarities in design, countries tend to apply the methodologies in different ways. This difference may be seen as a difference between centralized and decentralized systems. Initiatives and ideas on a European level are the Individual Portfolio Project and the Personal Skills Card and the European Skills Accreditations system. Some basic questions related to the legitimacy of the new methods and systems deal with the institutional basis, flexibility versus fragmentation, transparency and visibility, and transfer. (German, English, and French versions appear in side-by-side columns. Appendixes contain 27 references and 18 notes.) (YLB)

Papers on art libraries and information services for the arts, which were presented at the 1983 International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) conference, include: (1) "'I See All': Information Technology and the Universal Availability of Images" by Philip Pacey (United Kingdom); (2) "Online Databases in the Fine Arts" by Michael Rinehart (United States); (3) "State of Automation in Swiss Art Libraries: The General Situation" by Karl Jost (Switzerland); (4) "Computerisation in Swiss Art Libraries: State of the Art" by Jean-Pierre Dubouloz (Switzerland) (English translation by Morag Morton); (5) "Computer Applications to Slide Collections" by A. Zelda Richardson (United States); (6) "ARLIS/ANZ (Art Libraries Society/Australia New Zealand) and Art Libraries in the Antipodes" by Valerie Richards (New Zealand); (7) "The Art and Architecture Thesaurus Project" by Pat Molholt (United States); (8) "Information Technology & Visual Images: Some Trends & Developments" by Patrick Purcell and Henry Okun (United States); (9) "The Development, Management, and Preservation of Art and Architectural Microform Collections" by Paula Chiarmonte (United States); (10) "Online Databases for Architects and Designers" by Valerie J. Bradfield (United Kingdom); (11) "CeCILE: A Bibliographic Database for Design at the Pompidou Centre" by C. Mihailovic (France) (English translation by Ian Sheridan); (12) "Systeme Descriptif des Representations (A System for Describing Representational Art)" by Francois Garnier (France--paper in French); (13) "Universal Accessibility of Art Images and Information Technology" by Sven Sandstrom (Sweden); (14) "Art Libraries in the Federal Republic of Germany" by Thomas Lersch (West Germany); and (15) "Videodiscs and Art Documentation" by Janice Sorkow (United States). (ESR)

Papers on library statistics, which were presented at the 1983 International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) conference, include: (1) "Network Statistics and Library Management," in which Glyn T. Evans (United States) suggests that network statistics can be used to improve internal library decisionmaking, enhance group resource sharing decisions, and provide a common base for national and international information policy decisions; (2) "The Impact of UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cutural Organization) Statistics on Nigerian Library Services," by J. A. Dosunmu (Nigeria); (3) "A U.S. (United States) Perspective on Library Statistics--Domestic and International," in which Robert Wedgeworth (United States) outlines activities intended to coordinate the collection and dissemination of American library statistics and the experience of the American Library Association (ALA) in collecting international library statistics; (4) "The Development of Library Statistics in the Caribbean," a description by Carol Collins (Guyana) of data collection activities and the need for further library statistics, particularly performance measurement data; and (5) "Evolution des Couts des Periodiques dans les Bibliotheques Universitaires Francais durant la Periode 1972-1982 (The Evolution of the Costs of Journals in French University Libraries from 1972 to 1982)," in which Gerard Thirion (France) reports a 5% and a 2% annual increase in foreign and French journal subscription costs respectively, based on a study conducted at the University of Nancy (paper in French). (ESR)

