FYI France: summer reading -- getting ready for 1997 1997 promises to be a big year for online digital information in France. The new premises of the Bibliothe`que Nationale de France at Tolbiac will be open for business: one of the world's largest libraries, and surely the world's most expensive, with elaborate online offerings planned. France Te'le'com will be privatized and sold, or at least 49% of it: to Thomson, according to the latest rumors, which then will be sold to Alcatel, or to the Groupe Lagarde`re (Matra / Hachette), in what is becoming the ritual account - churning of French privatizations. There also -- the timing of this is less certain -- is a global economic recovery under way, which may at last have a ripple effect on the French, in 1997, hopefully reducing the 12% unemployment and general financial malaise which recently have slowed things down there so much. To prepare for all of this -- for those of you who aren't buried in W3 / the Web "24 sur 24", and still read books, and still have room left on your summer shelves -- a few recent releases, hopefully of interest, on French library / Internet / digital information matters: * Information autoroutes Sandoval, Victor _Les autoroutes de l'information: mythes et realites_ (Paris: Hermes, 1995) ISBN: 2-86601-459-6. "Autoroutes de l'information" is the French term for the Internet and the Matrix and a number of other Americanisms: it is a mouthful, but is far better than some -- for example the term "WorldWideWeb", which is literally unpronounceable in any language other than English. Centre francais du commerce exterieur, Direction des industries et services _Les autoroutes de l'information_ Vol. 1. Infrastructures et usages [red. sous la dir. de Francois Gauthe, articles by Nicolas Tourette and Francois Gauther]; Vol. 2 . Les teleservices [red. par Stephanie Blanchard et Christelle Dehove, sous la dir. de Catherine Sarron, articles by Stephanie Blanchard, Christelle Dehove, Catherine Sarron] (Paris: CFCE, 1995) ISBN: 2-279-46644-9. Blanquet, Marie-France _Autoroutes electroniques et teleports_ (Paris: ESF ed., 1995) ISBN: 2-7101-1110-1. Gilder, George _Y a-t-il une vie apres la tele ?: les autoroutes de l'information (Paris: Ed. Dagorno, 1994) ISBN: 2-910019-10-1. tr. by Anatole Muchnik of "The coming transformation of media and American life". Anyone want to read Gilder in French? Association Francaise de la Telematique. Puteaux(Hauts de Seine)> _La Telematique francaise en marche vers les autoroutes de l'information_ (Paris : Les Ed. du Telephone, 1995) ISBN 2-909879-07-0. Minitel vs. Internet: fascinating topic for anyone interested in international telecoms competition and public policy. * Multimedia Le delire multimedia : Tout pour s'y retrouver (Paris: Telerama, 1996) Special edition of the France Te'le'com journal, this volume devoted to the very poorly - defined "multimedia" phenomenon now sweeping the telecom and computer communities in France. Bellin, Olivier _Le multimedia: des CD-ROM aux autoroutes de l'information_ ([Paris]: Hachette, 1996) ISBN: 2-01-291600-7. * The Internet Huitema, Christian, _Et Dieu crea l'Internet_ (Paris: Eyrolles, 1995) ISBN: 2-212-08855-8. Second edition of Huitema's wonderfully - named book. Platon, Thierry _L'indispensable pour Internet, autres reseaux et BBS_ (Alleur (Belgique) : Marabout [Paris] : [diff. Hachette], 1995) ISBN: 2- 501-02245-9. I would be curious to learn from some bibliographer or cataloger what "[diff. Hachette]" means? (This is a BNF entry.) Dufour, Arnaud _Internet_ (Paris: Presses universitaires de France, 1995) ISBN: 2-13-047469-1. Andrieu, Olivier, and Denis Lafont _Internet et l'entreprise_ 2d ed. (Paris: Eyrolles, 1996) ISBN: 2-212-08906-6. Bryan, Adrian _Internet et la securite du systeme informatique de l'entreprise_ (Clichy, France: Learning tree international, 1995) ISBN: 2-87672-471-5 Andrieu, Olivier _L'officiel d'Internet 1996 (Paris: Eyrolles, 1996) ISBN: 2-212-08909-0. _Planete internet_ (Champs-sur-Marne, France: Net press, 1995- ) ISSN 1267-3331. If anyone is looking for a France - origin Internet periodical. Hoeltgen, Dominique _Internet pour tous_ 2e ed. (Paris: Ed. du Telephone, 1996) ISBN 2-909879-15-1. _L'Internet professionnel_ (Paris : CNRS, 1995) * Libraries Larbre, Francois, ed. _Organiser le libre acces_ (Villeurbanne: Institut de formation des bibliothecaires, 1995) ISBN: 2-910966-00-3. Damien, Robert _Bibliotheque et etat: naissance d'une raison politique dans la France du XVIIe siecle_ (Paris: Presses universitaires de France, c1995) ISBN 213046694X. Beaudiquez, Marcelle et al., eds. _Ouvrages de reference pour les bibliotheques : repertoire bibliographique_ 4. ed. (Paris: Editions du Cercle de la librairie, c1995) ISBN 2765405913. Reder, Anne - Marie, ed. _Patrimoine des bibliotheques de France: un guide des regions_ ([Paris]: Payot, 1995). v. 1. Ile-de-France ISBN 222888964-4 v. 2. Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Picardie ISBN 222888965-2 v. 3. Champagne-Ardenne, Lorraine ISBN 222888966-0 v. 4. Alsace, Franche-Comte ISBN 222888967-9 v. 5. Auvergne, Bourgone, Rhone-Alpes ISBN 222888968-7 v. 6. Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, Corse, Martinique ISBN 222888969-5 v. 7. Aquitaine, Languedoc-Roussillon, Midi-Pyrenees ISBN 222888970-9 v. 8. Bretagne, Pays de la Loire, Poitou-Charentes ISBN 222888971-7 ve 9. Haute-Normandie, Basse-Normandie ISBN 222888972-5 v. 10. Centre, Limousin ISBN 222888973-3 v. 11. Index general ISBN 222888974-1 If this is the series which I think it is, it may be superb. The University of California appears to be acquiring it only in Los Angeles, and Stanford's copies are being cataloged at the moment, so I have seen neither. A friend did send me, though -- some time ago -- the initial volume of a projected series by the Ministe`re de la Culture and "Banques CIC pour le Livre, Fondation d'Entreprise", entitled _Guide des bibliothe`ques patrimoniales de France_, which was fascinating, and was sumptuously illustrated. The entry here may be the outgrowth of that project. If anyone knows, or can find out and tell me, I would like very much to hear. Pallier, Denis _Les bibliotheques_ (Paris: Presses universitaires de France, 1995) ISBN 2-13-046867-5. Series: Que sais-je ? #944 Pallier is always good: meticulous research, well - written. The "Que sais-je?" series provides easily - handled introductions: recommended for any French - language readers interested in something besides fiction. _Guide des fonds patrimoniaux des bibliotheques d'Alsace_ (Strasbourg : BNUS ; Mulhouse : CORDIAL, 1995) ISBN 2-85923-022-X. France. Conseil superieur des bibliotheques _Rapport du president pour l'annee 1994_ (Paris : Association du Conseil superieur des bibliotheques, 1995). Michel Melot's reports provide the best, and best - written, annual news sources for French library affairs. Duchemin, Pierre-Yves _L'art d'informatiser une bibliotheque_ (Paris : Electre-Ed. du cercle de la librairie, 1996) ISBN 2-7654-0608-1 Jacquesson, Alain _L'informatisation des bibliotheques : Historique, strategie et perspectives (Paris : Electre : Ed. du Cercle de la librairie, 1995) ISBN 2-7654-0604-9. _Les Bibliotheques de France a l'etranger : le 5eme dossier : Construction et amenagement des bibliotheques_ (Paris : Ministere des affaires etrangeres, 1995). Oddos, Jean - Paul, et al. _La conservation : principes et realites / sous la dir. de Jean-Paul Oddos_ (Paris : Ed. du Cercle de la librairie, 1995) ISBN 2-7654-0592-1. Oddos outlined, in a BBF article some time back, a BNF conservation / preservation problem which dwarfs anything similar in nearly any other institution: decaying books in the millions -- acid paper, "champignons", the works -- all about to be moved, many perhaps for the first time ever, from the rue Richelieu to Tolbiac (or Marne la Vale'e?). Will they survive the move? Tune in again. XXX Two corrigenda received, and herewith posted, to last month's (June 15) issue about the Grandes Ecoles Symposium: 1) Netscape Corp. says that Jim Clark _was_ in France in May, but _not_ the week before the Symposium, and _not_ in Sophia Antipolis with Oracle's Ray Lane (just named Oracle's president). Clark was there a couple of weeks earlier, attending a conference in Paris, and visiting Netscape's new and growing France operations. Seems to me, though, that the basic point of the rumors is the same: Netscape and the Web and the Internet generally all are taking off very rapidly in France. 2) I discovered that Berkeley's eloquent business student is named not Rose Marie Haas but Rose Marie Ham: "Haas" is the name of her school, was in the next line on her address, and I was typing late at night. Also, one point about milk production, for which I am indebted to Walt Crawford. Walt points out that lactose intolerance is a major problem in many places. I know myself that my wife won't let me drink European -- i.e., non - non - fat -- milk, for some health reason. How might a Symposium such as the one just held at Sophia broaden its debate in such directions? Can meaningful debate about BST and bioengineering combine with public health, internationally, without becoming merely a slanging match? I'd enjoy seeing Jennie Hunter - Cevera take on the Dark Side forces again. But there is much question in me as to where the technical side of a debate ends, and the purely political -- ie. often - fruitless -- begins? Same with tomatoes. XXX Bonnes vacances. See you again on September 15. Jack Kessler kessler@well.sf.ca.us XXX FYIFrance (sm)(tm) e - newsletter ISSN 1071 - 5916 * | FYIFrance (sm)(tm) is a monthly electronic newsletter, | published since 1992 as a small - scale, personal, | experiment, in the creation of large - scale | "information overload", by Jack Kessler. Any material / \ written by me which appears in FYIFrance may be ----- copied and used by anyone for any good purpose, so // \\ long as, a) they give me credit and show my e - mail --------- address and, b) it isn't going to make them money: if // \\ if it is going to make them money, they must get my permission in advance, and share some of the money which they get with me. Use of material written by others requires their permission. FYIFrance archives may be reached online at http://infolib.berkeley.edu , or via gopher to infolib.berkeley.edu 72 (path: 3. Electronic Journals (Library-Oriented)/ 6. FYIFrance/ or http://www.univ-rennes1.fr/LISTES/biblio-fr@univ-rennes1.fr/ (BIBLIO-FR econference archive), or gopher.well.sf.ca.us , or via telnet to a.cni.org , login brsuser (PACS / PACS-L econference archive). Suggestions, reactions, criticisms, praise, and poison - pen letters all will be gratefully received at kessler@well.sf.ca.us . Copyright 1992 by Jack Kessler, all rights reserved. XXX end