Library and information resources have been recognized as an essential part of nation's resources and national information infrastructure. Therefore, systematic and up-date strategic and policies on library and information resources are needed to assure the accessibility and usability of information to individual users(citizen). This study reviews the various of national initiatives, legislations, current situation, etc. related to library and information services in Korea.

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The National Library of Korea (NLK) has been facing big changes since before 2005. Since execution of Library & Information Policy was transferred from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and reorganization of the Library was implemented in 2004, there were new developments: NLK's public policy vision was announced, Small Library Promotion Team was launched, the National Library for the Children and Young Adults opened, and the National Digital Library is under construction to open in 2008. This article will look over vision of "The National Library of Korea 2010" and study the NLK's policies in two areas, which are Library Informatization and Public Library Promotion. Furthermore, this will review the NLK's relationship with "Library & Information Policy Committee" and the modification of Policy development function.

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The online database services market in Korea has expended to KRW473.9 billion in 2005, keeping up its growth by an annual average of over 30% since the year of 2001. This article reviews the trend and prospect of the database services market in Korea and the relevant policies as well covering pending issues and challenges for the next decades.

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According to the statistic of the worldwide patent filings reported by WIPO, the total number of applications in 2004 was 1,599,000. The patent offices of Japan and the United States were the largest recipients of filings, followed by Republic of Korea. Korea learned from getting rid of financial crisis in the 1990's and taking the defensive posture against offensive attacks by foreign companies in the background of counterfeiting and the export expansion. As a result, Korea was developed to be a big patent power based on technological changes and innovations for acquiring patents as their own property. Korean strong will to be a big patent power seems to imply the attitude of growing out of the past and exploring the way for countercharging against the world. We will seek the background of the radical growth in Intellectual Property (IP) area that was made by Korea, by comparison with Japan turning from an industrialized power to an IP power.

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In Korea, free online library services are available for e-books which users can access by visiting library website from anywhere at any time. Those services were launched at the initiative of the central government to bridge the information gap by region and IT proficiency for nationwide informatization to meet the broadband era. Korean digital library has emerged as a new type of library which was made focusing on the user's convenience and plays a central role in the 21st century, the age of knowledge and information. This is to introduce its purpose and actual examples of usage in light of local internet circumstances, environmental background, and trends in use of the service.

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Portfolio assessment is one of the methods of authentic assessment. It is a way to assess a portfolio that is a systematic collection of a variety of learner products. In the U.K., it is adopted both for library information science education in universities and for CILIP's qualification system for information professions. This paper focuses on the portfolio assessment as one of the evaluation methods for professional development.

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HUMI Project has been carrying out research on utilization of images obtained by digitization of rare books since the beginning of its activity. A new style of research in the humanities by making extensive use of digital images and computer is called "Digital Bibliography". In the present article, Digital Bibliography will be illustrated in accordance with the three levels of application of computers for the utilization of digital images. Certain issues for consideration in the general use of digital images in the fields of humanities will also be described.

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