Post by Deleted on Sept 17, 2007 12:21:53 GMT
TAS is the 'Technical Advisory Service', a rather grand name for a simple service run by the Society to provide what few other organizations or commercial magazines can offer. TAS draws on the specialised knowledge and expertise available within the membership nationally to answer members' questions on a wide range of modelling and prototype matters. Basically, if you're researching the colour a particular aircraft in a certain theatre of operations, or perhaps need to find a photo of a particular type of tank, we'll have a go at searching for the information for you. This service is free except for photocopying and postal charges.
Our New TAS Officer, Alfie Bass, has a vision of how he sees the the future of the service offered to our members, his thoughts are outlined below ...
I would like to see the IPMS (UK) TAS continue and I'm prepared to run it. The point made in the IPMS (UK) magazine that today everyone has their own reference library, access to online information and public libraries is perfectly valid. Why then do so many requests for assistance with specific information appear on the IPMS website Forum? The information is available somewhere but in a lot of cases not easily accessible because the modeller doesn't know where to look or even begin looking. Research is an art and is one that I learned through 10 years in the Specialist Technical Services department of the RAF. Some of the current EC may even remember me showing them around the Harrier Maintenance hangar at RAF Cottesmore a couple of years back? I have been in contact with Edgar Brooks and I'm fully in the picture of what the current IPMS Library consists of and how it is currently indexed. I can collect and store the 18 boxes of books and 4 filing cabinets of magazines with a few days notice.
I propose that the TAS continue in its present form for the immediate future. I would like to take it forward by:
Producing a relational database of all the articles that have appeared in the 40 years of the IPMS (UK) magazine. The IPMS (UK) was founded by modellers who grew up in the principal area of interest for most current members i.e. WW2. Those same modellers were part of the ATC, ROC or just plain spotters during the war years and their first hand knowledge of what they saw was transferred from their notebooks to the IPMS magazine. In my opinion, this information is priceless and has to a large extent been ignored by the current generation of modellers because they don't know it exists. I believe that the information should be available to them. Eventually, I envisage a web based database where specific articles can be requested through the TAS.
Transfer all copies of the IPMS (UK) magazine to CD-ROM, so that members can own their own library.
Expand the magazine database to include all articles from all modelling magazines that are held by TAS.
Further expand the database to include an index of what is contained in the books held by TAS.
Make the database available to members on CD-ROM.
Add my own collection of magazines and books to the database.
I know that this will be a massive undertaking that will take years to complete. However, I believe that the TAS can benefit IPMS and be used to increase membership of our society.
Our New TAS Officer, Alfie Bass, has a vision of how he sees the the future of the service offered to our members, his thoughts are outlined below ...
I would like to see the IPMS (UK) TAS continue and I'm prepared to run it. The point made in the IPMS (UK) magazine that today everyone has their own reference library, access to online information and public libraries is perfectly valid. Why then do so many requests for assistance with specific information appear on the IPMS website Forum? The information is available somewhere but in a lot of cases not easily accessible because the modeller doesn't know where to look or even begin looking. Research is an art and is one that I learned through 10 years in the Specialist Technical Services department of the RAF. Some of the current EC may even remember me showing them around the Harrier Maintenance hangar at RAF Cottesmore a couple of years back? I have been in contact with Edgar Brooks and I'm fully in the picture of what the current IPMS Library consists of and how it is currently indexed. I can collect and store the 18 boxes of books and 4 filing cabinets of magazines with a few days notice.
I propose that the TAS continue in its present form for the immediate future. I would like to take it forward by:
Producing a relational database of all the articles that have appeared in the 40 years of the IPMS (UK) magazine. The IPMS (UK) was founded by modellers who grew up in the principal area of interest for most current members i.e. WW2. Those same modellers were part of the ATC, ROC or just plain spotters during the war years and their first hand knowledge of what they saw was transferred from their notebooks to the IPMS magazine. In my opinion, this information is priceless and has to a large extent been ignored by the current generation of modellers because they don't know it exists. I believe that the information should be available to them. Eventually, I envisage a web based database where specific articles can be requested through the TAS.
Transfer all copies of the IPMS (UK) magazine to CD-ROM, so that members can own their own library.
Expand the magazine database to include all articles from all modelling magazines that are held by TAS.
Further expand the database to include an index of what is contained in the books held by TAS.
Make the database available to members on CD-ROM.
Add my own collection of magazines and books to the database.
I know that this will be a massive undertaking that will take years to complete. However, I believe that the TAS can benefit IPMS and be used to increase membership of our society.
Alfie Bass, IPMS (UK) TAS, 2 Oakdale Close, Grantham,
Lincolnshire NG318EZ
E-mail: alfie.bass@care4free.net
Lincolnshire NG318EZ
E-mail: alfie.bass@care4free.net
