Document details

National Book Policy: A Guide for Users in the Field

Paris: UNESCO, 2nd revised ed. (2005), 68 pp.

Series: Professional Training Library

ISBN 92-3-103993-8

Other editions: 1st ed. 1997; French ed.: La politique nationale du livre: un guide pour le travail sur le terrain; also published in Arabic and Spanish

Signature commbox: 20-Books-E 2005

"A useful practical guide for all those involved in setting up book policy strategies, and the formulation and adoption of national book acts, especially those in the developing world. It sets out the objectives of a national book policy, and then deals with a review of the sub-sectors concerned (i.e. author, publisher, printer, distributor/bookseller, and the reader and libraries), examining policy definitions, the law relating to books, the different components of book development, and providing guidelines for book policy strategies. A separate chapter deals with textbooks for schools, and two appendices cover “Formulating a national book policy” (including aspects of evaluation and development strategies), and “A model book law”." (Hans M. Zell, Publishing, Books & Reading in Sub-Saharan Africa, 3d ed. 2008, nr. 2030) [refers to the first edition]
"National Book Policy is not based on theory: it is the fruit of twenty years' experience in developing countries - particularly in Latin America - where the implementation of such a policy has made many people aware of the often quite astonishing increase in their publishing potential." (Back cover)
The book: an interlinked process, 15
Objectives of a national book policy, 17
Subsectors concerned, 19
Assessment, 23
Policy definition, 27
Different components of book development, 29
The Book Law, 36
Consultation and co-ordination between public and private sectors, 37
Book policy strategy (guidelines for fieldwork), 39
Specific aspects of textbook production policy, 48
Appendix 1. Formulating a national book policy, 54
Appendix 2. A model book law, 57