Official Publishing

Book excerpt: Official Publishing: An Overview is an international survey and review of the role, organization, and principles of official publishing. More specifically, it examines the organization, development, and effectiveness, including the economics, of state publishing as a means of communication between government and public, together with its relationship to the wider field of official information and communication activities. It also makes a broad comparison of the organization of publishing in the United Nations and its main agencies as well as some non-UN international organizations, particularly the European Communities and the OECD. Comprised of 32 chapters, this book opens with an introduction to the scope and importance of official publishing, followed by a discussion on official publishing in various countries such as Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, and India as well as Hong Kong, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Norway, Britain, and the United States. Official publishing in international organizations such as the United Nations, World Bank, OECD, NATO, and the European Communities is also considered. Subsequent chapters focus on various aspects of official information, including growth, framework, machinery, objectivity, accessibility, finance and economics, and control. The book also describes information centers and specialist entrepreneurs before concluding with an assessment of future prospects for official publishing. This monograph will be a useful resource for librarians, bibliographers, researchers, students, and other major users of the end-products of official publishing.