PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discuss visions and realities in recent Norwegian governmental reports on libraries. How realistic are the government's plans? Do the commitments in the reports comply with state budgetary proposals? How do local libraries interpret them and how do they affect public libraries, as they are funded by municipal authorities and local politicians? Design / methodology/approachThe methods used are a qualitative analysis of interviews and an examination of the reports and relevant statistical data. Six public libraries, of different types and geographical distribution, have been chosen for analysis. Statistical and economic data have been obtained from the KOSTRA database (Municipality-State-Reporting) from Statistics Norway and the annual ALM (Archives, Libraries, Museums) publication Statistics for archives, libraries and museum (Statistikk for arkiv, bibliotek og museum). FindingsThe budget proposals of the Norwegian government indicate willingness to implement the commitments in the governmental reports, with the exception of the small amounts allocated to competence development and model libraries. The reports do not address the serious challenges facing Norwegian public libraries. Importance and interest of the studyThe paper discusses the latest official plans and strategies for Norwegian libraries. This should interest library employees and library and information students and teachers, as well as governmental representatives and politicians. Value of paperThe in-depth economic analysis of a selection of Norwegian public libraries could be valuable for the librarians in Norway, as well as in other countries, in times of budget cuts, decreasing resources and financial difficulties.
Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to discuss learning experiences, mutual benefits and possible drawbacks from collaborative writing and presentation of scientific papers at Bobcatsss international library conferences. Design/methodology/approach -A web-based questionnaire was sent to participants who co-authored and presented papers at the Bobcatsss 2012 conference. The results are measured against the viewpoints and experiences of five Norwegian students, who have collaborated with the author of this paper, at four Bobcatsss conferences, in 2006, 2009, 2010 and 2012. Findings -Responses from the survey and the student interviews indicate that collaborative writing is a superior strategy for learning LIS subjects. None of the interviewees and few of the respondents had attended a writing course to improve their writing skills. Many had not read literature of the type: "How to write a scientific paper". Practical implications -The study may be useful for future LIS students who arrange Bobcatsss conferences and for those who plan to write and present a scientific paper. Contributors could benefit from a study that highlights the theoretical, didactic and practical problems in the field of collaborative writing. Originality/value -While the data are exclusively from Bobcatsss, the findings may be more widely relevant. There are few studies on Bobcatsss, except for the annual reports. This paper explores the educational rewards, the complexity and difficulties of collaborative writing.
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discuss the relevance of local studies collections and contributions from local studies librarians to a Norwegian local history wiki.Design/methodology/approachThe paper focuses on access to metadata in the form of bibliographies, databases and catalogues, in addition to general articles on local history. The methodological approach is qualitative and comparative based on semi‐structured interviews with librarians in charge of local studies collections and with the administrators of the wiki. The study includes an analysis of a selection of local studies collections and criteria for inclusion into the local history wiki. A short comparison with history wikis in other countries is added.FindingsLocal studies collections contain valuable and unique material for the wiki, especially metadata resources. The expertise of librarians could increase the value of the wiki. Generally, librarians are not active contributors. Strategies for involvement are needed.Originality/valueThe paper may encourage and inspire local studies librarians to contribute actively to the wiki and incorporate relevant parts of their collections.
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