The requirements for taking over a library built up by a Regional Fisheries Project are more complex than national project libraries. However, items 1–8 are relevant for both national and regional project libraries.
The most important single criterion is that the recipient institution is working, either fully or in part, in the same subject area of expertise as the project. This will ensure that the value of the collection is recognised and that it is of immediate use to the scientific/technical community.
The recipient institution should already have an established library with qualified staff providing library services.
The Project should pass on the entire library collection and any catalogues, indexes, databases or other tools which have been developed for its management. Prior to termination, the project should carry out a library stocktaking and ensure that catalogue / database records are up to date. A copy of the library database or printed catalogue should be supplied to FAO.
The Project librarian should provide some guidelines, and if possible training, in the specialized nature of the collection and its use to the librarian at the recipient institution.
The recipient library may integrate the Project collection with its existing collection or retain it as a separate collection. The former is preferrable, both from the point of view of library services and to avoid the project library becoming a “dead collection”.
The recipient library should be part of or have links with existing national library infrastructures. Information about the project collection should be provided to the appropriate national library body and to other national aquatic / fisheries related institutions.
The recipient institution should be prepared to make the collection accessible, and if resources permit, its contents disseminated to bona fide users at least at the national level.
The recipient institution should be prepared to maintain and, as resources permit, keep up to date the collection as a national resource.. This will involve establishing agreements with fisheries institutions and international organizations such as FAO in order to secure continued supply of publications which are available as gifts or on exchange.
Regional and Inter-Regional Project libraries are more complex, not only from the point of view of funding, but many of the library resources and expertise will have been provided by the national partners. For example many of the documents are provided to the project library by national partners; input to library databases may be distributed; other national or regional libraries in participating countries may have contributed to the strengthening of the regional project library; an investment of resources and expertise from national fisheries libraries should ensure that the benefits of a regional library continue to be available. It is therefore important that the recipient institution is prepared to maintain a regional responsibility.
The recipient institution, in addition to points 1–8, should notify relevant national and regional library and fisheries bodies that they are maintaining the collection. They should also provide details of its accessiblity and the services available at national and regional level.
Efforts should be made to maintain and strengthen the regional network of participating libraries.
