The BLDSC : its European role

The British library document supply center plays an important part in Europe. Obtaining information (documents or photocopies) today rests above all upon a will for cooperation and upon the technological lead, faced with a continuous demand. The BLDSC, which dates back to 1916, has accepted the challenge of fast document supply at a lower price ; its purchasing policy focuses on monographs and grey literature (in English), serials (all languages), and also on a comprehensive collection of European Communities publications, most of it in traditional paper form. The Center, which is a major participant in the ADONIS project, honours any fast request through electronic document delivery, particularly outside the United Kingdom : facsimile transmission, to improve through a public switched digital network, is a promising mean, combined with several attempted deliveries by satellite (APOLLO). Besides prepaid loan/photocopy inside the United Kingdom, the BLDSC supplies European and international requests of libraries or individuals. It is also a major contributôr to SIGLE, the European database for grey literature.
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