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**************************************************************** Open Society Information
Programs Forum Budapest, 14 April 2000, Issue
50 **************************************************************** Projects and Initiatives of the OSI/Soros Foundations Network -EIFL Direct Project Update-Unexpected Outcome of Translation Project Competition in Bosnia -Lithuanian Books in Print Project -Lithuania Supports Translations on Public Policy and Public Administration Announcements -Improving Services to Public Library Users -The Library as a Community Center -Training Centers for Continuing Education for Librarians -Competition for Core Collections on Minority Women’s Issues and Women and Conflict -Europrix 2000 – Multimedia Prize Information Policy -UN Plans to Create Internet Expert Volunteer Groups Translations Published - Update Supplement -Information Programs at International Renaissance Foundation ======================================================= Projects and Initiatives of the OSI/Soros Foundations Network ======================================================= <http://search.global.epnet.com> (ID: eifl, password: your country name in English, in lower case letters. Country names that consist of two words should be typed without a space.) The Electronic Information for Libraries – Direct (EIFL Direct, for basic information on the project see the above website) was launched in September 1999. Since then 19 countries of the OSI network have started implementing it. The number of registered libraries is about 1,300 and figures are growing constantly. As the terms for the provision of electronic journals were negotiated with the tender winner EBSCO for a consortium of 39 countries, the subscription costs for individual countries were very favourable and participating countries are expected to cover them. In addition to setting up and coordinating the project OSI therefore is at the moment actively seeking sponsorship for the subscription. The strategy is to get central funding from ministries on behalf of the whole library community of each participating country. At the same time OSI New York is looking for additional funds from private sector companies. So far subscription costs for Albania, Czech Republic and South Africa have already been pledged by local ministries. The Czech Republic has funding secured for 4 years. Libraries are given free training of the use of databases in the framework of national training sessions and to date training has been completed in 18 countries. A second round of training seminars has started in April concentrating on areas outside the capital city in countries where the preliminary training has already been done. EBSCO is currently negotiating rights for new titles to be added to the databases at no additional charge. OSI has also started to collect English language titles from academic publishers in the region so that EBSCO can contact them and obtain electronic rights for their publications. This has been a particularly strong promoting point for the project, as in many cases this would be the first time that local scientific publications become available internationally in a searchable electronic database. The project has received international recognition for providing information to countries that earlier had been deprived from such information. The Library Journal considered EIFL Direct as one of the top ten important library projects in 1999 and awarded a plaque to OSI (a press release can be read at the EIFL website). The University of Massachusetts will soon begin a two-year impact study of the project. Project contact person is Anna Balogh, Electronic Publishing Development Program <abalogh@osi.hu>. UNEXPECTED OUTCOME OF TRANSLATION PROJECT COMPETITION IN BOSNIA Last year’s Translation Project competition in Bosnia attracted no applications. The reasons for this unfortunate outcome were the limited market (due to the fact that books generally reach only a third of Bosnia, and the character of the books, which makes them attractive for a limited market) and a virtual lack of exports to Croatia or Yugoslavia. Lack of professional translators and low purchasing power of the public only add to the problem. The situation deteriorated since 1998 when there were 13 applications submitted and 12 grants given. The Board of the foundation decided therefore to use the money for purchasing translations published in Croatia and Yugoslavia and donating them to local libraries, which will choose from some 70 translations already available paying 20% of their price. The foundations in Bosnia, Croatia, Montenegro and Yugoslavia are working together with CPD on further initiatives aiming reinvigorating the flow of books in this region. [based on information from Dzenana Trbic, Open Society Fund – Bosnia & Herzegovina <dzenana@soros.org.ba>] LITHUANIAN BOOKS IN PRINT PROJECT <www.lnb.lt/publications/katalogas/Pradzhia.htm> Open Society Fund - Lithuania (OSFL) supported the publication of Lithuanian Books in Print in 1998. The publisher of the catalogue was the Centre of Bibliography and Book Science of the National Library. Two versions were published, a printed (1,000 copies) and an electronic one (for the web address see above). Two hundred and twenty copies of the paper version were distributed free of charge to Lithuanian libraries by OSFL, 300 copies were sent, also free of charge, to bookshops through the Lithuanian Booksellers Association, 400 copies were sold at a publisher’s price through bookshops. This first issue of Books in Print was important for publishers as they had to review their lists of titles to check which ones were still in print. They received orders for some old titles from booksellers and libraries (until then bookshops refused to take such titles as they did not know the demand). The project cost the foundation 4,750 USD, excluding administrative costs connected with