The verbal information which accompanies an exhibition, whether alongside exhibits (in labels or wall panels) or in a catalogue, is often a straitjacket which does not fit the requirements of the individual gallery visitor. Exhibition organisers too rarely articulate the rationale behind the selection and display, the assumption being that works will ‘speak for themselves’. Gallery education officers, by contrast, seek to adopt a more open and exploratory approach, and may have more freedom to do so in their work with the gallery’s permanent collection. The presentation of a variety of personal views of each work may be a stimulating alternative to authoritative labels, encouraging the viewer to develop an individual response.

The use of a rigorous and consistent indexing language is essential if a bibliography (whether manual or computerised) is to be used effectively; the adoption of a common language and indexing policy is a necessary prerequisite of co-operation and pooling of data between bibliographies. BHA, the successor to RILA and the Répertoire d’art et d’archéologie, has sought to develop and to apply such a language and policy in the environment of a bilingual database and publication, using English and French as befits a joint Franco-American project.

Building on the precedent established by the Kunstakademiets Bibliotek and RILA, Nordic countries are for a trial period of three years contributing bibliographic records to the BHA, via the latter’s Scandinavian editor in the U.S.A. Several institutions are involved; the selection and preparation of records for the BHA can usually be done in conjunction with work already undertaken by the institutions concerned, in some cases for national bibliographies. Records include abstracts, which should ideally be provided or approved by the authors. Only a selection of material can be cited in the BHA; it is important that its international role should be complemented by national bibliographies. Although Nordic libraries can subscribe to the BHA in its printed form, online access is inhibited by financial considerations; a CD-ROM version would be most welcome. It is hoped that this three year experiment in co-operation will be judged a success, and that funding to enable it to continue will be forthcoming; a crucial test of any form of international co-operation is whether respect for national traditions outweighs any desire for excessive standardisation.

Founded in 1969, the CCI at the Pompidou Centre in Paris is devoted to the study of design, broadly defined as ranging ‘from town to teaspoon’, and within both an international and a cultural context. It hosts and organises exhibitions, conferences, and seminars, and produces publications; its documentation service supports the CCI’s own staff and activities, in addition to offering a service to external users. The collections include over 15,000 books, many journals, and files of press cuttings. From its inception the CCI has used a computer system to organise and provide access to its documentation; previously available online via Questel under the name CéCIle, the database is now known as CCIDOC and can only be searched on site. It comprises some 42,000 bibliographic citations, plus a directory of French designers; up to 4,000 new references are added each year. Access to CCIDOC records is provided via both an indexing language controlled by a thesaurus, and keywords (representing subjects, proper names, dates, and places) taken from the natural language of titles and abstracts. Related terms from both controlled and natural languages are brought together in a lexicon which indicates the frequency of use of particular terms. Searches can also be limited or made specific by means of identifiers, all of which can be combined using Boolean operators.

In 1968, architectural training in France, hitherto the responsibility of the Ecole des Beaux Arts, was dispersed to a number of separate architectural schools. Cooperation involving their libraries resulted in the production of an architectural periodicals index, the Bulletin Signalétique, from 1974. Since the late 1980s, the index entries, with other data (including each library’s catalogue records, held locally on microcomputers using the ISABEL programme), have also constituted the ARCHIRES database. Although ARCHIRES complements the widely-available URBAMET, as yet it can only be accessed by members of the network, but current plans include not only extending its range to include Europe beyond France, but also the production of both a CD-ROM and a videodisc.

Replies to a questionnaire distributed to readers of the Art Libraries Journal reveal general approval of the Journal’s contents and a high level of satisfaction regarding its appearance, but differing views on its policy of publishing material in French, German, and Spanish as well as English. A majority of respondents affirm that the Art Libraries Journal is achieving its aim to fulfil an international role.