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Aslib got rid of pretty much its entire library when they left its previous premises. Rumour has it that much of the stock went to a University in Zimbabwe. Charles Professor Charles Oppenheim Department of Information Science Loughborough University Loughborough Leics LE11 3TU Tel 01509-223065 Fax 01509-223053 e mail [log in to unmask] ----- Original Message ----- From: "Stella Dextre Clarke" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Wednesday, December 15, 2004 11:19 AM Subject: Re: Future of Aslib > Hear Hear! Aslib has been going down the hill for the last 25 years or > more, and it's no use weeping for the glory days of Belgrave Square. > Maybe useful to buy their membership mailing list before it becomes too > out of date? And CILIP/TFPL could approach the individuals who lead the > more successful training courses, to add to their own portfolios? The > journals have already gone to Emerald, so nothing to salve there. And as > for the library collection - last time I visited the neglect was painful > to behold. The once renowned collection of thesauri still had a few > jewels, but who wants the reference works of the seventies and eighties? > Only a few dedicated scholars. > Stella > > ***************************************************** > Stella Dextre Clarke > Information Consultant > Luke House, West Hendred, Wantage, Oxon, OX12 8RR, UK > Tel: 01235-833-298 > Fax: 01235-863-298 > [log in to unmask] > ***************************************************** > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Chartered Library and Information Professionals > [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of C.Oppenheim > Sent: 15 December 2004 10:37 > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Re: Future of Aslib > > > I agree with Ian; perhaps the only thing worth having is the goodwill > associated with the name Aslib, and I suspect it's value is not that > great any more. > > Charles > > Professor Charles Oppenheim > Department of Information Science > Loughborough University > Loughborough > Leics LE11 3TU > > Tel 01509-223065 > Fax 01509-223053 > e mail [log in to unmask] > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Ian Johnson" <[log in to unmask]> > To: <[log in to unmask]> > Sent: Wednesday, December 15, 2004 10:22 AM > Subject: Re: Future of Aslib > > > The real issue is whether any prospective buyer would operate Aslib as a > pure commercial entity like Tfpl, or try to continue as membership based > association. Aslib has masqueraded as a professional association for a > long time, but there is little obvious evidence that it has represented > the corporate bodies' interests in any significant and useful way in > recent years. As a commercial entity, it has been 'selling off the > family silver' for years, and has nothing left to sell other than its > name and the business record of its training and consultancy activities, > both of which have an unpredictable potential. What they are worth is > therefore debatable, and I'm not sure that I would want CILIP to invest > in purchasing them rather than developing its own activities in the same > fields. > > -----Original Message----- > From: Chartered Library and Information Professionals > [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of JACKIE FISHLEIGH > Sent: 15 December 2004 10:00 > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Re: Future of Aslib > > > I was amazed that a UK library membership group could go under as a > direct result of the consequences of 9/11. Charles Oppenheim's > explanation makes far more sense to me. I think we should be honest > about the difficulties faced by Aslib because if these are not properly > resolved what future can there be. > > Jackie Fishleigh > Librarian > Payne Hicks Beach > 10 New Square > Lincoln's Inn > WC2A 3QG > > -----Original Message----- > From: Chartered Library and Information Professionals > [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Crawford, John > Sent: 15 December 2004 09:49 > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Re: Future of Aslib > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Chartered Library and Information Professionals on behalf > of Alan Pritchard > Sent: Wed 15/12/2004 08:50 > To: [log in to unmask] > Cc: > Subject: Re: Future of Aslib > > > > > I wonder whether CILIP would consider this an opportunity to > discuss > > with Aslib the possible merger of the two organisations. There > is almost > > complete overlap in subject interests, and it would seem > better to have > > one strong organisation representing both individual and > corporate > > members of the profession. > > > > Besides, a joint organisation might then end up with a library > again! > > > > I found that very sad. I did a summer work placement at Belgrave > Square > when I was a student. Spent a lot of time reading old journals > (ProcBSIB, > JDoc etc) But before I fully go into 'boring old fart > reminiscing' mode, I > do have a more substantial point. > > I just wonder if a single organisation consisting of both > personal and > corporate members could actually work. Other than just having a > few of the > latter as supporting members. There are enough conflicts of > interests with > differing segments of personal members, but I could see much > more > fundamental conflict between, say, the LA acting as the > professional > regulator of special librarians and attempting to represent the > interests > of the corporate employers of those librarians. > > I may be out of date, but I am not aware of any major > organisations which > operate on this model. BCS, IEE, IoD - personal members. CBI etc > - > corporate members. > > Best wishes > Alan Pritchard > The GLOBAL GAZETTEER(tm): the world on file > http://www.allm-geodata.com > Tel: +44 (0) 1202 417 477 > > NOTE my new email address: [log in to unmask] >