About IASI

Introduction

Founded in September 1960 in Rome, the primary mission of the International Association for Sports Information (IASI) is to stimulate and support activities in the field of international documentation, and promote the dissemination of information to physical educators, sport scientists, documentalists and sport researchers.

IASI is a unique international association, which brings together a worldwide network of information experts, librarians, sport scientists and managers of sport libraries, information and documentation centres.

For details on the structure and procedures of the association, consult the Statutes and Bylaws section.

IASI History

The initial stimulus for IASI began in the late 1950s with communication among sport scientists and information specialists in east and west European countries. Lead by professors Walther Arnold, Dr. Josef Recla and Julien Falize, the first meeting of an initial group took place in 1959 in Schielleiten. Conference participants were concerned about the work of the sports libraries and wished to rationalize, standardize and cooperate on the informational and documentation tasks in the emerging field of sport sciences. This resulted in the establishment of the Bureau for Documentation and Information (BDI) within the framework of the International Council for Sport and Physical Education (ICSPE/CIEPS). BDI soon after evolved into an independent organization, IASI.

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s work centered on the establishment of sport documentation centres, working on sport terminology, creating a thesaurus, and introducing new technologies to enhance the identification, description and dissemination of sport information. The 1980s saw IASI become a worldwide organization, with English as its primary language of communication. The exchange of primary and secondary sources of sport information, the establishment of the SPORT Database as the recognized international sport database, and the support of UNESCO in it documentation efforts were the primary focus of the organization's work.

In the 1990s hopes for the amalgamation of the SPOLIT database with SPORT did not come to fruition, however Australia's National Sport Information Centre became an important, major contributor to SPORTDiscus (the current name of the SPORT Database). During this decade IASI became a recognized organization by the IOC, produced a World Directory of Sport Libraries, Information and Documentation Centres (1996) and a brochure, established a listserv, IASI-L that provided better communication for the membership.

For a more detailed account of IASI history see the Publications section for the IASI publication, Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow: Better Sport Documentation Through International Cooperation (IASI, 1994).
For a list of Past Presidents see the end of this section.

Note: Information about the history, structure and constitution of IASI is available in other languages. Click on the appropriate box:

IASI Goals and Objectives

• To coordinate and exchange information and experiences between individual and institutional members
• To assist and give advice on the planning, operation and development of information to new and developing sport information centres
• To disseminate the results of the Association's work
• To develop and participate in an international database for sport and physical education
• To organize a World Congress every four years
  

Recent Activities Resulting from Goals and Objectives

• Held the 2001 annual meeting in Lausanne and workshops on specific topics (See the Congresses/Meetings section for a specific list of earlier and forthcoming congresses/meetings)
• Organized, with the Olympic Museum and University of Lausanne, a world congress in Lausanne, April 25-27, 2001
• Produces the IASI newsletter and other publications (see Publications section for details)
• Encourages the development of databases including SPORTDiscus, Heracles, Atlantes
• Maintains a listserv called IASI-L (See IASI listserv section for details)
• Organized and currently maintains a World Directory of Sport Information Centres and Experts
  

Executive Structure of IASI and Elected Officials, 2001-2005
(For full contact information see Contact Us section)

President

• Mr. Alain Poncet, Chef du Service d'Information et de Documentation, Institut National du Sport et de l'Éducation Physique, (INSEP), France

Managerial Unit

• Executive Secretary - Ms Maria Lluïsa Berasategui, Biblioteca de l’Esport, Consell Català de l’Esport, Spain
• Treasurer - Ms. Anitta Pälvimäki, LIKES Information Service, Finland
• Publications Officer - Ms. Gretchen Ghent, University of Calgary Law Library, Canada
• Policy Unit - Alain Poncet and Presidium (Pres., Secretariat, VPs)

Vice Presidents

Africa

Mr. Clement Fasan, University of Lagos, Faculty of Education, Nigeria

Asia

Mr. Ma Tie, China Sports Information Center, Beijing, China

Europe

Ms. Ayala Maharik, Wingate Institute for Physical Education and Sport Library, Israel

