AZ ORSZÁGOS SZÉCHÉNYI KÖNYVTÁR ÉVKÖNYVE 1968-1969. Budapest (1971)

III. Az OSZK munkáiból - Gombocz István: A nemzetközi kiadványcsere gazdasági vonatkozásai. Előzetes jelentés - Economic aspects of the international exchange of publications

Economic aspects oj the international exchange of publications I. GOMBOCZ On the initiative of Unesco the Commission on the exchange of publications put on his • agenda the problem of the economic aspects of the international exchanges, i.e. the evaluation of the exchange as a means of acquisition in comparison mainly with the acquisition through purchase. The Commission decided to base the study on the opinion of exchanging libraries all over the world. For that purpose two questionnaires were mailed in the course of spring 1969. One containing 9 questions for the exchange centres (on the centre's situation in the country, the transmission services, the centre's eventual survey over the exchange relations of other institutions in the country, etc.), an other more detailed for institutions having large exchanges (again with 9 questions on the type of exchange material available, on the standards used to evaluate the exchanges, on the problem whether the library takes into account the cost of personnel, material, etc. spent on exchange work, etc.) 23 replies were received from about 60 addresses of Questionnaire No. 1. With the exception of two, in each country one single centre functions. The majority of the centres perform transmitting services the costs of which are paid for by the centre itself. The centres are informed only of those exchanges effected by their intermediary, but not all of them keep a file on the institutions served, and no centre is keeping a central file of the exchanges • effected in the country either. Out of the 200 addressees 137 libraries sent back the Questionnaire No. 2. with the following result: 1) The majority of the libraries are of the opinion that the economic aspects have only a secondary role in the course of exchanges. 2) Most of the libraries have at their • disposal their own publications free of charge, whereas the commercial publications have to be purchased. 3) The majority of the libraries do not strive at establishing a balance in the exchanges and even less at calculating the price. 4) The libraries have not examined the rentability of the exchange work, but they undertake willingly to pay for the costs of personnel and material, because they are in need of publications not available through the commercial channel. The majority of the replies were scant of words, while others gave detailed replies. I amply quoted from the relevant literature when elaborating the single replies. Mainly because of the geographically disproportionate distribution of replies (many important countries have not sent back the questionnaires) the Commission decided at the Copenhagen •meeting to let continue the collection of data and to charge me with the elaboration of a final report for the next meeting. 366