1895-2002 FID Achievements.
Page archived from Michael Buckland, Professor Emeritus of School of Information (previously School of Library & Information Studies), Berkeley, CA
The International Federation for Information and Documentation,
(FID), founded in Brussels by Paul Otlet and Henri LaFontaine in 1895 to promote universal access to all recorded knowledge.
1895 On 12 September, Henri La Fontaine and Paul Otlet found the Institut International de Bibliography / International Institute for Bibliography in Brussels.
1895 Conférence Bibliographique internationale, Brussels. 55 international conferences through 1994.
1895 The Univeral Bibliographical Repertory is started, reaching 11 million cards by 1914.
1895 Extensive publication programme begins, including many UDC schedules.
1903 The "Monographic principle" of isolating and linking factual elements of text anticipates modern hypertext.
1904-7 First complete edition of the UDC. The Dewey Decimal Classification is substantially adapted with systematic standard subdivisions and an expanded notation into the Universal Decimal Classification (UDC). The UDC is widely adopted, especially in technical libraries. It is the first classification scheme to be based primarily on facets.
1906 Standardized microfiche proposed by Robert Goldschmidt and Paul Otlet.
1924 Re-organized to become an international federation of documentation organizations.
1925 Goldschmidt and Otlet describe a portable microfilm library equal to 468 meters of shelving of conventional books.
1931 Becomes Institut International de Documentation, IID.
1934 Traité de documentation by Paul Otlet published, one of the completest analyses of documentation / information science ever written.
1935 The 1935 International Congress in Copenhagen was especially significant for the discussions of information technology. (Proceedings in IID Communicationes 3 (1936)).
1937 Becomes Federation Internationale de Documentation, FID.
1950s-1960s Renewed publication program, incl. Otto Frank, Handbuch der Klassification. 1947-60; Manual on Document Reproduction. 4v. + 7 suppl., 1953-60; Otto Frank, Handbuch der Reprographie 4v. 1959-68; On Theoretical Problems of Information, ed. I. A. Mikhailov. Moscow: VINITI, 1969.
1960 Outline of a long-term policy. FID, 1960. (Adopted 1959).
1970s Renewed research and publication, incl. Sparck Jones, K. & M. Kay. Linguistics and information science. New York: Academic, 1973; Research on the theoretical basis of information, Moscow: VINITI, 1975; Theoretical problems in informatics. Moscow: VINITI, 1979.
1986 Becomes Fédération Internationale d'Information et de Documentation, FID. FID's New Strategic Plan "Participating in Progress" adopted.
1991 New professional programme: Business finance and industrial information; Information policy; Information science; Applied information technology; Information processing and productivity; Information management.
1991 Functions redefined: Education and training; Conferences and services; Publications; Projects; Personal networks; and Consultancy.
1994 New Membership structure approved. Tokyo Resolution: 33 international non-governmental organizations join FID in a strategic alliance to serve better the World Community.
2002 FID is dissolved.