Present: Sarah Ball (Dublin), Nuno Cardeira (Lisbon), Raymond Clarysse (Belgium), Malcolm Beasley (London), Gina Douglas (London), Brent Elliott (London), Sylvia Fitzgerald (London), Peter Hirsch (Berlin), Jane Hutcheon (Edinburgh), Lennart Hultin (Alnarp), Monika Almgren (Gothenburg), Sarah Jennings (London), Deborah Lane (London), Cees Lut (Leiden), Maria San Pio (Madrid), Diny Winthagen (Amsterdam), Roger Mills (Oxford), Maria Ad‚lia Diniz (Lisbon), Luis Catarino (Lisbon), Maria Joao Tendeiro (Lisbon), Luis Aveiro (Lisbon), Lisete Caixinhas (Lisbon), Maria Galamba (Lisbon) and Barbara Collecott (Wisley).

Apologies: Teresa Carlevaro (Genoa), Stefan Dressler (Frankfurt), John Flanagan (London), Ninfa Greco-libois (Sart Tilman), Annelise Hartman (Copenhagen), Gailit Kaia-Kadri (Tallinn), Sarah Loat (East Malling), Alfonzo Luezas (Las Palmas), Paolo Marini (Genoa), Marjatta Rautiala (Helsinki), Robert Stangl (Vienna), Anne Ussing (Copenhagen), Anne Welsh (Edinburgh), Colin Will (Edinburgh) and Tamara Tchernaja (St.Petersburg).

The EBHL Chairman, Malcolm Beasley, introduced the meeting and invited Dr. Luis Aveiro to present the theme: "Co-operation between Botanical and Horticultural Libraries." Afterwards, Margarida Galamba discussed the Library of the Instituto Superior de Agronomia (ISA).

Together, they confirmed the desire for participation in EBHL. They explained that ISA has a significant agricultural scientific library, and an important collection of current and historical botanical documentation. This includes overseas and Portuguese literature, especially West African and Brasilian coverage. They also explained the catalogue system, which uses classification by AGRIS from FAO, and CERES (ONU). They performed a live demonstration through the Internet to the IICT catalogue and showed JPEG images of some selected title pages currently being digitised with their catalogue records. They were looking forward to moving into a new Library building during 1999.

Next, Dr. Lisete Caixinhas of the ISA gave a fascinating illustrated review of Portuguese botanical gardens and their history.

After a break, Cees Lut demonstrated the Electronic Flora of the Netherlands on CD-ROM. The package used a standard mapping grid to analyse the recently recorded floral record which could be searched by a variety of search terms. Results could be displayed graphically and images of the plants displayed with supporting taxonomic data.

The Chaiman asked the members of the Group if they were involved in similar projects of digital imaging. The delegates from Kew Gardens, The RHS and the Linnean Society confirmed some work had begun. Lennart Hultin said that his institution had developed a project about digitizing old sources with descriptions of public parks in Swedish towns. This will be done as a three year project beginning in 1999, with money from the Royal Library of Sweden.

After lunch, Sylvia Fitzgerald presented a provisional version of her International Botanical Congress paper about the selection of botanical information to be saved for the future. She considered existing botanical documentation archives, with reference to what, for whom and how to preserve them. She distinguished publications from archives and manuscripts. Finally, she talked about the necessity of new methodologies and the approach to new technologies in practice.

Next, the EBHL Business Meeting took place. The Board first discussed finances and the membership fees being received. It was recorded that EBHL currently had 22 institutional members, 3 personal members and 6 associated paid-up members. This should result in more than two thousand guilders being available. The new membership directory had been distributed and invitations sent out to potential new members. The Board remained concerned that some members were unable to attend meetings for financial reasons. A suggestion was proposed by the Chairman that one thousand guilders be set aside for supporting travel to future EBHL meetings. It was unanimously agreed upon a show of hands and the suggestion adopted. Financial support will now be considered by the Board, to assist members attending future meetings.

The Treasurer will circulate an annual statement of EBHL accounts and these will be verified by two volunteer members (Jane Hutcheon and Deborah Lane).

The Chairman introduced Raymond Clarysse as the new Secretary and thanked him for his taking on the role from Liz De Keyser, who had done an excellent job.

Next, the EBHL logotype was discussed. Following the distribution by Monika Ivarsson of the only graphic suggestion, the Chairman offered to refer the design to the Natural History Museum`s Graphics staff for refinement. This was agreed and a further communication will follow.

Monika, next reviewed the EBHL web site and asked delegates how it may be improved or changed. It was recommended that the text should be enhanced to read Board of the EBHL, above those names on the Home page. This was agreed.

It was also agreed to include minutes from all previous meetings as an on-line archive.

Members were asked to ensure their e-mail addresses and OPAC links are always kept up to date.

There was discussion about what activities or events should be promoted on the site and under what headings.

Sylvia Fitzgerald felt that the site was a critical and significant contribution to European botany. This was noted and supported.

Roger Mills asked that modifications to the site should be notified to members through the e-mail list. This was agreed.

It was also agreed that a named contact at each institutional membership site should be responsible for ensuring its details were correct on the EBHL web site. We were reminded that Institutional Membership of EBHL is intended to allow up to four people per site to attend these meetings.

Members were encouraged by the Chairman to consider project proposals and to put them forward through the EBHL e-mail list facility to allow the membership to consider them. This could lead to collaboration and large project developments.

Exhibitions, new publications and events could be announced as News on the EBHL web site at any time.

The Chairman thanked Monika and her staff in Gothenburg for their continued effort in maintaining the EBHL web site. It was agreed that their hosting the pages should be clearly stated within the site.

Members were further encouraged by the Chairman to link their web sites to the EBHL pages and to continue to promote EBHL whenever possible.

Sarah Jennings asked that the discussion list continue to be used to exchange information and requests amongst the membership. Kew will continue to host the List facility.

A letter from CBHL was presented by the Chairman. Their President, Rita M.Hassert, has invited EBHL members to attend their annual meetings in the USA and has generously offered to cancel any registration fees for them. It is hoped that members from both groups will begin to attend each other`s annual meetings.

Gina Douglas outlined a new project to catalogue the works of Linnaeus, as recently discussed by the Linnaean Society and others in London. EBHL members will shortly be sent information and a questionnaire concerning this.

The Chaiman briefly discussed the International Botanical Congress in August 1999 and said that he is jointly organising part of the final session, which will concern the preservation of and access to botanical documentation. EBHL members were requested to look at the current Web sites relating to this, such as http://www.ibc99.org.

The Meeting was closed by the Chairman at 17.15 with a sincere vote of thanks to the IICT and its Botanic Centre Director for hosting the event and for making the facilities and refreshments available for the meeting.

Visits were made the next day to: The Library and Herbarium of the IICT Centro de Botânica, followed by the Jardim Botânico da Ajuda, the Jardim-Museu Agrícola Tropical of the IICT and finally, the Arquivo Histórico Ultramarino of the IICT.