The needs for computer skills as well as the knowledge of new information technology and sources are generally more keenly felt in the humanities and social sciences. The Department of Library and Information Science at the Comenius University is taking this problem into serious consideration. The Department has a long tradition in educating library and information specialists, but its educational program for the students of different branches at the Faculty of Arts is a very new endeavor. Presently, approximately study programs of 40 different subjects are offered.1 In order to address the needs mentioned, the Department received a grant from the Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic. The main task of this grant project is to propose a Model for education and research in information service for university students specializing in humanities and social sciences. The pilot project is to be implemented at the Faculty of Arts, Comenius University in Bratislava.

The aims of the project are as follows:

1) To provide effective information services under the modern information technological envi-ronments in order to satisfy the needs of research and education process and of users training for utilization of these services,

2) to introduce into the curriculum for university students the training on the use of information systems so that they can gain knowledge and skills in the acquisition, processing and utilization of information sources in order to meet their needs for university study. The principal aim of this is to ensure the creative development of knowledge during the education process,

3) the pilot project will serve as a model with the possibility for modification for other schools of humanities or social sciences.

The project will be conducted in connection with the Central library of the Faculty of Arts (a model working-place), with the Slovak National Library of Matica slovenska in Martin, and Univer-sity Library in Bratislava.

The project output will include the following:

1) A model of information services for a university specialized in humanities and social science applicable in the environment of Slovak republic,

2) A pilot project at the Faculty of Arts, Comenius University aiming for the creation of:

• an information system based on modern information technology to satisfy the information needs of those involved in a research and education process,

• a curriculum, including text-books and other educational material to be used in the training of students in information related topics.

The education and training of the users will be realized in two levels:

1) On the general level for all students of the Faculty of Arts,

2) On the more detailed level for the students of Library and Information Science.

2. THE EDUCATION OF THE USERS ON GENERAL LEVEL

For the students of all branches of the faculty (also for the teachers), since the school year 1992/ 93, in the 3rd and 4th semester, the following two subjects have been offered two hours each week:

• The Basics of the Computer Work

This subject is devoted to those students which do not have appropriate experiences with the use of the personal computer. The aim of the subject is to teach students the basics of microcomputer, the operating system MS DOS, DOS Shell, Norton Commander and the word processor T602.

• Introduction to Information Technology

A. Objectives and Description of the Course

The main aim of this course is to explain to students basic information concepts applied to the area of humanities and social sciences. It characterizes information, information processes, flow, sources and organization of library and information services in these areas. This will show students two aspects of information technology: 1) As a methodological means of research and expert activity and 2) as a means of information services. The second part is devoted to the use of databases in our and foreign database centres. Particular emphasis is put on the use of new technology for both pro-cessing and using databases (online access to databases, databases on CD ROM, etc.). The students should be acquainted with the use of databases, particularly those oriented to humanities and social sciences.

The description of the course can be further elaborated in the following:

1) Information flows and processes in the social knowledge
 

- The structure of the information flows in the social knowledge, especially in the area of science and its application.

- Information and cognitive processes and their influence on the cognitive process.

- Data - information - knowledge as a dynamic cycle.

- The influence of the informatization on the information and cognitive processes.

- Two aspects of information technology: As a methodological means of the research and expert activity and as the means of information services.

2) Information in social sciences and humanities
 

- The influence of the subject and method on the information in particular science or branch of science.

- The definition by subject of the information in social sciences and humanities.

- The characteristics of information.

- The role of the subject in the formation of the content of information in social sciences and humanities.

- The scientific language.

- Growing old, dispersion, cumulation, national character of information.

- The content, form and value of information in social sciences and humanities.
 

- Information sources, their types and structure.

- The primary information sources.

- Social and cognitive processes.

- The structure of the social reality.

- The basic categories: Personality, matter, process, relation.

- The social reality as a source of data.

- Types of social activities and their document outputs: scientific, social and politic, techni- cal, social and economic, artistic, social and cultural and private documents.

- The secondary information sources.

- Organization of information services.

- Information systems and databases.

- The international organizations.

4) The basic concepts of database services
 

- Database, query, selective dissemination of information, the profile of the user, database centre, producer of database, query language, host computer.

