The researcher should be apprised that the documentation of the UN is
complex because much of it, particularly the Official Records and masthead
documents, is issued for the use of delegates attending meetings and not
primarily for the use of students or scholars.
Familiarity on the part of the Library staff with the structure and
functions of the United Nations and the areas of competence of its specialized
agencies can greatly facilitate the retrieval of information requested
by the public. Some of the basic publications about the United Nations mentioned
in our preamble, such as Basic Facts about the United Nations, can help in
gaining knowledge on the Organization. The 2008 revised edition of this publication, now entitled United Nations Today, reflects the multitude of ways in which the United Nations touches the lives of people everywhere.
A knowledge of the process by which the deliberative bodies of the UN
consider a question is also of importance in answering queries. For example,
if the Librarian knows all the steps involved from the time an item is
placed on the provisional agenda of the General Assembly until a resolution
is passed on the subject, it will be far easier to direct research, and
to locate specific documents. The importance of using the Rules of Procedures
of each of the principal organs as guides to understanding the business
of the Organization is conducted should not be overlooked.
In order to be better prepared to answer questions on UN documentation,
it is useful for the librarian to be as familiar as possible with the Library's
collection. Although it is not always possible to read all the documentation
received by the library, it is wise to briefly review the title and symbol
of each document and press release as it is received. This practice leads
to an understanding of the structure, function and processes of the various
organs of the United Nations, as well as to a knowledge of the questions
which are before each body. It also promotes familiarity with the document
symbol system, and usually makes the retrieval of specific documents requested
by the public more expeditious.
If a document proves to be of particular value in responding to repeated inquiries on a given subject, it should be kept at hand. For example, documents such as the Annotated Preliminary List of Items to be Included in the Provisional Agenda of the Regular Session of the General Assembly (A/-/100), and directories such as Permanent Missions to the United Nations (ST/SG/SER.A/-) can greatly facilitate information retrieval.
Some reference books published outside the UN are of assistance in answering queries received by the Library. Among these are:
The United Nations Handbook, issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand. This publication includes sections on the principal organs of the United Nations, the Secretariat, the International Court of Justice, and the Specialized Agencies. The Handbook lists the resolutions establishing organs of the UN system and describes the purposes, structure and membership of each. The Handbook contains the names of the principal officers of the UN system and provides information on budgetary questions.
The Yearbook of International Organizations provides entries on a large number of governmental and non-governmental organizations and includes such information as their addresses, establishment and purpose. It can assist library staff in determining whether a particular organization is part of the UN system. The Union of International Associations, which edits the Yearbook, has made its database available online.
The United Nations Liaison Office in Geneva maintains a database listing addresses of non-governmental organizations which have consultative status with the Economic and Social Council.
When assisting researchers it is important to ascertain what information they already have and to pinpoint as precisely as possible what information is lacking or required. For example, if the patron is looking for a specific document, does he/she know the title, the symbol, sales number, year of publication or issuing body? If none of these elements is known, the Librarian may pose a series of questions to successively narrow down the chronological and subject scope of the query. The Librarian can identify the document by referring to the United Nations web site, to catalogues of publications, or press releases covering the area or to other documentary references.
Here is a description of some of the electronic research tools which are available on the UN web site.
UNBISnet, the primary tool to access UN documents is now available online. It offers three main databases: : Bibliographic Search, Voting Records, and Index to Speeches.
Bibliographic Search : Catalogue of UN publications and documentation indexed by the United Nations Dag Hammarskjöd Library and the Library of the UN Office at Geneva. Also included are non-UN publications held in the collection of the Dag Hammarskjöld Library.
Users can search on:
- Author
- Title
- Subject
- UN Numbers
- or conduct a Multi-index Search
Voting Records : The voting records for all resolutions which were adopted - either without a vote or by roll-call or recorded vote - by the General Assembly beginning with its 38th session (1983-) and the Security Council beginning with its 1st year (1946-).
Index to Speeches : Citations to speeches made in the General Assembly beginning with its 38th session (1983-), the Security Council beginning with its 38th year (1983-), the Economic and Social Council beginning in 1983 and the Trusteeship Council beginning with its 15th special session (1982).
UN-I-QUE (UN Info Quest) is a ready reference file created by the Dag Hammarskjöld Library to respond to frequently asked questions. It is a database designed to provide quick access to document symbols/sales numbers for UN materials (1946 onwards). It does not give full bibliographic details nor does it replace existing bibliographic databases (UNBISnet, UNBIS Plus on CD-ROM) produced by the Library. UN-I-QUE focuses upon documents and publications of a recurrent nature: annual/sessional reports of committees/commissions; monographic series; journals; annual publications; reports periodically/irregularly issued; reports of major conferences; statements in the General Debate; etc. Information within each record is presented in reverse chronological order to facilitate identification of the most recent data.
United Nations System Pathfinder. The purpose of the Pathfinder is to identify major publications of the organizations comprising the United Nations system. Materials were selected with a view to currency, relevance and usefulness. Global studies and reports, handbooks and guides, bibliographies and indices, international statistical publications, compilations of treaties, resolutions and documents, as well as annual reports of UN bodies and specialized agencies, are included. Some standard reference works published outside of the UN system are also featured in the section "The United Nations and international organizations".
UN System Libraries website provides a web interface to the electronic resources of the libraries
of UN system of organizations. The website provides a single point of access to library catalogues,
indexes and abstract databases, library holdings, links to full-text resources,
and archives.
It is in the interest of small and field libraries to keep a record of individuals using the library, including their occupations and areas of interest. This information can be analyzed periodically to identify the library's users, to know how many requests are being processed and to identify the most significant issues of interest to researchers.
In many instances, it will be necessary for the Librarian to identify symbols for recent documents. This is one of the complex research problems facing any Library. There are, however, publications and other reference tools, such as the Journal of the United Nations, the Daily List of Documents, and the Optical Disk System, which can be of assistance. The Press Releases, for example, contain numerous citations to documents, and are the most valuable tools available for locating recently-published documentation.
If the Librarian has difficulty in locating older documents, the Yearbook
of the United Nations can often be of assistance. The Yearbook is
the principal reference book of the Organization and gives a comprehensive,
succinct account, arranged by subject, of the discussions, decisions and
activities of United Nations bodies. Each chapter includes a bibliographic
guide to primary source materials, meeting records and documents, as well
as the operative paragraphs of resolutions of the principal organs, and
details on voting. Also included in each volume is a detailed analytic
index. The index and the bibliographic references at the end of each chapter
can often be used when the Librarian requires more detailed information
to begin to answer a particular request.
Prepared and maintained by the Department of Public Information
(DPI),
Dag Hammarskjöld Library (DHL)
Comments, as well as suggestions for further additions/enhancements, may be directed to dhlsfl@un.org