SPEECH BY THE PRINE MINISTER,
THE HON. E. G. WHITLAM, OC. M. P.,
FOR THE OPENING OF THE AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL SCIENTIFIC AND
TECHNICAL LIBRARY ( ANSTEL)
CANBERRA 2 OCTOBER 1975
IT IS APPROPRIATE THAT IEXPRESS MY OWN AND THE
GOVERNMENT'S INDEBTEDNESS TO THE CHAIRMAN OF THE
NATIONAL LIBRARY COUNCIL, KENNETH MIYER. THIS IS THE
SECOND OCCASfON IN THE PAST WEEK WHEN IHAVE HAD
CAUSE TO'-ACKNOWLEDGE KEN MYER'S REMARKABLE RECORD OF
PUBLIC SERVICE. IN MIELBOURNE ON M'ONDAY I OPENED AN
EXHIBITION OF CHINESE CRAFTS WHICH THE M'YER STORES
HAVE HELPED B'RI NG To AUSTRALIA.* TODAY KEN MIY ER
PRESIDES AT THE OPENING OF ANSTEL. ON THE ONE HAND
VIE HAVE SEEN HIS CONTRIBUTION TO WIDER PUBLIC ACCESS
TO THE ARTS; ON THIS OCCASION WE ACKNOWLEDGE HIS
CONTRIBUTION TO WIDER PUBLIC ACCESS TO INFORMATION.
THE TWO THINGS ARE BY NO MEANS UNRELATED, BOTH ARE
CONCERNED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF A MORE INFORMED AND
SENSITIVE COMMUNITY. v &/ 2 3% 1
2.
OF COURSE MANY PEOPLE APART FROM KEN MYER. HAVE
HAD A PART IN PLANNING AND CREATING THIS LIBRARY.
THE OPENING OF ANSTEL A LIBRARY WITHIN A LIBRARY
IS A MOST IMPORTANT STEP IN THE PROVISION OF INFORMATION
SERVICES TO THE AUSTRALIAN PEOPLE. THE AUSTRALIAN
NATIONAL SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL LIBRARY IS THE
FIRST PHASE IN THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THE NATIONAL
LIBRARY AS AN OPEN INFORMATION SERVICE, REACHING OUT
THROUGH ITS ATSOCIATED ORGANISATIONS TO THE WHOLE
AUSTRALIAN COMMUNITY, PROVIDING INFORMATION OF EVERY
KIND TO EVERYONE WHO NEEDS IT.
WHAT WE ARE SEEING TODAY ARL THE BEGINNINGS OF
A WHOLE NEW CONCEPT OF WHAT A LIBRARY SHOULD BE AND
HOW A LIBRARY SHOULD FUNCTION. IN RECENT YEARS THERE
HAS BEEN A QUIET REVOLUTION IN THE PLANNING AND
DEVELOPMENT OF LIBRARIES IN AUSTRALIA, WE HAVE COME
TO SEE THAT THE TRADITIONAL CONCEPT OF THE LIBRARY
AN ISOLATED AND SELF-CONTAINED COLLECTION OF BOOKS
IS WHOLLY INADEQUATE TO THE NEEDS OF MODERN SOCIETY,
ACCESS TO THE TRADITIONAL LIBRARY IS LIMITED, AND EVEN
WHERE ACCESS IS POSSIBLE, THE INFORMATION AVAILABLE IS
OFTEN HAPHAZARD OR INADEQUATE. THE QUALITY OF LIBRARY
SERVICES VARIES FROM STATE TO STATE, FROM CITY TO CITY,
AND BETWEEN CITY AND COUNTRY. MArjY AUSTRALIANS ARE
STILL WITHOUT LIBRARIES OF ANY KIND. 61./ 3
3.