- Information industry, the influence of information technology on the way of storing, processing and retrieval of information.

- The origin and development of database centers, their characteristics and the types of services.

5) Online use of databases
 

- The importance of integration of computer and telecommunication technology from the point of view of access to information.

- The advantages of online use of databases.

- The organization of services, the relationship between database centre, producer of database and the telecommunication network.

- Comparison of online and batch using of database.
 

- The development and present state of online use of databases in Czecho-Slovakia and in the world, the characteristic and the services of the database centres.

- The possibility of using databases on CD ROMs.

- The comparison of various ways of using databases.
 

- The different structure of bibliographic, numeric and full-text databases, examples. - Records, fields, data.

- Information retrieval using Boolean search, some experiments with non Boolean search- ing.

- The methodology of online searching, development of search strategy, the type of strategy and general advice on search strategy.

- Interface between the user and the computer, the research in this area.

8) The types of databases in database centres
 

- The online catalogues as a special type of database.

- Databases available in different database centres with special regard to databases from the social sciences and humanities, their characteristics.

- The information sources about databases.

- The databases on CD ROMs.

9) Survey of Czecho-Slovak and foreign database centres.
 

- Survey of database centres with special regard to the large databases (DIALOG, OCLC, DATA-STAR, NIS, IAC etc.), comparison of their services, equipment and access, management aspects, evaluation and costs.

B. Objectives and Content of the Seminars

This seminars aim at teaching students how to work with the database system CDS/ISIS, to search in databases, to be aware of the possibilities of using databases in our and foreign hosts.

The contents of seminars include:
 

- Database system CDS/ISIS - introduction, service of the programs.

- Command language CDS/ISIS - information retrieval using vocabulary and by formulating the search terms, displaying the result of search.

- Information retrieval in the database of Slovak National Bibliography using the system CDS/ISIS.

- OPAC.

- Example of information retrieval in the Slovak Database Centre at the Institute of Applied Cybernetics and in foreign database centre.

- Information retrieval using CD ROM.

- Final test and evaluation.

3. THE EDUCATION AND TRAINING OF THE SPECIALISTS FOR LIBRARIES AND INFORMATION CENTRES

3.1. The Development of the Curriculum for Teaching Online Searching

Modern information technology has been taught at the department since 1973. The history of teaching modern information technology as well as the detailed analysis of the curricula are presented in various papers (Kimlicka, 1988, 1991; Makulova, 1988a, 1988b).

We have take into account that although the course had to reflect the current state of advances in computers and telecommunication networks, the department did not have any access to the use of the new technology because of the financial restraints. The major milestone in the teaching of informa-tion retrieval was the year 1984 when Bratislava witnessed the establishment of Communication-Information Centre (CIC) at the Institute of Applied Cybernetics (IAC). IAC was the only institution that played a key role in the finding of a solution for computer networks in Czecho-Slovakia. The network was designed on the principle of open system with the aim of making the greatest possible computer capacity and the widest base of information sources available to the users. Through this network it was possible to enter the database centre UVTEI-UTZ (now it is renamed to NIS (Naro-dne informacni stredisko - National Information Centre) with access to a wide range of our and foreign databases, such as Bibliographica Medica Cechoslovaca, Chemical Abstracts, Chemical Industry Notes, Embase, Envirolines, Compendex, Glassfile, Informatika, Metal, Pollution Abs-tracts, Inspec, World Patents Index, etc.

The use of these databases by organizations, such as schools, was free even before 1989 (the velvet revolution took place at the end of 1989). This means that the students of our department have been able to use the largest Czecho-Slovak Database Centre NIS for educational purposes since 1984, and they had opportunity to conduct information retrieval in those databases mentioned above. After 1989, the situation has changed and this is also shown by the decline of the users. The ser-vices free of charge for educational purposes and for libraries have been provided by IAC in Bratis-lava, but unfortunately with only limited number of databases.

In the transition period before the Database centre of the IAC in Bratislava began to operate, we used and still are using some DEMO versions or simulation programs for online teaching. We are very happy to have simulation program for information retrieval in DATASTAR, STN, MEDLINE on CD ROM, DEMO diskette of ALEPH, etc. These enable the students to have the possibility to see and compare different query languages and since the year 1991 to make real-time online search-ing in the databases at IAC, where the query language STAIRS is used.

