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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)

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)

Four papers are compiled in the section on school libraries: (1) "Zentrale Dienstleistungen fur Schulbibliotheken in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland am Beispiel der Schulbibliothekarischen Arbeitsstelle der Stadtbucherei Frankfurt am Main = Centralized School Library Services in the Federal Republic of Germany, as Performed at the School Library Service Centre of the Stadtbucherei Frankfurt am Main" (Renate Breithaupt, West Germany); (2) "Excellence on a Budget: School Library Services with Limited Resources" (Anne Mathews, United States); (3) "The Current Situation of School Libraries in South America with Special Reference to Chile" (Teresa Naveillan de Molinare and Yolanda Soto, Chile); and (4) "School Libraries of Norway: A Vital Part of the National Library Net Work?" (Anne Horn, Norway). Both the original German and English versions are given of the first paper, and statistical highlights from a 1985-86 survey of public school libraries and media centers in the United States are appended to the second paper, which also lists five references. (CGD)

Papers on information technology, which were presented at the 1983 International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) conference, include: (1) "Automation's Impact on (Information) Users" by Arja-Riitta Haarala (Finland); (2) "Economics and Politics of Information Technology: Some Trends in Its Application to Information for the Professional," in which John R. U. Page (Austria) describes the impact on libraries of online searching and electronic document delivery; (3) "NEWWAVE: The On-Line Cataloguing System of the Royal Library in Brussels" by Guido C. Goedeme and others (Belgium); (4) "Impact of Technology on Librarians," in which George K. Thompson (Switzerland) suggests that technology has created new information requirements, a shift in library role, and the need for librarians who can adjust to constant change; (5) "Advancing Technology: The Secondary Impact on Libraries and Users," in which Donald B. Simpson (United States) looks at the effect of advancing computer and telecommunications technology on library buildings, on the role of libraries in society, and on the preservation of library materials; (6) "Der Einfluss zukunftiger Informationstechniken auf die Beziehung zwischen Mensch und Maschine (The Influence of Future Information Technologies on the Relation between People and Machines)" by W. Heimann (paper in German); (9) "Some Possible Future Effects of Information Technology" by Maurice B. Line (United Kingdom); and (10) "Overview: The Impact of Technology on Libraries," a review by Henriette D. Avram (United States) of the impact of technology on people (both library staff and users) and their environment. (ESR)

Papers on national library services and activities, which were presented at the 1983 International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) conference, include: (1) "The National Library of China in its Gradual Application of Modern Technology," a discussion by Zhu Nan and Zhu Yan (China) of microform usage and library automation; (2) "The Catalogue and Bibliography Hall at the Bibliotheque Nationale: Tradition and Technology," a discussion of online search experimentation by Marie-Louise Bossuat (France); (3) "On the Way to a German National Bibliography of the 16th Century," by Irmgard Bezzel (West Germany); (4) "China's Four Modernizations and Library Service" by Hu Yaohui (China); (5) "Research and Development and Its Contribution to National Library Services," in which B. J. Perry (United Kingdom) reviews forms of government support for library/information science research and development in Great Britain; (6) "Die Bibliotheken des Goethe-Instituts im Ausland und die Bibliotheksarbeit im Ausland als Teil des Kulturpolitischen Auftrags des Goethe-Institut" (The Libraries of the Goethe Institute in Foreign Countries and Library Activities in Foreign Countries as Part of the Cultural Mission of the Goethe Institute) by Dieter Vollprecht (West Germany--paper in German); (7) "Publishing by National Libraries: Results of the (7) "Publishing by National Libraries: Results of the Pilot Questionnaire" by Stephen Green (United Kingdom), with a sample of the 1983 questionnaire provided; and (8) "The Management of Change," in which Guy Sylvestre (Canada) advocates a pragmatic approach to managing technological change in libraries. (ESR)