THE SERVICES OF THE NATIONAL LIBRARY ARE
DJESIGNED TO OVERCOME ALL THESE PROBLEMS LIMITATION OF
ACCESS, INSUFFICIENCY OF INFORMATION, INEQUALITY OF
SERVICE. HS PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN ESPECIALLY APPARENT
IN FIELDS WHERE THERE IS A RAPID GROWTH OF KNOWLEDGE
AND A-HIGH DEGREE OF SPECIALISATION. THEY HAVE BEEN
COMPOUNDED BY RIVALRY BETWEEN ESTABLISHED LIBRARY
SERVICES AND INSTITUTIONS. IN THE SCIENTIFIC AND
TECHNOLOGICAL ArAA, FOR EXAMPLE, DIFFERENT BODIES
SUCH AS THc CSIROI THE ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION, VARIOUS
GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AND THE NATIONAL LIBRARY HAVE
ALL PROVIDED LIBRARY AND. INFORMATION SERVICES WHOSE
FUNCTIONS HAVE TENDED TO OVERLAP, ALL THESE SERVICES
HAVE BEEN VALUABLE AND TO SOME EXTENT NECESSARY
THEY WILL CERTAINLY CONTINUE BUT THEIR COMPETITION
FOR CUSTOM AND RESOURCES HAS NOT MADE OUR INFORMATION
SERVICES MORE. EFFICIENT. FOR THESE AND OTHER REASONSINCLUDING
A -ENERAL NEGLECT OF LIBRARIES By GOVERNMENTS
IN THE PAST -LIBRARY SERVICES IN AUSTRALIA HAVE
LAGGED WELL BEHIND THOSE OF OTHER COMPARABLE COUNTRIES.
IT IS TIME IVE CAUGHT UP, WE ARE CATCHING UP NOW, I I-/ 7
4.
BETTER LIBRARIES AND MORE CONSISTENT STANDARDS
OF LIBRARY SERVICE WILL NOT BE ACHIEVED BY THE DUPLICATION
OF TRADITIONAL LIBRARY MATERIALS IN EVERY CITY AND TOWN
WHERE LIBRARIES ARE NEEDED. THIS WOULD BE HOPELESSLY
COSTLY AND INEFFICIENT. YET THIS HAS BEEN THE
APPROACH IN THE PAST. TODAY OUR APPROACH IS DIFFERENT.
WE HAVE RECOGNISED THE NEED FOR CENTRALISED INFORMATION
SERVICES OFFERING THE WIDEST POSSIBLE ACCESS TO
INTERESTED PEOPLE AND ORGANISATIONS. " CENTRALISED"
OF COURSE IS A DIRTY WORD, BUT IT WILL BE CLEAR FROM WHAT
I HAVE TO SAY THAT THE THEORY INVOLVES NO DEROGATION
FROM THE PRINCIPLE OF LOCAL COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT.
SWITH THE USE OF COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY AND MODERN COMMUNICATIONS
1
QUICK AND RELIABLE; ACCESS TO INFORMATION IS POSSIBLE
ANYW1HERE IN AUSTRAIA.
WITH THIS IN MIND, THE NATIONAL LIBRARY
COUNCIL APPOITED A COMMITTEE THE SCIENTIFIC AND
TECHNICAL INFOR> ATION SERVICES ENQUIRY COMMITTEE ( STISEC)
TO STUDY NATIONWIDE NEEDS FOR LIBRARY-BASED INFORMATION.
lY GOVERNMENT ACCEPTED THE COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATION
THAT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY SHOULD HAVE PRIORITY IN THE
REFORM OF LIBRARY SERVICES, OTHER SPECIALISED LIBRARY
SERVICES IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES WILL BE
DEVELOPED LATER. THEY HAVE ALREADY BEEN STARTED.
MEANWHILE, WITH THE OPENING OF ANSTEL, THE NATIONAL
LIBRARY IS PROVIDING A VALUABLE NEW SERVICE TO THE
SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY. m
SOME 80,000 SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL
MONOGRAPHS ARE ON OPEN ACCESS THROUGH ANSTEL's COMPUTERBASED
INFORMATION SERVICE. THEY WILL ENABLE THE STAFF*
I TO ANSWER INQUIRIES FROM USERS THROUGHOUT AUSTRALIA.
