Aims, organization

ELAG, the European Library Automation Group, brings together once a year people involved in library automation in the leading European libraries and information centres. The organization counts 450 members in 27 countries all over Europe. In the last few years over 100 colleagues attended the seminars each year.

The meetings aim at in depth discussions of particular library automation topics and at the promotion of informal exchange of ideas and experience. The topics covered are technical and meant for participants with a computing background.

The ELAG seminars consist of four parts :

• the presentation of papers on the main theme of the seminar
• round table discussions of progress reports
• workshops
• forums (occasionally)

A number of papers are given about the main theme of the meeting, for example: "The virtual library", "Document publishing and delivery", "Object oriented approach", etc.. New automation projects in the participating institutes and countries are presented and discussed. The applications operational at the organization hosting the seminar get particular attention. Each ELAG-member participates in a very dynamic way in the different activities organized.

Annual progress reports, relating on new developments, prepared, before the meeting takes place by each member-organization, are put on the Web-site of the local organiser. During the seminars time is provided for discussing these.

Also the workshops produce much enthusiasm among the participants. Here certain topics are thoroughly debated in small groups. Each time several workshops are organized on diverging subjects, as for example : "Authority data", "Navigation tools", "Quality control on the web", "Intelligent agents" and "The changing role of the librarian".
For the sake of optimization of the exchange of information and knowledge and in order to keep in the front line of library automation developments, forums are occasionally organized.

Topics debated in the past are :

• Data Base Management Systems
• The virtual union catalogue
• Object Oriented Approach

During the forum session a few specialists highlight the subject from different points of view, afterwards the discussion starts. There is also plenty of time foreseen for open and for private discussions.

The driving force behind the seminar is the motivation of each individual participant to bring the best of his/her experience and to learn from his member colleagues. One of the main benefits of the meetings are the informal contacts between the participating members.

For membership to ELAG a motivated request has to be sent to:

Paula Goossens
President of ELAG
Keizerslaan 4
B-1000 Brussels
Fax: +32 2/519.56.46
E-mail : paula.goossens@kbr.be

The seminars are informal and no attendance fee is charged.

All delegates are responsible for their own travel and accommodation expenses.

The seminar proceedings are available on the WEB, a printed version is also distributed free of charge.