Panel Discussion: Astronomy Libraries in Economically Less-Favored Countries.

Chair:

Susanne Laloƫ, IAP, Paris, France.

Participants:

Huang Bikun, Purple Mountain Observatory, Nanjing, China
Maria Lapteva, Institute for Theoretical Astronomy, St. Petersburg, Russia
Juana Maria Sainz Ballesteros de Lloveras, Complejo Astronomico El Leoncito, San Juan, Argentina
A. Vagiswari, Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore, India


We would like to thank the four librarians who expressed their needs, problems and expectations and the people in the audience for their remarks and suggestions.

The most difficult situation is in Russia where both computer facilities and access to paper documents are extremely deficient. For other libraries, it is often the delivery of books and journals which is slow or unreliable: for example, difficulties of being informed of the availability of proceedings, administrative procedure for payments abroad, problems with the post office, etc.

We have a special thought for the librarians who were not able to attend LISA II and for the countries in which astronomy is not yet developed enough. We need both skilled librarians and funding for the circulation of information.


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