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Dept of National Heritage

Answer

Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what is her estimate of the proportion of internationally available scientific literature and patent collections that is available in conditions of open access at each of the British library's reading rooms. [459] Mr. Sproat: The British library's science reference and information service acquires some 1 million patent specifications annually, which it estimates to constitute some 99 per cent. of the world's published output of such specifications. Sixty-one per cent. of the material held by the science reference and information service in this category is available either on open access, or is accessible to those users holding a vault pass. Of the total estimated 81,000 scientific periodicals published world-wide, the British library estimates that the science reference and information service currently receives 20,000 research titles. Material in English published during the last 10 years, and material published in other languages during the last two to three years, is held on open access, representing some 26 per cent. of the total research periodicals held by the science reference and information service. It is not possible to estimate the total number of scientific monographs published throughout the world. The science reference and information service receives some 4,500 new scientific monograph titles at research level published in the UK each year through legal deposit, and acquires foreign titles in line with the acquisition funds which are available.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

459; 284 c155W

Session

1996-97

Subjects

Libraries Patents British Library Collections Information services

Contains statistics

Yes