THEY WILL HELP AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS
AND AGENCIES OBTAIN PROMPT ACCESS TO THE LATEST
INFORMATION ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, IN ADDITION,
THE NATIONAL LIBRARY WILL BE ABLE TO MAKE MUCH BETTER
USE OF THE 25,000 SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL PERIODICALS
IT RECEIVES FROM AROUND THE WORLD. ANSTEL's FIRST
PUBLICATION IS A LIST OF THESE PERIODICALS. OTHER
LIBRARIES AND ORGANISATIONS WILL BE ABLE TO OBTAIN
COPIES OF ANY PERIODICALS THEY NEED'i: FROM THE iIATIONAL
LIBRARY. I CAN PERHAPS ILLUSTRATE THE VALUE OF THIS
SERVICE BY CONSIDERING, SAY, THE NEEDS OF A MEDICAL
SPECIALIST I0 HOBART. IN THE PAST, EVERY HOSPITAL WOULD
TRY TO OBTAIN ALL THE SPECIALIST JOURNALS NEEDED BY ITS
STAFF. THIS WAS A DIFFICULT TASK AT THE BEST OF TIMES;
TODAY IT IS VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE. IT IS BETTER FOR EVERY
INSTITUT. ION TO HAVE ACCESS TO'A COMPLETE REFERENCE SYSTEM,
A CENTRAL INFORI. ATION LIBRARY WILL OPERATE THE SERVICE
AND ISSUE TO EACH SPECIALIST A LIST OF EVERY ARTICLE
OR PUBLICATION THAT APPEARS IN THE WORLD DEALING WITH HIS
SUBJECT, THIS IS NOT TO SAY THAT A LIBRARY SUCH AS ANSTEL
WILL DO EVERYTH IG ITSELF. AND THAT THERE WILL BE NO NEED
FOR OTHER ORGANISATIONS TO DEVELOP THEIR OWN LIBRARY SERVICES. / 6
6.
IT MEANS THAT OTHER ORGANISATIONS INCLUDING OTHER LIBRARIES
WILL BE ABLE TO PLAN THEIR SERVICES MORE EFFECTIVELY.
IT WILL ENCOURAGE CO-ORDINATION AND CO-OPERATION RATHER
THAN RIVALRY BETWEEN INFORMATION SERVICES. INDEED,
THIS PROCESS OF CO-ORDINATION IS AN INTERNATIONAL ONE,
LIBRARIES AROUND THE WORLD CAN SUPPLY INFORMATION TO A
COMPUTER-BASED SYSTEM. THE NATIONAL LIBRARY HAS ALREADY
HAD VALUABLE ASSISTANCE FROM CANADA IN THIS REGARD.
SI SHOULD MAKE IT CLEAR THAT WHILE ANSTEL ITSELF
IS AN INNOVATION, COMPUTER-BASED LIBRARY INFORMATION
SERVICES ARE ALREADY WELL ESTABLISHED HERE AT THE
NATIONAL LIBRARY. . THE PROCESS OF REFORMING AND
MODERNISING OUR LIBRARY SERVICES HAS BEEN STEADILY GOING
AHEAD. THERE ARE ALREADY MORE THAN 5,000 USERS OF THE
NATIONAL LIBRARY'S COMIPUTER-BASED SERVICES. THE SUCCESS
OF ANSTEL AND OTHER MODERN INFORMATION SERVICES DEPENDS
ON THE SUPPORT AND CO-OPERATION OF MANY INTERESTED GROUPS
AND THE READINESS CF LIBRARIES THEMSELVES TO WORK
TOGETHER. THE NATIONAL LIBRARY HAS ESTABLISHED A FUND
FOR INTER-LIBRARY CO-OPERATION. THROUGH THE GENEROSITY
AND GOOD OFFICES OF KEN 11YER, THE FUND HAS ALREADY REACHED
$ 100,000. THE NATIONAL LIBRARY WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO
PROVIDE LIBRARY SERVICES EVERYWHERE ON THE SPOT, BUT IT
WILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE LOCAL ORGANISATIONS AND STATE
LIBRARIES WITH THE TOOLS AND THE RESOURCES NECESSARY TO
MEET THE COMMUNITY'S N'EEDS. / 7
r7.
