The British Library and the Social Sciences: ASLIB SOCIAL SCIENCES GROUP CONFERENCE, UNIVERSITY OF BATH, MARCH 1972

During the next few months the British Library will come into being, integrating the nation's central reference, lending and bibliographic services. While the sciences and humanities have had full consideration in the past, little special attention has been given to the social sciences. The Aslib Social Sciences Group thought that a conference would provide a useful forum for reviewing the present situation in all these areas, and for considering in what direction the services should be developed. Accordingly, a two‐day conference on ‘The British Library and the social sciences’ was held at the University of Bath from 4th to 5th March 1972. The conference was fully subscribed, with sixty‐two persons attending (indeed, the demand was greater than the number of places). Most of the papers are gathered together in this issue, some of them in shortened form. The final ‘Summary and Conclusions’ is intended not only as a statement of the views of the Conference, but as a policy document which can be drawn to the attention of appropriate bodies.