FSD Promoted in Finnish University Libraries

Nelli Hankonen

FSD has created a network of research library contact persons. The aim is to use libraries as a means to reach researchers and students who work with social science materials. The Archive keeps in touch with the network in several ways: contact persons receive e-mail and brochures, and are notified of new materials. Once a year they are invited to a meeting to learn about FSD's latest developments. At the moment, the network consists of librarians and information officers from more than 20 research libraries.

One of FSD's contact persons is Terttu Turunen, information specialist from Helsinki University's Social Sciences Library. Her duties include teaching students information retrieval skills. Library organises user education courses where also FSD's services are presented.

- This source of information has been advertised mainly to advanced students. Specifically the web resources, as well as the possibilities to find and use materials have been promoted, says Turunen.

Library's homepage has information about FSD and a link to the Archive. FSD's brochures are available from the service desk.

Electronic materials bring archives, libraries and museums closer together

Turunen finds FSD's research library network appropriate. - It would be useful to develop it further, especially now when the border between archives' and libraries' electronic materials is fuzzier than ever. Archives, libraries and even museums are coming closer to each other.

- For example, during content description and cataloguing projects we have discussed how publications, archived data and museums' collections could be described by using the same platform. When looking for a piece of information, one keyword would then produce material of all three types. Turunen takes virtual libraries as an example: one search can produce multifarious results.

Turunen believes that in the future prominent websites will play an even bigger role when publicising one's operations. - Electronic and web-based communication continues to increase in all sectors. It is better to try to "make an appearance" on the net than to hand out age-old leaflets that people get too much as it is, says Turunen. She regards FSD's website as functional, and is going to continue promoting it.

Terttu Turunen (right) and information officer Tarja Wisakanto from the Tampere University Library shared ideas when FSD's library contact persons met in August 2001.

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