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Purpose: The purpose of this article is to assess the preservation of library collections in the Slavic library and to determine the level of emergency to modify the present conditions of preservation. Methodology/approach: It addresses the situation in the period from December 2010 to June 2011 in three different depots of the Slavic Library as well as preservation aspects of handling of library materials. The methodology of S. Michalski and R. Waller is used for a systematic analysis and assessment of risk factors as well as the level of risk. Results: Observation and analysis of the situation showed problems with maintaining a constant humidity and temperature level, the occurrence of mold and deficiencies of the recently constructed library building. The article identifies the placement of library depot in the basement as inappropriate, the air conditioning systems as ill-suited to the standards of library material preservation and the inadequacy of equipment and fixtures. The assessment according to Michalski showed the »level of emergency« relating to the moisture and temperature, fire safety and intrusion of water into the depot. Research limitation: The study refers to the period of seven months and is limited to the depots of the Slavic Library. Originality/practical implications: The example shows how to detect the causes of damage on library materials and how to recognize risk factors and threats on the basis of the state of library materials and storage conditions. It anticipates developments and allows reflections on library equipment and optimal library building construction [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to present how the results of research on electronic resources use and selection policies in research libraries can be used. Design/methodology/approach - The paper presents the sources for the establishment of the decision grid. The entire process and criteria for collection evaluation are presented from the funding perspective. The quantitative decision grid evaluation process used by the national body funding research, the Slovenian Research Agency, is presented and its use demonstrated. Findings - For the fourth year in a row, the new decision grid was used to evaluate proposals for financing the library collections of almost one hundred research libraries in Slovenia. Each year, lists of quantitative evaluation elements are prepared and these are the basis for funding decisions. The results so far have been positive. The new criteria have encouraged involvement and participation in consortia, selection and deselection on the basis of the quality of journals, and movement to electronic journal collections. Practical implications - The new research library environment that has evolved as technology has developed not Only requires new models of functioning and providing service but also new financial resources. It is important to use library and information science research results and findings in the decision-making process of the various involved parties regarding budget and financial inputs. Originality/value - The paper offers new data on the old dilemma of how to best determine the value of a journal in the context of a library collection relative to the type of library and the needs of its users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper introduces the concept of book usage and puts Slovenian book usage into the context of the European Union. It stresses the limits of European book statistics, due to them the measurements of book usage in various European societies is almost impossible. In this context, we will show that due to available data, Slovenia paradoxically belongs to the countries with high book usage and average reading habits. In the second part of the paper, we will look at the correlations between reading habits and efficiency of education systems. On this basis, we will ask some new questions and develop a set of hypotheses that need to be verified by the further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Differences in subject description of juvenile fiction was investigated on five examples of international classics in five library catalogues: Oton Župančič Public Library (KnjiŽnica Otona Župančiča) in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Stadtbibliothek public library in Graz, Austria, integrated catalogues of libraries in the Gorizia region in Italy (Sistema bibliotecario della Provincia di Gorizia) and the Karlovac region in Croatia (Skupni katalog knjiŽnica Karlovačke županije) in September 2008. As Slovenian youth rarely speaks languages of neighbouring countries, British Library catalogue was added. Results show that catalogue records are inconsistent within an individual library as well as in comparision with other libraries in the sample. Librarians do not make consistent subject descriptions. Class number, which is present in all catalogues except in the Austrian one, usually represents: the author's country, language and/or nationality, the literary genre, and the target audience. Subject headings in the sample bring information on the subject (aboutness), author's country, language and/or nationality, the literary genre, and target audience. Summaries tell more on the story. But they can also bring information on emotional experience of the reader, information on the author or history of the literary work. It would be economically beneficial if subject description could be more consistent. But uniform subject description is not possible because of diverse library collections and users. The solution might be in the use of multiple levels of subject description regarding to the type of the libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last six decades of development Slovenian youth librarianship has made efforts to establish the youth department as a part of a public library and as a venue for intercultural dialogue. This tendency has been reflected not only in the library collections but also in the programme of library events. It was especially emphasized in the year 2008 which was declared to be the international year of languages and intercultural dialogue. The article describes the impact of intercultural dialogue on library collections. Books for youth acquired by the Center for youth literature and librarianship in the Ljubljana Metropolitan Library are analysed by source and by contents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The classification and the alignment of library material represent an important part of the library science from its early beginnings onwards. The introduction of UDC into Slovene public libraries coincided with the alteration of the open access library collection. In Slovenia the public libraries in average take into account the references and recommendations for the arrangement of the free access library collection, considering the age groups of the users, adults and juniors. The next division is connected with the functional type of the material, which is divided into fiction, and scientific material, and then there is the UDC label for the arrangement of the material on the shelves or word systematic in one of the public libraries. In the junior department there is a need for a further division into four age/reading groups of books instead of three. Within the formed groups there is the further arrangement of books in an alphabetical order by means of author or subject headings. The public library is a unit, which services all the residents in its local area. The different needs and interests of users should take into account in the formation of a library material arrangement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the findings about the Franciscan monastery library collection which was acquired during the first half of the 18th century by p. Žiga škerpin (1689- 1755) and gives an overview of the circumstances of this collection's origins. The introduction presents some previous publications and starting points regarding the Ljubljana Franciscan monastery library and the collection as well as the basic hypothesis. It is followed by an overview of the monastery library history from its beginnings to 18th century, including p. Škerpin's biography and a short state-of-the-art overview. An overview of the methodological approaches to collection research is presented next, followed by the analysis, namely the general qualitative and quantitative findings about the collection and the main bookbinding and edges decoration characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents statistical data about Slovenian public libraries in 2008. They were collected by Library System Development Centre at National & University Library. Figures indicate opening times, space and equipment, size of libraries' collections and additions. Staff structure and finances are also presented beside the data about visitors, registered members, loans and other library services. Indicators are compared to library regulations and standards, progress in reaching the goals of Resolution on the 2008-2011 National Programme for Culture is also evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The regional collection Histrica of the University Library Pula contains library material of multicultural and multilingual significance for the Istrian region. In 2005 the Library started to digitise historical regional newspapers belonging to this collection with a purpose to preserve them. With the pilot project entitled "Istrian newspapers online", which began in 2007, the Library made available some of these newspapers, one weekly and three daily newspapers, about 30000 pages in total. The newspapers were published between 1870 and 1938. These sources include newspapers in three languages: Croatian, German, and Italian. The first part of the paper presents the regional collection Histrica of the University Library Pula, particularly its newspapers collection. Furthermore, it reconsiders the reasons and goals of the digitisation of the historical newspapers. It also presents the pilot project Istrian newspapers online (INO) as well as the results and future plans of the project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]