The role of information in the modern world

Abstract

The quantity of published and unpublished scientific, technical and economic literature is growing all over the world. Considering the present rate of growth, the following figures will probably be reached by 1985:
unpublished material         about 350.000 items/year;
periodicals                         about 100.000 titlea/year;
patent specifications         about 1.000.0000 items/year;
trade literature:                some hundred thousand items/year.
In proportion to the growth of the literature the information activities will necessarily also have to be increaaed. Besides the considerable results achieved so far - for instance in the documentation of medical sciences or of computers -, there are still fields where 30 per cent of the special literature is not registered at all.
It is the task of scientific, technical and economic information to further and develop its activities in these neglected fields, information being an integral part of management, planning, research and technical development.
The following two main forms of rendering information are widely adopted:
1. Information referring to the source, auch as e.g. card-services, abstracting journal, express-information etc.;
2. Information by providing either the original documents, or their copies, or conveying the contents of documents.
The organization of the information system in the socisliet countries differs from that of the capitalist countries.
The scientific, technical and economic information system in Poland includes:
information bureaux's in enterprises, research organizations etc.;
information centers in the various branches of the national economy (industry, transport etc.);
information centers of the ministries;
the Central Institute for Scientific, Technical and Economic Information (CIINTE).
Information cannot be dealt with only on a national level; thus, international organizations as UNO, UNESCO, FID etc. are also highly interested in the problems of information.