Information Scotland The Journal of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals in Scotland ISSN 1743-5471 Issue contents | Journal contents | About the online edition of the journal April 2007 Volume 5(2)

Professional groups: SWOP

Swapping best practice on official publications

Are you confused by command papers or statutory instruments? Does your heart sink when asked about debates in the Scottish Parliament or finding a recent Scottish Executive consultation paper? There is a group that can help you, explains Valerie Wells.

The Scottish Working Group on Official Publications (SWOP) is a forum for librarians, information workers and publishers working with official publications in Scotland. Members represent a wide range of organisations, with involvement or an interest in government information provision, and we welcome members from any sector.
Our aim is to increase awareness of, and access to, official publications, and to encourage best practice in the production, dissemination and use of official information.

SWOP is an affiliated group of the Scottish Confederation of University and Research Libraries (SCURL). We meet four times a year, normally in Glasgow or Edinburgh. We discuss issues related to all aspects of official publications in the UK. We have representatives from all sectors, including, OQPS (Office of the Queens Printer in Scotland); The Stationery Office; Scottish Parliament; public libraries, law libraries, government organisations and academic libraries.

We organise seminars and topics have included accessing government information online; Freedom of Information; electronic sources of Scottish legislation; statistics; and copyright.

The SWOP website has useful links to sources of information about official publications, for example from the Scottish Parliament, Scottish Executive and UK Parliament. We maintain an archive of the R.R. Donnelley (formerly Astron) Scottish Executive Official Weekly Listing, including their web-only publications.

We aim to represent all users of official publications, whether you work in a public library helping people contact their MP or MSP, or for a voluntary organisation that needs access to government information. We can represent you and raise issues of concern with those people responsible for producing official information. We have close links with SCOOP (Standing Committee on Official Publications), a CILIP group that aims to improve the access to, and availability of, UK official publications.

SWOP also offers a bursary to members to assist in attending appropriate meetings in circumstances where funding from their employers is not otherwise available.

Membership of SWOP is free and we are always keen to welcome new members. You don’t need to attend meetings and an email list will keep you up-to-date about our activities.
Membership enquiries: Brian Bourner e: brian.bourner@scotland.gsi.gov.uk , SWOP Secretary,

Valerie Wells e: vmw1@stir.ac.uk is SWOP Chair

Information Scotland Vol. 5(2) April 2007

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