Cooperation in networks

The Marine Libary is active on various fronts. Apart from the daily services for our users we also participate in a number of projects and cooperate in different networks.

We are a member of FELNET (Flanders Environmental Library Network), a cooperation project between the major environmental documentation centres in Flanders intended to assist users in the search for environmental information. The catalogues of 18 libraries (including the VLIZ library) can be browsed via this link.

The library is also a member of VVBAD (Flemish Association for Libraries, Archives and Documentation Centres) and VOWB (Flemish Research Libraries Council). VVBAD offers support to libraries, archives and documentation centres and to the professionals working there, while VOWB takes care of the coordination of the scientific libraries in Flanders.

At the European level, the VLIZ library is an active member of EURASLIC (European Association of Aquatic Sciences Libraries and Information Centres). This association supports European aquatic libraries and has members in about all European countries. The VLIZ serves as the host of the Euraslic website.

At the international level, the VLIZ library is an active member of IAMSLIC (International Association of Aquatic and Marine Science Libraries and Information Centers). This organisation coordinates the operation of and offers support to all international aquatic information centres. It also covers regional organisations such as EURASLIC.

The VLIZ library also serves as the Belgian repository for all publications of the IOC (Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission). One of the aims of this network is to enable the IOC secretary to refer people requesting IOC publications or documents to a local centre in their own country.

The VLIZ furthermore serves as the National Input Centre for the ASFA database, the most comprehensive international source of information on marine scientific literature. We take care of the input of all Flemish marine references in this database and thus promote Flemish marine research to an international scientific public.