Papers on the role and services of African libraries and the education of African librarians, which were presented at the 1983 International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) conference, include: (1) "The Information Sector in the Economic Development of Africa: The Potential Role for Libraries," in which Benzies Y. Boadi (Nigeria) outlines African problems in information processing, the failure of library and information systems to provide user-oriented library services, and the need for and examples of national and regional library coordination; (2) "The Industrial Development Decade for Africa 1980-1990: Its Implications for the Library and Information Services of Eastern, Central, and Southern Africa," in which Peter Moll (United Kingdom) examines the prospects for the creation of an infrastructure to support electronic information systems through the Pan-African Documentation and Information System (PADIS) in the subregion designated as East Africa; and (3) "La Formation Professionnelle des Bibliothecaires Documentalistes dans un Monde Technologique: l'Exemple de la Tunisie" (Professional Training of Information Scientists in a Technological World: The Example of Tunisia)," in which Abdelhamid El Ajmi (Tunisia--paper in French) describes the development and current status of 4-year and 2-year educational programs for information scientists, librarians, and archivists in Tunisia, with emphasis on instruction in the use of information technology and automated systems at the Institut de Presse et des Sciences de l'Information de Tunis (IPSI) and the Institut Superieur de la Documentation (ISD). (ESR)

Papers on children's services, which were presented at the 1983 International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) conference, include: (1) "Education and Training of Children's Librarians: An Investigation" by Eva Glistrup (Denmark), which presents preliminary results from a 1982 survey of institutions in 30 countries (30% response rate) showing a general lack of adequate educational programs for children's librarianship; (2) "Annual Report of the Activities of the Section of Children's Libraries" by Genevieve Patte (France), which focuses on children's reading and library projects sponsored by IFLA in developing nations; (3) "Meet the Future with Video," in which A. M. Kylberg (Sweden) describes the widespread use of video recordings in Sweden and trial projects providing educational video programs for children and adults in public libraries; (4) "Informatique et Education avec le Langage LOGO (Information Technology and Education with the Computer Language LOGO)," in which Fatimata Sylla (Senegal) describes a pilot project conducted by the Senegalese Institute of Research in Mathematics and Applied Information Science to assess the psychological, pedagogical, sociological, and epistemological impact of LOGO and microcomputer usage on primary school children aged 8 to 11 years (paper in French); and (5) "Video and Youth Services in the Public Library," in which Emma Cohn (United States) discusses reasons for and methods of providing video services in public libraries and in educational systems, and describes specific examples from the United States and France. (ESR)

Official opening statements, organizational reports, and papers on libraries in a technological world, which were presented at the 1983 International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) conference include: (1) welcoming addresses by Franz Georg Kaltwasser and Mathilde Berghofer-Weichner; (2) opening speeches by Else Granheim (IFLA president) and Jacques Tocatlian (UNESCO representative); (3) a financial report by M.-L. Bossuat (IFLA treasurer); (4) a report by the Secretary General on 1981-82 trends in IFLA programs, activities, support, and finances; (5) a progress report from the IFLA International Office for UAP (Universal Availability of Publications) by M. B. Line and S. Vickers; (6) a report by Edward Huck Tee Lim on the UNESCO/IFLA pre-session seminar on "University Libraries in Developing Countries--Structure and Function in Regard to Information Transfer for Science and Technology"; (7) "The Significance of Information Science for the Theory and Practice of Librarianship" by Thomas J. Galvin (United States); (8) "Problemes et Questions de l'Usager face aux Bibliotheques dans un Monde 'Technicise'" (Problems and Questions in the Usage of Libraries in a Technological World) by W. Knopp (West Germany--paper in French); (9) "From the Well to the Tap," in which Denis Varloot (France) discusses future impacts of technology on libraries, librarians, and the production, storage, and consumption of information; (10) "Activities of Libraries in the Developed Socialist Society in the Meeting of Readers' Needs in Conditions of Scientific and Technical Progress" by N. S. Kartashov (USSR); and (11) reports from sections and round tables belonging to the IFLA Division on Libraries Serving the General Public. (ESR)

