Abstract

With the failure of school libraries in Spain and public libraries that are more targeted to adult patrons, it seems that the library authorities have forgotten about services to adolescents. The specific needs of young people aged between 14 and 18 years are not being met. It is proposed that the successful information commons (or resource centers for learning and research, as they are known in Spain) of the universities be made available to non-college youth through cooperation agreements with public administration.

Abstract

Uneix, the information system that integrates the management data of twelve Catalonian universities, is described. It tracks needs, resources and results in numerous categories: faculty, staff, programs of study, students, job market for recent graduates, costs, etc. The system is based on three design elements: cooperation, data reliability (with strict quality control), and wealth of information that fits the needs of many user types.