A PLANNED DECENTRALIZED SOLUTION FOR NATIONAL DOCUMENT SUPPLY: THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY

In the Federal Republic of Germany supraregional document supply is decentralized because the political framework is federal. Demand for documents is intense and comprehensiveness of acquisition is vital. Co‐ordination of acquisitions is achieved not by the state authorities but by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, which organizes and largely funds a co‐operative programme based on Special Subject Libraries. Decentralization of acquisition means that efficient location tools are necessary. The seven Regional Union Catalogues have been supplemented by Central Subject Catalogues, the Berlin Periodicals Data Base, and other union catalogue projects. A comprehensive information and documentation programme has been set up and will increase demands. Inter/ending is based on the seven regions, but direct requesting to Special Subject Libraries has increased significantly, in the search for faster supply times.