Papers on serials and their bibliographic control, which were presented at the 1983 International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) conference, include: (1) "ISDS [International Serials Data System] and the National Bibliography," in which Ross Bourne (United Kingdom) describes ISDS development, the distinctive features of serials in bibliographic terms, and the differences between ISDS records and those created under the auspices of the International Standard Book Description for Serial Publications; (2) "Automated Serials Check-in System in the European University Institute of Florence," in which Brigitte Graffin and Corrado Pettenati (Italy) describe ordering, check-in, claiming, and other operations in this institute's automated serials control system; (3) "A Methodology for the Evaluation of Serials Control Systems," an outline by J. E. Rush and R. S. Tannehill of an eight-phase methodology for evaluating serials control systems, particularly online systems, as part of formal and informal procurement processes; and (4) "Etude sur le Traitement des Publications en Serie par les Centres ISDS et les Agences Bibliographiques Nationales" (Study on the Processing of Serial Publications by the ISDS Centers and National Library Agencies), a summary (in French) by Christine Girard (France) of a publication which describes a 3-year study of the relationship between ISDS centers and national libraries in the serial cataloging process, based on findings from a questionnaire sent to institutions in 47 countries. (ESR)

Papers on cataloging and national bibliography presented at the 1984 general conference of IFLA include: (1) "Pratiques et Problemes de Catalogage au Senegal" (Cataloging Practices and Problems in Senegal) (Marietou Diop Diongue, Senegal); (2) "The Consequences of New Technologies in Classification and Subject Cataloging in Third World Countries: The Technological Gap" (Robert P. Holley, United States); and (3) "Les Bibliographies Nationales du Maghreb: Contenu et Perspectives" (The National Bibliographies of Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, and Libya: Contents and Perspectives) (Ridha Attia, Tunisia). (BBM)

Papers on the education and training of librarians presented at the 1984 IFLA general conference include: (1) "Training and Developing a Professional for the Widening Library Responsibilities: A Management View," in which Charles K. Wambugu (Kenya) examines the management requirements for a professional librarian and discusses the role of library schools and libraries in training and developing that professional; (2) "Problems of Functioning of Librarians in Management Positions," in which Ruud A. C. Bruyns (Netherlands) summarizes the results of an investigation undertaken by the Dutch Public Library Association (N.B.L.C.) to identify the size, nature, and possible causes for problems concerning the functioning of librarians in middle and higher management positions; (3)"Shaping and Image for the Librarian in Nigeria: Implication for Education and Training" (B. P. Aboyade, Nigeria); (4) "Planning and Development of Library and Information Studies Schools in Developing Countries--An East African Experience" (Syed Ameer Haidor Abidi, Uganda); (5) "Projects and Results in Library History Research Performed in Poland" (Stefan Kubow, Poland); (6) "La Formation des Specialistes de l'Information au Maghreb et au Senegal" (The Training of Information Specialists in Maghreb and Senegal); and (7) "Le Personnel dans les Bibliotheques de Grece" (Personnel in the Libraries of Greece) (Alkmini Skandalis, Angelina Vaseou and Matina Tsafou, Greece). (THC)

The five papers in this collection on art and music environments in developing countries were presented at the 1984 IFLA general conference. (1) In "Developing an Art for Life's Sake," Gavin Jantjes, a black South African artist currently living and working in the United Kingdom, offers personal viewpoints on issues relating to the art of the Third World and African contemporary art in particular. (2) In "The Designer in a Developing Country and the Information He Needs," H. Kumar Vyas (India) describes the stages which an artist goes through in transforming ideas into actual design concepts, and specifically addresses the lack of available information about a Third World country's own cultural heritage and steps that have been taken at the National Institute of Design to help students systematically design methods of collecting information. (A detailed checklist entitled "Designer's Method for Documenting Traditional Craft Environment" is included.) (3) In "Vision et Recherche des Formes: Une Contribution Informelle a la Discussion" (Vision and the Search for Form: An Informal Contribution to the Discussion), Arnold Pacey discusses the social and esthetic aspects of design and situations which arise in developing countries when the traditional design does not lend itself to technological innovations. (4) In "L'Esthetique des Arts du Quotidien: Images de l'Afrique Noire et des Caraibes" (Esthetiques of Art for Daily Life: Images from Black Africa and the Caribbean), John Magnus (United Kingdom) focuses on the cultural links between countries on the two sides of the Atlantic Ocean as they are reflected in popular art forms. (5) In "Problems in Collection and Preservation of Music Data in Kenya and Suggested Solutions to the Problems," W. A. Omondi (Nairobi) discusses the present state of documentation in Kenya; the need to document traditional music and dance; the operations of the government's proposed Central Research Committee; and the development, dissemination, and propagation of traditional music and dance. (THC)