the a long preparatory period (organizing meetings of booksellers, publishers and librarians) and the foundation’s assistance in feasibility study organized and sponsored by the Council of Europe as well as the participation in the editorial work of the first edition. The second edition of Lithuanian Books in Print covering 1999 was published for the Vilnius Book Fair, which took place in February 2000. The print run was 250 copies but if there is demand more copies can be easily printed. The book is being sold through bookshops but the publisher (Centre of Bibliography and Book Science) would like to pass this project on to some other institution as they do not know how to make profit of it. It is difficult and unnatural for them to maintain regular contacts with publishers. The involvement of OSFL has had some positive impact. First, the awareness campaign of the idea of BIP, involving meetings and discussions with publishers, booksellers and librarians, strengthened links in the book chain. Second, a structure that can be taken over by a commercial body with the hope of making the project self-sustainable was brought to existence. The obvious lesson learnt, however, is that if you are starting a Books in Print project in your country which already has a market economy and if you have possibility to choose between a commercial body and the National Library, it may be wiser to choose the first one. [based on information Giedre Kadziulyte, Open Society Fund - Lithuania <giedre@osf.lt>] LITHUANIA SUPPORTS TRANSLATIONS ON PUBLIC POLICY AND PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION Over the last half a year the Ministry of Governmental Reform and the Open Society Fund - Lithuania have been working on a joint project supporting the publication of several translations of titles on public policy and public administration. A commission including representatives of both the ministry and the foundation as well as representatives of relevant academic institutions was set up. It compiled a list of recommended titles. The ministry later passed the project on the newly-established Institute for Public Administration. However, as the governmental partner was unable to make a decision for a long time, the foundation decided to invite several publishers with an interest in public policy and administration to apply for support to publish the recommended titles. As a result of this unilateral action the below grants were allocated (see below) and the translation of books began. The ministry later made a commitment (only in oral form) to buy up to 500 copies of each published title. At the moment it is still not clear whether they buy these copies or not as there is a governmental crisis in Lithuania (in 1999 three heads of the ministry were changed) and there are even proposals for a full elimination of the ministry and replacing it by an office. Publishers seems to be interested in this kind of publications as they hope there will be a certain demand from governmental institutions and universities and the project's initiators will help with promotion [based on information from Giedre Kadziulyte, Open Society Fund - Lithuania <giedre@osf.lt>] 1. Denhardt, Robert B.: Theories of Public Organization, $4,945, $230/author's sheet 2. Gulyas, Gyula (ed.): Public Service and Ethics, $4,600, $230/author's sheet 3. Guy, Peters B.: The Politics of Bureaucracy, 4th edition, $7,521, $230/author's sheet 4. Parsons, Wayne: Public Policy: An Introduction to the Theory and Practice of Policy Analysis, $12,374, $230/author's sheet -Logos Archive - the following texts have been added: 1. Battin, Patricia: The Silent Books of the Future -Publishing Legislation Online Project (PLOP) – material from Slovakia has been added. -John Hitchin: How to open and run a bookshop – Russian version has been added -Textbook Rental Schemes – majority of material is available now. The material was generated during a workshop conducted by CPD last October and in addition to general texts includes case studies from Armenia, Barbados, the Gambia, Georgia, Lesotho and Moldova. -Lists of titles supported within CEU Translation Project and ‘East Translates East’ Project have been added. 1. Domanski, Henryk: On the Verge of Convergence.
Social Stratification in Eastern Europe ======================================================= Information Policy ======================================================= UN PLANS TO CREATE INTERNET EXPERT VOLUNTEER GROUPS On 3 April Kofi Annan, the Secretary General of the United Nations, announced during the presentation of his Millennium Report the creation of the United Nations Information Technology Service (UNITeS). The Service is going to be a volunteer corps, whose task will be to train groups in developing countries in the uses and opportunities of the Internet and information technology. The full text of the report can be found at <www.un.org/millennium/sg/report>. ======================================================= Announcements ======================================================= IMPROVING SERVICES TO PUBLIC LIBRARY USERS The Network Library Program announces a Call for Proposals to improve both public and specialized library services to the community. Proposals will be accepted from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Ukraine, and Yugoslavia. As a public library aims to serve all citizens and groups, clients of public libraries, in addition to children, youth and adults, should include: people from minority groups (e.g., cultural, ethnic); people with disabilities (e.g., blind and partially sighted, hearing-impaired); people confined to their homes due to illness, age, or disability; people confined to institutions (e.g. hospitals, orphanages, juvenile detention centers and prisons). Thus, the Network Library Program seeks to explore with public and specialized libraries innovative strategies and approaches to making libraries accessible to and useful for the