Latin America

Ms. Beatriz Maria Barbera, Secretaría de Deportes y Recreación de la Nación, Argentina

North America

Ms. Gretchen Ghent, University of Calgary Law Library, Canada

Oceania

Ms. Jill Haynes, National Sport Information Centre, Australian Sports Commission

Members

IASI is a worldwide organization with institutional and personal members in more than 70 countries. IASI offers three types of membership: Institutional, Personal and Honorary. You can join IASI by completing and returning the membership application form and the appropriate membership fee. For a list of members, see the IASI Membership List.

Current Ad Hoc Working Groups, 2001-2002

AhWG on IASI Website:

Chair: Gretchen Ghent, Members: Jean-Michel Johnson, Anitta Pälvimäki, Roland Regner, Ervin Sramel, Esperanza Bobes Ruiz.

AhWG on IASI-SIRC Cooperation:

Chair: Jill Haynes, Members: Jean-Michel Johnson and Presidential Board

AhWG on IASI Statutes and By-Laws:

Chair: Alain Poncet; Members: Anitta Pälvimäki, José Aquesolo, Gretchen Ghent, Andrei Teodorescu

AhWG on SPORTDiscus Contributors:

Co-Chair: Jean-Michel Johnson, Jill Haynes, Members: Ayala Maharik, Gretchen Ghent, Anitta Pälvimäki, Wayne Wilson, Ma Tie

AhWG on IASI and Commercial Affiliations:

Members, Jill Haynes, David Coleman, Ervin Sramel

AhWG on Member Survey:

Erika Schwarz, Li Tak Nang, Alain Poncet

AhWG on IASI Congress:

Chair: Jill Haynes, Members: Bruno Rossi Mori, Alain Poncet, Wang Huanfu, Nerida Clarke

Regional Groups and Networks

A.S.I.A. (Asian Sports Information Association)

• Contact: Li Tak Nang, Secretary General, Email:
• Publishes Asian Sports Information Association Preparatory Committee Bulletin
• Maintains the A.S.I.A. website (forthcoming in Nov)

AUSPIN (Australasian Sport Information Network)

• Contact: Jill Haynes, National Sport Information Centre, Email:
• Publishes: AUSPIN Newsletter http://www.ausport.gov.au/nsic/auspin/newsletter
• Maintains AUSPIN website http://www.ausport.gov.au/nsic/auspin/
  

CPLP-Sport (Comunidado des Paises de Lingua Portuguesa - Sport / Portuguese Speaking Countries Community - Sport)

• Contact: Mr. João Paulo Rocha, Centre for Sport Studies and Training (CEFD), Lisbon, Email:
• MaintainsCPLP-Sport website http://www.cplpsport.org/
  

IASI - Europe

• Contact: Ayala Maharik, Wingate Institute Library, Email:
• Maintains a listserv for European members

NASLIN (North American Sport Library Network)

• Contact: Gretchen Ghent, Chair, Email:
• Publishes, NASLINE, newsletter of the North American Sport Library Network. Archived issues: http://www.sportquest.com/naslin

• Contact Person: Mirja Laitinen, University of Jyväkyla, Email:
• Maintains website with information on sport libraries in the Nordic countries at: http://www.jyu.fi/library/norsib/
• Maintains the NORSIB listserv

SPORTCOM (Asociación Iberoamericana de Información Deportiva)

• Contact: José Aquesolo, Email:
• SPORTCOM website: http://www.uida.es/sportcom/sportcom.html
  

SPRIG (Sport & Recreation Information Group)

• Contact: Chair, Martin Scarrott, Academic Services Manager, Information Services, St. Mary's College, U. of Surrey, Email:
• Maintains the SPRIG listserv and website, http://www.sprig.org.uk/
• Publishes the SPRIG Bulletin (print format)
• Published, Directory of Periodicals in Sport and Recreation, 3rd ed, 1996

Statutes/By-Laws

The current IASI Statutes and By-Laws are online.

Past Presidents