Information Needs and a Country of Scientific Periphery

Abstract

Characteristics of the science in a scientifically peripheral country as opposed to the mainstream science are: smallness — scientific community is small in number compared to the number of the subject fields of its current research, and consequently there are not enough qualified scientists to take part in the peer review process; non-equilibrium within the scientific community and between it and the society as a whole meaning the lacking of self-regulatory mechanisms for quality selection; communication barriers towards world science (local language = lost science). Health researchers and professionals depend on information import and are not members of the “invisible colleges”. Libraries play the key-role in information acquisition and dissemination. The use of libraries and their services, thus, reflects not only the importance and quality of a library, but information needs and use generally.