Archive for November, 2018

ASFA survey on user needs

Dear colleagues,

ASFA wants to hear from you and your library users!

ASFA (Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstracts) is a database focused on fisheries and aquatic sciences. Input to the ASFA database is provided by an international network of information centers who monitor over 3,000 serial publications, in addition to books, reports, conference proceedings, translations and grey literature. Published since 1971, ASFA has recently begun an Impact Evaluation which will ensure ASFA adapts to meet the changing information needs of the fisheries and aquatic sciences sector.

As part of the Impact Evaluation, the ASFA Secretariat has set up a short survey to assess user needs. The survey should take no longer than five minutes to complete, and will provide ASFA with information on what you and your library users value in a fisheries and aquatic science database.

We would be grateful if you could share links to the survey at your institutions and other relevant organizations in your countries. The survey is open until 5th December.

The survey is available in six languages:

If you have any questions about ASFA you can contact the ASFA Secretariat here: ASFA-Secretariat@fao.org

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November 7, 2018 · Filed under Announcements

Aquatic Commons work party in Uganda

Despite jet lag and distractive monkeys outside, a hard-working group of IAMSLIC members met prior to the conference for a hands-on Aquatic Commons training and input session. Some participants brought their own institution’s publications, including a few ASFA partners who will subsequently be indexing them in Aquatic Sciences & Fisheries Abstracts. Others worked on publications for members not in attendance or helped by sharing their expertise of metadata or repository software.

Quick stats

  • 17 publications were submitted
  • 14 members participated, 5 of whom serve on the Aquatic Commons Board
  • 4 existing agencies grew in deposits: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; Instituto de Investigação Pesqueira, Mozambique; National Fisheries Resources Research Institute, Uganda; University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Chesapeake Biological Laboratory.
  • 3 new agencies were added: Direction de la Pêche Continentale, Senegal; Institut National de Recherche Halieutique, Casablanca (Morocco); Leibniz-Institut für Ostseeforschung Warnemünde
  • 1 dedicated photographer, Aggrey Isabirye captured the hard work in pictures

Thank you to the conference organizers, the Aquatic Commons Editors (who worked from afar), members of the Aquatic Commons Board, and especially the participants for making it a successful event.

It’s not early to start thinking about next year’s conference in Port Aransas, Texas. If you have suggestions for content or any feedback on how to improve the session, please contact sally.taylor@ubc.ca

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November 5, 2018 · Filed under Aquatic Commons