Papers on library acquisitions, special collections development, and special training for serials librarianship, presented at the 1984 IFLA general conference, include: (1) "The Development of the African Collection at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London and Its Importance for the Cultural History of African Countries" (B. C. Bloomfield, United Kingdom); (2) "Planning Union Catalogues of Books in Developing Countries" (Richard J. Bennett and Maurice B. Line, United Kingdom); (3) "Supply of Literature from and about Africa in Europe with Special Regard to Interlibrary Loan in the Federal Republic of Germany" (Irmstraud D. Wolcke-Renk, West Germany); (4) "Education and Training for Work with Serials" (David P. Woodworth, United Kingdom); (5) "Education for Serials Librarianship: What Are the Basic Components?" (Michael E. D. Koenig, United States); (6) "Serials of the Poor: Their Nature, Importance, Problems, and Suggested Solutions" (Theophilus E. Mlaki, Tanzania); (7) "Acquisition of Library Material in Kenya: Problems and Prospects" (Joshua Reuben Njuguna, Kenya); (8) "Acquisitions in the Developing Countries--Problems and Possible Solutions: The Jamaican Experience" (Stephney W. L. Ferguson, Jamaica); (9) "Theory and Practice of Serials Control and How Your Subscription Agent Can Help" (Arnoud De Kemp, Netherlands); (10) "The British Library's African Research Collections and the Development of African Studies" (I. R. Willison, United Kingdom); (11) "Les Relations d' Echanges entre les Bibliotheques d'Afrique Francophone et la Bibliotheque Nationale de Paris" (Exchange Agreements Between the Libraries of Francophone Africa and the National Library in Paris) (Anne Zundel Ben Khemis); and (12) "The Problems of African Acquisitions: The Experience of the Nairobi Field Office of the Library of Congress" (James C. Armstrong, Kenya). (THC)

Six papers on information technology, the development of information systems for Third World countries, handling of sound recordings, and library automation were presented at the 1984 IFLA conference. They include: (1) "Handling, Storage and Preservation of Sound Recordings under Tropical and Subtropical Climatic Conditions" (Dietrich Scholler, Austria); (2) "UNIMARC Version of MINISIS ('little' Integrated Set of Information Systems)" (Henriette D. Avram, United States) which describes two phases of the enhancement of the International Development Research Center's MINISIS system by extending it to create and accept records in the IFLA developed UNIMARC format; (3) "The Possibility of a Conflict Between Functional Librarianship and the Needs or Necessity of Advanced Information Technology" (Peter W. Chateh, France); (4) "United We Stand; Divided We Fall: The Benefits to Libraries of International Standardization in Videotex" (Geoff Andrew, United Kingdom); (5) "Minisis/UNIMARC Interface--Its Impact on Libraries" (Charles A. Godfrey, Michael Sherwood, and Garth Graham, Canada); and (6) "L'Informatisation de la Bibliotheque Nationale de Paris: Methode de Conduite du Projet; Participation et Formation du Personnel" (The Automation of the National Library in Paris: Project Management; Personnel Participation and Training) (Christian Lerin and Annick Bernard, France). (THC)

This report is intended to assist Canadian libraries in assessing potential library applications of optical disk technology. Part 1 provides a general outline of the technology and describes a number of library applications and projects. Descriptions are purposely general and illustrative in nature since the technology and its applications are developing rapidly. Part 2 is the report of the Canadian National Library's Videodisc Demonstration Project, which took place between 1981 and 1983. The project description provides an in-depth view of the potential of a specific optical disk system type, namely videodisc, to address library storage, preservation, and access concerns. The seven appendices include: (1) commonly used acronyms; (2) personnel involved in the Videodisc Demonstration Project; (3) arrangement of material on the videodisc; (4) indexing of the "O Canada" segment of the videodisc; (5) project equipment and operational features; (6) programming the Apple II for a combined videodisc/microcomputer information retrieval system; and (7) a 33-item reading list. (THC)