broadest possible public. There are three deadlines by which applications should reach NLP (1 May, 30 June and 29 September 2000) to allow for individual planning cycles of various libraries. However, as applications should be sent to local Soros foundations first, the foundations’ library programs should be consulted about local deadlines. More information can be received from Mr.Yervand Shirinyan, Network Library Program Coordinator <shirinyan@osi.hu> or the program’s website <www.osi.hu/nlp>. THE LIBRARY AS A COMMUNITY CENTER The Network Library Program announces a Call for Proposals to develop pilot projects that strengthen the position of libraries as community centers. Proposals will be accepted from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Macedonia, Moldova, Russia, Slovakia, Ukraine, and Yugoslavia. What do we mean by “the library as a community center”? Due to the changes of the last ten years many communities have lost their cultural and social center. Unemployed people need information about new job possibilities, youth need stimulating meeting places, children need enrichment programs that build on skills they are learning at school, the elderly need a place to read newspapers they can no longer afford to buy, and disabled people need an institution that will treat them with dignity and accommodate their disabilities. Public libraries are admirably suited to meet these needs: they can and should become the heart of the community. Successful applicants will demonstrate that they understand the needs of their communities and are prepared to offer innovative programming to meet these needs. A library serving as a community center might offer programs such as: health education, consultation on local laws and taxes, consultation on starting small businesses, job information for unemployed residents, after-school programs for children of working parents. Preference will be given to projects demonstrating cooperation with other institutions in the community, such as an NGO focusing on programs for youth, a state labor office, or a local hospital, etc. There are three deadlines by which applications should reach NLP (1 May, 30 June and 29 September 2000) to allow for individual planning cycles of various libraries. However, as applications should be sent to local Soros foundations first, the foundations’ library programs should be consulted about local deadlines. More information can be received from Mr.Yervand Shirinyan, Network Library Program Coordinator <shirinyan@osi.hu> or the program’s website <www.osi.hu/nlp>. TRAINING CENTERS FOR CONTNUING EDUCATION FOR LIBRARIANS The Network Library Program is seeking proposals from institutions in Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Latvia, Montenegro and Russia to serve as training centers for continuing education for librarians. By this we mean non-degree programs of professional development offered to staff currently employed in professional positions in libraries and information centers. It is envisaged that these centers will make a major contribution to the improvement of professional expertise within the region’s libraries. We anticipate funding no more than one center per country. We are seeking applications that propose to offer a broad range of topics to a wide target audience. Proposed centers should be prepared to offer continuing education to all interested librarians throughout their countries, regardless of type of library in which the librarians work. Collaborative proposals are encouraged: for example, we welcome partnerships among different institutions offering continuing education programs for different audiences (for example, public librarians, university librarians, school librarians). NLP is also interested in supporting centers that are open to participants from other countries. There are three deadlines by which applications should reach NLP (1 May, 30 June and 29 September 2000) to allow for individual planning cycles of various libraries. However, as applications should be sent to local Soros foundations first, the foundations’ library programs should be consulted about local deadlines. More information can be received from Mr.Yervand Shirinyan, Network Library Program Coordinator <shirinyan@osi.hu> or the program’s website <www.osi.hu/nlp>. COMPETITION FOR CORE COLLECTIONS ON MINORITY WOMEN'S ISSUES AND WOMEN AND CONFLICT The Network Library Program and Network Women’s Program are pleased to announce a network-wide competition for core collections on minority women's issues & women and conflict. Eligible to apply are institutions that have facilities where collections will be open to the public. Applicant institutions must be located in the countries of the OSI Network, including Belarus and Turkmenistan. The deadline for applications is 1 May 2000. The lists together with a description of the project can be viewed at the NLP website <www.osi.hu/nlp> under activities. More information can be received from Mr.Yervand Shirinyan, Network Library Program Coordinator <shirinyan@osi.hu>. The goal of the prize is to promote the creation, maintenance and use of artistic websites and cyber communities. These websites must at the same time be focused on themes that relate to UNESCO's areas of responsibility, i.e. education, science, culture, communication and informatics. The deadline for registration is1 June 2000, deadline for submission of entries is 1 July 2000. For more information contact <webprize@unesco.org> or check <www.unesco.org/webworld/webprize/2000/index.html> EUROPRIX 2000 – MULTIMEDIA PRIZE The Europrix MultiMediaArt is a Europe-wide contest for high quality multimedia products or applications judged by experts from 29 countries. This year's competition has seven categories: Knowledge and Discovery Bringing European Culture to the Digital World Supporting SMEs in e-Business and the Marketplace Empowering Citizens and Improving Democracy with Multimedia Serving Multilingual