SUPPORT FOR LIBRARIES HAS BEEN ONE OF THE MOST
IMPORTANT, YET ONE OF THE LEAST KNOWN, ASPECTS OF MY
GOVERNMENT'S WORK. IN MARCH THIS YEAR I ANNOUNCED THE
APPOINTMENT OF A WIDE-RANGING COMMITTEE OF INQUIRY
INTO PUBLIC LIBRARIES IN AUSTRALIA, IT HAS HELD
MORE THAN 20 PUBLIC HEARINGS. WE ARE GIVING DIRECT
ASSISTANCE TO LOCAL AUTHORITIES TO IMPROVE LIBRARY
SERVICES. WE ARE IMPROVING SCHOOL AND TERTIARY
EDUCATION LIBRARIES IN A NUMBER OF WAYS. OUR COMMITMENT
TO LIBRARIES COULD NOT HAVE BEEN BETTER SYmBOLISED
THAN IT WAS IN THE CHOICE OF A GIFT FROM THE
AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT AND PEOPLE TO PAPUA NEW GUINEA
ON THE OCCASION OF INDEPENDENCE. O'bR GIFT WILL TAKE
THE FORM OF A NATI& NAL LIBRARY BUILDING AND
ASSOCIATED BOOKS AND EQUIPMENT.
THE GOVERNMENT'S BASIC OBJECTIVE IS NOT JUST
TO PROVIDE t1ORE BOOKS AND BETTER BUILDINGS BUT TO
RATIONALISE LIBRARY.. SERVICE EVERYWHERE AND ENSURE THAT
0 WHEREVER AUSTRALIANS LIVE THEY HAVE THE SAME ACCESS
TO EVERYTHING A LIBRARY CAN PROVIDE WORKS OF
LITERATU RE, CULTURAL ENRICHMEN4' T, CONTACT WITH HISTORIC
BOOKS AND DOCUMENTS, AND INFORMATION OF EVERY KIND.
8.
WHEN WE THINK ABOUT IT WE WILL SEE WHAT AN
EXTRAORDINARY AND, INDEED, REVOLUTIONARY CONCEPT THIS IS.
IN ANY DEMOCRACY, INFORMATION IS THE KEY TO AN INFORMED
AND ALERT COMMUNITY A COMMUNITY THAT IS READY AND
ABLE TO TAKE ITS OWN DECISIONS AND PARTICIPATE IN THE
DEMOCRATIC PROCESS, WE TAKE FREEDOM OF SPEECH FOR
GRANTED, BUT. THE ACCOMPANYING FREEDOM, THE NECESSARY
. COROLLARY, FREEDOM OF INFORMATION, HAS LONG BEEN
W NEGLECTED. IN ANY TRULY FREE SOCIETY, FREEDOM OF
INFORMATION IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS FREEDOM OF SPEECH.
A CITIZEN WHOSE ACCESS TO INFORMATION IS LIMITED
OR RESTRICTED IS A SECOND-CLASS CITIZEN. I BELIEVE
IT WILL BE POSSIBLE, THROUGH THIS GREAT INSTITUTION,
THE NATIONAL LIBRARY, TO GUARANTEE FOR EVERY
AUSTRALIAN NOT JUST THOSE WHO LIVE IN CANBERRA
ACCESS TO INFORMATIOilN OF ANY KIND, WHEREVER HE MAY
LIVE, WHATEVER HIS JOB, WHATEVER HIS INCOME, WHATEVER
HIS EDUCATION., I CAN THINK OF FEW REFORMS THAT
CAN BETTER ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF OUR LIVES, AND
ENTRENCH THE RIGHTS AND LIBERTIES OF ALL MEMBERS OF
A FREE AND RESPONSIBLE COMMUNITY.