The role of technical libraries in the building industry in informating architects

Abstract

Technical progress and the increased social expectation attached to constructions, as well as the relatively narrowed down planning period, set greater requirements for designers. Under the joint effect of the changed requirements set before designing, there has been a corresponding change in what information services of institutes for design are expected to offer. Meeting the new demands raised for information work of such institutes is essentially a function of the designing institute's special line, long- and short-term objectives, in short, of creating an information basis with due consideration to the conception of the institute. The practical utilization of this information basis tends to take the form of a well-timed SDI-system in the individual phases of designing. From the methodological aspects of effective information work it is essential to bring about a “constrained movement” by which the most feasible flow of Information may be achieved. Deciding on and evaluating information to be supplied in various phases of designing form a particular and complex task. This cannot be undertaken by the technical library alone. Hence it follows that in informing the architects an increasing role should be played by complex teams, which supply information relevant to both the tasks and the levels of work, providing, at the same time, for the control and feedback of information. Besides special information bases to be created at the designing institutes, giving adequate information services, the constrained movement of information and technical and economic information teams set up in due time, another essential requirement of effective information work in building industry is to ensure an up-to-date co-operation between the branch information centre and the information services of the institutes working with shared responsibility. Uniform information carriers, compilation of terminological dictionaries, computer installation in the information centre and terminals in the designing institutes at the earliest possible date are all indispensable preconditions for a further development. The article also discusses some other tasks relating to organization and further development in addition to the afore-mentioned problems and their financial implications.