History of WCJLN
The World
Criminal Justice Library Network was formed at a meeting of librarians
and criminal justice information specialists in April, 1991, at the
Rutgers School of Criminal Justice, New Jersey, U.S.A.
Those who
attended the inaugural meeting at Rutgers were unanimous in their
recognition of the increasing demands and pressure placed on criminal
justice libraries because of the globalization of crime and responses
to it, and because of an information explosion in these fields. It is
clear that no library can hope to collect everything, or to serve the
diverse and increasingly international needs of its clients.
Furthermore, the duplication of efforts on the part of all libraries is
not cost beneficial in an era of information explosion accompanied by
ever scarce resources. The need to save resources through pooling of
information and services is therefore a major reason for establishing
WCJLN.
THE
MISSION OF WCJLN
1. To develop specific ways of sharing services
and criminal justice information on a global scale.
2. To
enhance communication among WCJLN members
.
WCJLN is
working on the following projects:
1. Membership
Directory. A directory of participant libraries, which lists
holdings, special collections, services, and other details will be
compiled and made available at cost.
2. Union
List. The feasibility of developing a world union list of serials
relating to criminal justice will be investigated, and the list
constructed if possible.
3. Accession
Lists. A means of sharing accession lists of each participating library
will be devised.
4.
International Crime Data. Disseminate, through on line data bases and
other means, national and international crime statistics and criminal
justice profiles.
5. Establish
Gateways. Assist in identifying other networks, whether international,
governmental, commercial, or academic, and facilitate access to them.
6.
Languages. Communicate WCJLN activities and information in English,
French and Spanish.
7. Training.
WCJLN members will inform other librarians and criminal justice
information specialists about the operation of the WCJLN network and
related activities, and train as necessary.
8. United
Nations. Assist the United Nations in its efforts to disseminate
criminal justice information, by working through the United
Nations Criminal Justice Information Network (UNCJIN).
MEMBERSHIP
IN WCJLN
Membership in WCJLN is free. For information
contact
Phyllis
Schultze, Co-chair,
WCJLN
steering committee,
Rutgers/NCCD Collection,
S.I.
Newhouse Center for Law and Justice,
15
Washington St.,
Newark,
N.J. 07102.
Fax: 201 648
1275.
Tel.: 201
648 5522.
UNCJIN:
TCN1215
WCJLN
STEERING COMMITTEE
This committee is co-chaired by Phyllis Schultze
(Rutgers) and Graeme Newman
(UNCJIN). Its role is to supervise the various projects of WCJLN. The
membership of the committee is currently under review.
FOUNDATION
MEMBERS
The Radzinowicz Criminology Library of the
Cambridge Institute of Criminology, England; The Max Planck Institute,
Germany; Centre of Criminology, University of Toronto, Canada; The
Rutgers Criminal Justice/NCCD Collection, Newark, New Jersey; The
Graduate Library of Public Affairs and Policy, the State University of
New York at Albany; Institute of Criminology, University of Tubingen,
Germany; Le Centre International de Criminologie Comparee, University
of Montreal, Canada; Institute of State and Law, USSR Academy of
Sciences; International Institute of Higher Studies in Criminal
Science, Siracusa, Italy; The United Nations Dag Hammarskjold Library,
New York; United Nations Criminal Justice Information Network (UNCJIN);
The United Nations Criminal Justice and Crime Prevention Branch,
Vienna, Austria UNCP&CJ; The Helsinki Institute for Crime
Prevention and Control, Helsinki, Finland (HEUNI); The Australian
Institute of Criminology, Canberra, Australia (AIC); The National
Criminal Justice Reference Service, U.S.A. (NCJRS).; The U.S. Bureau of
Justice Statistics; National Institute of Justice U.S. Department of
Justice; British Home Office Research and Statistics Unit; Canadian
Department of Justice Library Services; University of Cagliari,
Sardinia, Italy; John Jay College of Criminal Justice Library, New York.
Newark, NJ, USA : April
1991