The State Technical Library (STL) and the Main Library of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (MLCAS) were accepted on behalf of the Czech Republic among the members of the EAGLE (European Association for Grey Literature Exploitation) and its SIGLE system (System for Information on Grey Literature in Europe). The Main Library of the Academy of Sciences of CR was the first East-European Library to be accepted as a member of EAGLE in May, 1994; the State Technical Library followed one year later. The member countries of EAGLE/SIGLE are (apart from CR) Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, the Slovak Republic, Spain, United Kingdom; the membership of other countries is under discussion. The Czech Republic is represented at the General Assembly of EAGLE and in the EAGLE Technical Committee.

The primary goal of EAGLE is to support the use of grey literature (GL) produced by European countries in all kinds of ways. This goal is attained particularly through the cooperation of the member countries within the cooperative SIGLE system which is specifically used for the identification, location and delivery of GL.

The main product of SIGLE is a database bearing the same name, which is available on CD-ROM, through on-line access to European database centers and also through the use of SilverPlatter's ERL Technology. At present the database contains more than 450,000 items.

STL and MLCAS ensure cooperative participation in EAGLE, including the uniform input of data on Czech GL into the SIGLE database. STL is responsible for the collection of data on GL, their processing and delivery on behalf of the universities; MLCAS does the same on behalf of the institutes and other bodies of the Academy of Sciences of CR. Both libraries are jointly responsible for the uniform input of Czech data into SIGLE, the resolution of strategic issues regarding their participation in EAGLE/SIGLE and representation within its executive bodies.

At present, STL ensures the participation of Czech universities in SIGLE through the Grey Literature Cooperation System (GLCS) the goal of which is to create a bibliographic register of domestic GL and to create a national database of GL as the basis for the Czech portion of the European-wide SIGLE database, including unobstructed access to the full texts for both domestic and foreign users. The basic manuals of the system have been translated into Czech and are available. The SIGLE cataloguing rules, which were amended in 1997, have also been translated. The changes involved are one of the reasons why the full range of universities has not yet started to participate fully in GLCS.

The FIBRE application programme is available for creation of records in the SIGLE format, including some other functions. At present, EAGLE is preparing a Windows version of this software. Similar access to the complete database of Czech grey literature is planned for the future.

Contact:

State Technical Libray
Dr. Jan Bayer
Marianske nam. 5
P. O. Box 206
110 01 Praha 1

tel.: /+420 2/ 21663480
fax: /+420 2/ 2222 1340

e-mail: j.bayer@stk.cz

or

Main Library of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic
Narodni 3
115 22 Praha 1

tel.: /+420 2/ 24220384, extension 382
fax: /+420 2/ 24240528

e-mail: refer@lib.cas.cz