In mid January 1997 a telephone survey was canied out on a random sample of 800 Icelandic children ages 10, 12,14 and 16 years of age, 100 girls and 100 boys in each age group. The response rate was 88.5%. The purpose was to examine some factors related to publications for children in the Icelandic language, including books as Christmas gifts, reading habits and Internet use. The majority of children in all age groups received books as Christmas gifts, mostly new publications. Reading is a common pastime among children, mostly among the younger groups. Girls read more than boys in all age groups. CDs are more common than bootes as presents among the 14- and 16-year-olds, but computer games are rare, particulary among girls. The Internet is used more by boys than girls in all age groups but use patterns vary as well as choice of access points. The author emphasizes the need to use the Internet systematically as a tool in cultural preservation.

The Nordic Electronic Research Library is a concept which NORDINFO, the Nordic Council for Scientific Information, will use as an umbrella for its activities during the coming years. The concept is based on national developments within the research library sector in each of the five Nordic countries, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. The goals of the Nordic Electronic Research Library are built on national goals, which in general terms are to make scientific and technical information easily available in all the Nordic region, independent of subject area, publication form and location of the user. This paper explores briefly the developments of the electronic research library in the Nordic region and how the concept is carried out. NORDINFO provides grants and project money to support coordination and cooperation within the field and the question is raised as to how NORDINFO can assist this development and increase cooperative efforts.

Educational development in Iceland during the past 10 years has been marked by day advent of information technology. All schools are now linked to the Internet through the Icelandic Educational Network, Ismennt. Primary school libraries have been relatively slow to adopt technology, and the school library has frequently been left out of the automation of the schools. Secondary school libraries are more advanced, most of them have now automated their library collections, and secondary school libraries have their own listserv and cooperation committee to lead to development.

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Icelandic culture is fi rmly based in the native language and literary traditions, which are very much alive, although the population is less than 300,000. Icelanders publish more books per capita than any other country, literacy rate is high, and access to the Internet is almost universal. Modern libraries are increasingly offering electronic services along with services from printed sources. Every Internet user has access to one union catalogue, Gegnir, which covers the holdings of all types of libraries. Nation-wide licences have been signed with vendors of electronic information, providing unlimited access to 34 databases and 8000 full text scientific journals. Icelandic websites are collected according to new deposit legislation and old Icelandic print and manuscripts are being digitized and placed on the Internet. New governmental information policy supports the role of libraries in the information society.