Information Services in Science and Technology - The Swedish Consortium Model for Resource Sharing

This paper describes a 'new' idea for national resource sharing - called the Consortium Model - which has grown out of current discussions on sectororiented library and information services of the Fachinformationszentrum type. The Consortium is a 'network' consisting of the six major resource libraries in Science and Technology in Sweden, which jointly aim to provide a national information service with regard to literature holdings, reference services, database promotion and use, document supply, and education and training. Services are available to both the academic community, and to industrial and other 'external' users such as governmental and parastatal organizations and research institutes. The historical background is briefly described. Circumstances and arguments in favour of the Consortium Model, and the conventional idea of the disadvantages of national focal points in the Swedish context are presented in some detail. The aims of the Consortium are stated, together with the various services for information provision. Ideas basic to an information policy for Science and Technology are briefly indicated.