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Regional Publishing Center, OSI-Budapest, 22 August 1997 Issue 6
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================================================================
In this issue
-From the editor
-Foundation Publishing:
George Soros's Letter to the Foundations
An ISBN Grant with Obligations in Kyrgyzstan
-Publishing General:
Scholarships for Publishing Studies at the Donau Universitaet FCEEBP
Annual Report
-Webite Review:
"City of Bits", An Electronic Book
-Translation Project - Update
================================================================
Dear Colleagues,
George Soros has sent an important letter to all foundation staff with
important implications for our publishing activities. New, innovative
projects are welcome, and the RPC looks forward to developing them
with you. The date of the end of financing the foundations is a
reminder that we must support institutions that will outlive the
foundations and will continue to exist without external support.
The grant in Kyrgyzstan is a good example of how much can be achieved
with relatively little spending. Each time the ISBN Agency in Bishkek
(the grantee) will allocate an ISBN free of charge instead of asking
for $15 as it is was earlier, the publisher will receive something
like a micro-grant of this value.
The website review in this issue highlights "City of Bits", an
electronic book which illustrates the promise, and the limitations, of
online book publishing.
And finally, I have the pleasure to announce the first book published
with the Translation Project in Moldova, another country where
publishing books is very difficult.
With best wishes,
Jerzy Celichowski
PS Next issue of Forum will be published a bit later than in the usual
two weeks due to business trips of the RPC staff involved. You can
expect it in about three weeks.
=================================================================
Foundation Publishing
=================================================================
*** George Soros's Letter to the Foundations ***
At the end of July George Soros sent a letter to all of the staff of
the foundations. The most important message was that new innovative
projects would be welcomed as the current rate of his capital
accumulation is still faster than the rate of spending.
Funds for regional programs will be available on top of the national
foundation's budget. This will still require a one-to-one match
between the national foundation and the regional program (now renamed
`network program').
The letter states that 2010 will be the last date that he will be
financing the foundations. He is also encouraging us to introduce more
programs, such as microlending, that will leave a lead to the
development of a viable business infrastructure. Self-sustaining
institutions that outlive the foundations should be created. [JC]
*** An ISBN Grant with Obligations in Kyrgyzstan ***
The Soros Foundation Kyrgyzstan granted the local Book Chamber Pentium
computer and a half year subscription for local and Russian
bibliographic magazines and newspapers.
The idea to assist the Kyrgyz Book Chamber, which has the
responsibility of ISBN allocation in the republic, was born after
discussions of ISBN problems at the ISBN seminar in Alatau, Kazakstan
in May 1997. In order to stop the practice of distribution ISBN for a
fee (15 US dollars per one number) and to assist local publishers, the
grant contract between the Soros Foundation - Kyrgyzstan and the local
Book Chamber contains a special clause about the obligation of the
Kyrgyz Book Chamber to provide local publishers with ISBNs free of
charge.
The total amount of the grant is 950 dollars USA: $800 for the
computer and $150 for the subscriptions. As the computer was in the
use at the Foundation for over one year, its book value is only $800
(the initial value was $1,500). [based on information from Irina
Rodionova, <irina@office.soros.bishkek.su>]
=================================================================
Publishing General
=================================================================
*** Scholarships for Publishing Studies at the Donau Universitaet ***
As in previous years, the Department of Cultural Studies of the Donau
Universitaet in Austria starts a postgraduate course
"Verlagswesen/Publishing" in October. The basic course "Verlagswesen"
is two semesters long. The more advanced "Publishing" lasts for four
semesters; its graduates receive an MA. The subjects taught are, among
others, Basics of the Theory of Culture, Editorial Skills, Technical
Skills, Publishing House as an Enterprise, Book Markets and Marketing,
Electronic Publishing. The language of instruction is German. Anyone
interested in taking this course and/or applying for one of the two
scholarships for students from Central and Eastern Europe covering
tuition and part of the costs of living should contact Ruediger
Wischenbart, Head of the Department of Cultural Studies at
<ruediger.wischenbart@univie.ac.at> More information is available on
Internet: www.donau-uni.ac.at/kultur/
[JC]
*** Fund for CEE Book Project Annual Report ***
The Fund for Central and East European Book Project has just published
its annual report. As their scope of interest is similar to ours, you
might be interested in obtaining a copy of it. It can be requested
from Ms.Vera Ebels, the Director of the FCEEBP, at <ecsinfo@pi.net>
[JC]
================================================================
Website Review
================================================================
*** "City of Bits", An Electronic Book ***
http://www-mitpress.mit.edu/e-books/
Online publishing in the humanities has so far proven most successful
with databases and journals. However, there have also been some
interesting experiments with book publishing on the internet. One of
the first academic monographs to be written for expressly for
publication on the World Wide Web was "City of Bits: Space, place and
the Infobahn" by William J. Mitchell.
Mitchell's book is a concise study of the cultural and social
implications of the digital telecommunications revolution. The print
version of this book, which was published by MIT Press in 1995, has
been added to the list of books recommended for the CEU Translation
Project. The electronic text contains a large number of links to other
websites, as well as an ever-growing body of comments and responses
from readers. [DC]
================================================================
Translation Project - Update
================================================================
New titles published within the project:
Moldova
Hobsbawm, Eric: Nations and Nationalism since 1780, grant: $4,607 +
$250 (copyright), $467/author's sheet (TP 96)
Russia
Brentano, Franz: Selected Works, grant $2,200, $200/author's sheet (TP
96)
Sontag, Susan: Selected Essays, grant $2,400, $200/author's sheet (TP
96)
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