and Multicultural Europe First Steps and Bridging Society with Multimedia Multimedia for People in Mobility There will also be a special Students' Award. The deadline for submission is June 30th 2000 and entrants can register on-line at <www.europrix.org>, where also more information can be found. ======================================================= Translations Published - Update ======================================================= New titles published within the CEU Translation Project: BULGARIA 1. Elias, Norbert: Uber den Prozess der Zivilisation, 2nd vol., $3100 (for the 2 vol.), $66/author’s sheet CZECH REPUBLIC 1. Bell, Daniel: The Cultural Contradictions of Capitalism, $5,157, $222/author’s sheet 2. Hobsbawm, Eric: Nations and Nationalism Since 1780: Programme, myth, reality, $3,532, $310/author’s sheet 3. Giddens, Anthony: Sociology, $2 857, $ 4. Foucault, Michel: Surveiller et punir: naissance de la prison, $1,071, $53/author’s sheet LITHUANIA Sloterdijk, Peter: Kritik der Zynischen Vernunft, $11,500, $240/author’s sheet SLOVAKIA 1. Foucault, Michel: Surveiller et punir: naissance de la prison, $5,100, $250/author’s sheet 2. Woolf, Virginia: A Room of One’s Own, $5,300, $757/author’s sheet UKRAINE Davies, Norman: Europe: A History, $23,733 YUGOSLAVIA 1. Besancon, Alain: Le Malheur du siecle. Sur le communisme, le nazisme et l’uncite de la Shoah, $1,000 2. Zirade, Raul: Political Myths and Mythologies, $2,000 EAST TRANSLATES EAST: LITHUANIA 1. Gombrowicz, Witold: Diary (3 volumes), $14,730 (from Polish) 2. Aleksijevich, Svetlana: Chernobyl Prayer, $2,200 (from Russian) YUGOSLAVIA 1. Genis, Aleksandar: Dovlatov and Surroundings, $1,900 (from Russian) TRANSLATIONS PUBLISHED WITHIN OTHER PROGRAMS: BULGARIA Fausto-Sterling, Anne: Myths of Gender, Biological Theories about Women and Men, $1,800 (Gender/Women’s Studies Translations 1998) GEORGIA Popper, Karl: The Open Universe, $4,565 (Popper Grants) ======================================================= Supplement ======================================================= The text below presents a transformation of Publishing and Library Programs in Ukraine into an Information Program. Forum decided to include it to help foundations undertaking or planning such transformation within their strategy writing process. INFORMATION PROGRAMS AT INTERNATIONAL RENAISSANCE FOUNDATION At the 1999 Publishing Coordinators Meeting we discussed ways of transforming the publishing programs. Two of the presented models appeared to be applicable in Ukraine. They were a cooperation with other programs within a national foundation and support of information policy oriented projects. After a month long discussions the IRF publishing program experts reached an agreement: instead of a number of small publishing programs and projects they decided to launch three programs united by the unique goal: free access to information for Ukrainian society. The block of the programs, named now Information Programs, are the Translation Project, the Library Program and the Information Program. Translation project is a network program and has a clear network strategy, but IRF has added to it some specific elements. Other programs - School Development Program (SDP) in cooperation with the Institute for Educational Policy (IEP) and the Local Government Initiatives Program (LGI) – added their own lists of titles to be translated and published. These programs have included a special line in their budgets for translations. In this way the Translation Project (TP) in Ukraine received additional $65,000. The additional lists will be included in the main TP competition and all decisions will be made at joint expert boards meeting. This approach has stimulated interest from other donors in Ukraine. Democracy Education Project in Ukraine (Queens University, Canada) made a contribution to the program, recommending some titles to the project lists. US Embassy Publishing Initiative, for example, decided to give additional $10,000 to translation projects supported by IRF in 1999. Lobbying by experts from the other programs (SDP and LGI) helped obtain these contributions. The Library Program is now focusing exclusively on supporting Information Portals at Regional Public Libraries, which means that it will not support other kind of projects. The Information Program works in three dimensions. The "Law For Publishers" project supports initiatives aiming at improving existing legal infrastructure of publishing through lobbying and public discussion. Another part of the program is the competition "Local Authors’ Support", which is a grant-giving activity related to Higher Education Program priorities. IRF provides grants for publishing of titles in sociology, political science, European studies and educational management. Yet another part is a competition providing grants for initiatives introducing new ideas into publishing. So this program supports projects ranging in their focus from policy level, through academic titles to new technologies in publishing. It is still early to evaluate the program success. I would only like to say that the launch of these programs was smooth, and I hope that this setting will work well in the future, too. The support other IRF programs extended to the Information Block has been very encouraging. Mikhailo Minakov, Information Programs Director, International Renaissance Foundation <minakov@irf.kiev.ua> ======================================================= Open Society Information Programs Forum is published by the OSI Center for Publishing Development in collaboration with the OSI Network Library Program. Archive of back issues: <www.osi.hu/cpd/forum.html> Contact person: Jerzy Celichowski <celichow@osi.hu> Requests to be added to and removed from the mailing list: Monika Horvath <mhorvath@osi.hu> You can also contact us at: e-mail <cpd@osi.hu> =======================================================
© Center for Publishing
Development, 2000 |