On the planning of information services, especially on the planning of documentation work and literature search in an information centre

Abstract

The paper offers a method for the planning of documentation and information work and for the staff required. The author establishes the fact that setting time norms for any well-defined task is possible only in case of characteristic and recurring operations. Generally , there is no point in setting time norms for accidental managerial or organizational work. However, even in case of recurring operations - mainly in information work - major difficulties may arise from the following factors: quality control, the consideration of the wide scope of subject fields, of sources of varioue natare and size, whether existing or to be processed, of the individual working methods of information organizations, of the language proficiency, professional competence and other individual abilities of the staff members. The norms, therefore, should only be used for the calculation of the planned capacity. Their use for other purposes may be strongly disputable.
In the actual calculation both the time norms and the index numbers for the previous year should be taken into account.
The paper also gives examples for the definition of staff requirements necessary to performing literature search and documentation. The calculation is based on 1000 non-periodical publications. 8866 periodical articles, 24.200 literary references and on the work of their procession. According to calculations, the performance of 110 literature searches takes 10.795 working hours under the above-mentioned ciroumstances. In actual planning, due consideration should also be given to the statistical distribution of literature searches in the given year since the observance of dead-lines should be ensured even in the time of peak-periods.
Thus, the author proposes six documentalists to be employed to carry out the above-mentioned task.
The plan has to be broken down to the individual workers.
The financial plan should be prepared in a similar way.
Of great importance is the fact, too, that information centres also carry out certain tasks of nation-wide purport: this, however, needs additional manpower capacity.
In the further parts of his paper the author presents and explains a feasibly formulated planning form.