This period was one of the most difficult, because one who never tried it on his own, cannot imagine what does it mean to teach information retrieval without the appropriate technology, without money, without the appropriate literature, without opportunity of taking part in conferences and seminars even in his own country. Yes, it is true, that the political barriers do not exist any more, but there exist still financial barriers that do not allow us to teach online information retrieval in the way we would like to, but also had ability to do.

Therefore we appreciated very much the International Meeting on Information Policy With a View of Promoting the Access to and Use of Databases and Information Resources in Western and Central Europe in Budapest in days 21- 23 May 1992 organized by the Hungarian Academy of Science and the Library of the Technical University of Budapest under the auspices of UNESCO. The meeting seems to be of great importance especially to the former socialists countries, because it pays special attention to education and training for online and the ways how the western Europe could help them. The main output is improved and harmonized curricula and teaching methods that will be reached by many different activities, the most important of which are the following:

• Organization of an information-education camp for about six east/central European countries with a view to training trainers on the use of various computerized information resources,

• Creation of a pool of experts in education and training for online,

• Arrangements for triangular agreements: Tri-twinning regarding cooperation among a Western European and two East/Central European schools providing information training to future users, with a view of creating an appropriate framework for special assistance from west to east/central European institutions,

• Exchange on information on curricula in the field of training on the use of computerized information resources (Recommendations of the UNESCO Information Policy Meeting...,1992).

3.2. The Present State of Teaching Online Searching

The new curricula includes modern information technology as integral part of most subjects taught. The online searching is introduced in the fourth semester of the study. During the previous semesters students get acquainted with information technology in such courses as Computer Back-ground (MS DOS), Computer Textprocessing, Organization and Utilization of Information Re-sources, Libraries and Information Technology. In the fourth semester the new subjects, Theory of Information Retrieval (15 hours) and Databases (45 hours), are introduced. The aims of these courses are to describe and analyze current trends in the development of computer-based information retrieval services and to develop skills in the use of online services. The online searching is later taught in many different subjects concerning the handling of electronic information from many different aspects but also depending on the specialization.

These courses require well equipped computer laboratory with an access to external information resources. In this regards, the situation is changing dramatically from month to month. Thanks to the fact that our department is involved in two TEMPUS programmes, our situation has changed as well. Our computer laboratory (IBM PC compatible, Novell LAN network) and the appropriate software allows us to use it especially for simulating online searching. The emphasis is put on the acquaintance with the number of query languages with special attention to CCL and comparison of different functions of various languages. One diploma thesis was written on evaluating query languages to different hosts with the aim to draw an ideal query language and to outline future trends in this area.

We still have the problems with remote access to hosts. One has to understand why. The big-gest problem is the quality and the price for charging the use of networks. The public telephone networks in all East European countries need updating. An excellent review of all problems con-cerning electronic information and Eastern Europe is done in the paper of Jack Meadows (Kimlicka, 1991). The main problem at present is connected with the use of telephone lines (not always reliable) and modems. A 24 hour/days, 7-day/week operation of online services is still not available.

Prior to 1989, many foreign database centres were used, specially DIALOG, MIC-KIBIC, SDC, DATASTAR, QUESTEL, CISI, INKA-FIZ, DIMDI, MCVTI, GPNTB, VINITI, etc. The finan-cing for using these centres was centralized, with each ministry had certain amount of money that was given to certain information centres that were providing the searches for all who were interested in. For example for the schools and universities, the Slovak Pedagogical Library in Bratislava was responsible for carrying the searches through the IAC. They were given some annual budget to use, mostly limited to state research tasks. The searches that were done in former socialist countries were free of charge.

The computer networks and the public data network are too expensive for us to use. For exam-ple, ur department has at present only 500,- Czecho-Slovak crowns per month for the telephone charges. Telephone charges are 60 crowns per minute to USA and 24 crowns per minute in Europe, so it means our monthly budget is for 20 minutes phone call in Europe and less than 9 minutes to USA. But there are still local charges that can completely spend and even overrun the budget. That is the reason why the access to foreign hosts is mostly used by the private firms, the databases used are especially about firms and market in the western countries. Because of a very bad rate of currency exchange, one information retrieval, for example in DIALOG, is so expensive, that it costs nearly an average one-month salary in Czecho-Slovakia. That is also the reason why NIS reports collapse in 1991 while demand was up 50%.

We are lucky that in Bratislava, Slovak Database Centre (SDC) at the IAC offered us their databases free of charge for teaching purposes. There is not problem with telecommunication costs because we use the terminal room of SDC and have possibility to make searches on some unique databases such as Union Catalogue of Foreign Books.

Other solution to online searching is to buy CD ROMs, but there are only few of them in Czecho-Slovakia. Our department received just one computer with CD ROM drive under the TEMPUS programme, the problem is with the price of the CD ROMs and for teaching purposes we would require at least LAN.
 
 

4. THE PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS

What are the major problems in teaching Information Technology and Online Searching? We see it mostly as a financial problem for developing information technology infrastructure in Eastern Europe. We know that this is a means and not a goal. After the financial problem, we need well trained teachers for online retrieval, modern curricula for teaching (we are trying to introduce it), modern equipment, more understanding from our administration at the ministry and the university, money for running costs of the equipment, the possibility to travel and to get acquainted with the new technology, an access to the latest literature.

What is the solution to all these problems? First of all we know that at present we must rely especially on human resources. We are trying to persuade our administration that we are already in an information age where information plays an important role in the developing of a society. Highly developed countries are those where the information systems are well established but also where there is a great demand for information. We know, that user education plays an important role. Our hope is also to get into the TEMPUS programme together with School of Librarianship and Informa-tion Studies at the Robert Gordon's Institute of Technology in Aberdeen, Department of Library and Information Study of the Sheffield University and The Royal School of Librarianship in Copen-hagen.

The main objective of the programme is concerned with the education and training of high level information specialists in Czecho-Slovakia. It will help us in the development of innovative pro-grammes in our institution for the education and training of information workers at the graduate and post-graduate levels. This will incorporate the best practices in subject content, study techniques and technology, and in the development of a cross-institutional programme for high level doctoral and post-doctoral level research and development work in the broad field of information. It will help us to create a core of the new generation of teachers and leading workers in the information field in Czecho-Slovakia.
 
 

REFERENCES

Kimlicka, S. (1988). "Vplyv vedecko-technickeho rozvoja na inovaciu ucebnych planov studijneho odboru vedecke informacie a knihovnictvo," ("The Impact of Scientific and Technological Develop-ment on the Innovations of the Information science and Librarianship Curriculum,") In Informatika. Zbornik Filozofickej fakulty UK, Bratislava, SPN. vol. 11-12. pp. 9-60.

Kimlicka, S. (1991). "Zmeny vo vysokoskolskom stúdiu knihovníctva," ("Change in university study of Librarian- ship,") Citatel, 40 (5): 168-169.

Makulova, S. (1988a). "Nove trendy vedecko-informacnej cinnosti a ich odraz v pedagogickom procese. Predmety Mechanizacia a automatizacia a Vyberovy seminar," ("The New Trends in Scientific and Information Activities and their Reflections in Education. The Subjects Mechaniza-tion and automation and Optional Seminar Course,") In Informatika. Zbornik Filozofickej fakulty UK, Bratislava, SPN. vol. 11-12. pp. 97-103.

Makulova, S. (1988b). "Skusenosti s vyuzivanim nasich a zahranicnych baz dat v pedagogi-ckom procese," ("The Experiences with the Use of Our and Foreign databases in educational process,") In Informatika. Zbornik Filozofickej fakulty UK, Bratislava, SPN. vol. 11-12. pp. 55 - 62.

Makulova, S. (1992). "Education and Training for Online at the Department of Library and Information Science of Comenius University, Bratislava, Czecho-Slovakia," Paper to be presented at the 16th International Online Information Meeting, 8-10 December 1992, London.

Recommendations of the UNESCO Information Policy Meeting held in Budapest 21-23 May 1992. 5 p.