Recent Publishing Trends and Developments in Poland

Abstract

The 1990s witnessed great volatility in the publishing industry in Poland. Numerous new publishers emerged while the major ones reorganized. Using the Polish professional literature, attendance at the International Book Fair in Warsaw, and interviews, the author analyzes recent developments in publishing, concentrating on publishing houses.     

混乱时代里的永恒:美国数字出版和书籍销售的近期发展趋势

数字技术扰乱了图书出版的各个方面。40多年前这种影响就已开始,但最近几年随着电子阅读器的出现和廉价互联网的普及,它对大众出版的影响愈趋强烈。技术已经导致图书出版商的部分传统功能被其他领域的个人和组织取代。这种现象引起了出版商对价值链有何独特贡献的激烈讨论。出版商的传统角色和职责正在发生改变,未来这种变化将更加剧烈。     

An Initial Report on the Publishing Activities of the Italian Minority Communities in Croatia and the Istrian and Dalmatian Diasporic Communities in Italy

The report focuses on the publishing activities of the Italian minority communities in Croatia and the Istrian and Dalmatian diasporic communities in Italy. These publications take a variety of forms and include monographs, belle-lettres, reference works, Italian-language textbooks, contemporary literature, and academic journals. Some are published by local organizations, others by university and commercial presses, while others are privately funded. The report is a preliminary effort to document scholarly resources that are important to both Slavic and Italian studies.     

Glimpses of Indian Publishing Today in the Words of Publishing Professionals

The Indian Publishing industry has come of age as books published in India are highly acclaimed at the international level. The standards of production are also comparable to the world market. Inspite of all these developments there is a vacuum in sharing information about the industry and its personnel. There is no journal on the publishing industry at the moment. I came up with the first issue in December 2006 containing an interview with a publishing professional and news about the industry with the title Publishing Today (PT). The present article is from the interviews in PT and from my editorials.     

Jubilee Conference in Honor of the Eighty-Fifth Anniversary of the Russian Book Chamber

ABSTRACT

The jubilee conference in honor of the 85th anniversary of the Russian Book Chamber (RBC) consisted of three parts: the 10th International Conference on Issues of Bibliology, a conference of the Association of Book Chambers, and a ceremonial session. The bibliology conference, the most important part, included discussion of such pressing problems as the decline of reading and book-buying in Russia, the difficulty of distributing books outside of Moscow and St. Petersburg, and the problems caused by lack of modern equipment in printing establishments. But progress has also been made, e.g., the RBC's establishment of a single information platform for all participants in the book trade.     

Architectures of Knowledge and Literary Tradition: A History of the Almanac in Croatia

ABSTRACT

The history of the almanac in Croatia is reconstructed through primary research in bibliographic and archival sources. The almanac is a vehicle for knowledge communication in informal contexts, engaging both oral tradition and literary forms traceable to medieval literacy and ways of structuring knowledge. The history of the almanac in Croatia reflects the changing context of the book trade, literacy, and the evolution of language. Four main stages are identified: (1) the beginning of the annual almanac in the seventeenth century; astrological almanacs reflecting the sensibility of the Baroque period; (2) the Enlightenment's stimulation of almanac publishing in the spirit of contemporary secular reforms in agriculture and education; (3) nineteenth-and twentieth-century almanac trade, showing complex and overlapping networks for the production, distribution and appropriation of printed almanacs;(4) roughly the end of World War II, when the almanac slowly moved out of the role of a popular mass medium and into specialized niches represented by regional, diaspora, and religious almanacs.     

The Greek Publishing Industry and Professional Development

In the Greek publishing industry, tradition and the desire for innovation go hand in hand. The industry is influenced by European developments in publishing and bookselling in terms of book promotion methods, the role of chain bookstores and the impact of information technology. Greece shares the features of other small book markets in Europe, whilst retaining the individuality defined by the Greek language and the country’s cultural and social conditions. This article provides an overview of the publishing industry in Greece through a review of the relevant literature and the available statistics. This work also focuses on the need to develop publishing skills through publishing education and continuous professional development.     

Publishing in Bosnia and Hercegovina

Abstract

The article contains several sections, the first of which covers publishing in Bosnia and Hercegovina (including the Muslim-Croat Federation and Republika Srpska) throughout history, focusing on the period 1945-1998. The second section is devoted to a review of recent publications, which are broken down into (1) newspapers and periodicals that appear more frequently than monthly, (2) serials analyzed by subject, (3) significant monographic publications, and (4) a brief survey of publishers and collections.     

Russian Publishing, 2000-2001

Abstract

The Russian government is exerting increasing control over the country's media, although the media are resisting. This government-media conflict is relevant to Western academics and libraries, because the variety and quality of Russian periodicals is at stake. In addition, if the media are constrained, publishers of books are likely to experience restrictions, too. The difficulties the government is having in controlling the media, however, are a measure of how much Russia has changed. At the same time this conflict is occurring, book publishing is thriving. Official statistics show the number of titles published surpassed even the previous record set in 1977. Planning is in progress to restructure the state book industry sector, including publishing, printing and distribution. Book prices have increased more rapidly than inflation, and postage costs have also increased. Russian Press Service is doing its best to keep its prices to Western libraries down.     

宋代医书之编刊及其背景考略

宋代编刊了大量医书,文章从官方重视、组织机构、医学繁荣、刻书发达四个方面论述了其背景.     

德国电子出版业当前总体趋势及未来的发展

在2006年举办的"首届数字时代出版产业发展与人才培养国际学术研讨会"上,我发表了关于当前德国电子出版业发展趋势的演讲,在这里我希望延续这个报告.我的演讲将概述以下三点:电子书的销售与发行研究;2007年德国电子出版业发展状况;2007、2008年度电子出版创新奖.     

近十年国内外图书馆出版研究与实践述评

[目的/意义]了解国内外图书馆出版研究与实践现状,归纳热点研究主题,总结当前实践进展,提出未来发展建议。[方法/过程]采用文献调研法与网络调查法,对近十年国内外图书馆出版研究与实践现状进行调研和分析。[结果/结论]在对国内外研究与实践的比较分析基础之上,从丰富图书馆出版研究、完善图书馆出版机制、提高图书馆出版服务能力、融入学术出版生态系统、提供学术出版版权服务5个角度提出对未来我国图书馆出版研究与实践的建议,以期对我国图书馆出版研究与实践有所裨益。     

Trials and Triumphs in the Polish Book Trade Since 1989

ABSTRACT

After a brief look at the Polish book trade under communism, the article examines developments since communism's collapse in late 1989, concentrating on monographs. The initial mushrooming of publishers was followed in 1992 by the failure of Sk?adnica Ksi?garska as the monopoly book distributor. Since then, a number of private wholesalers have emerged; publishers are also distributing their out-put themselves. The system is now working well for the majority of publications. However, it is often not particularly effective for scholary books. Reasons, consequences, and tactics for coping are discussed.     

Dissemination of public health information: key tools utilised by the NECOBELAC network in Europe and Latin America

Background: Open Access (OA) to scientific information is an important step forward in communication patterns, yet we still need to reinforce OA principles to promote a cultural change of traditional publishing practices. The advantages of free access to scientific information are even more evident in public health where knowledge is directly associated with human wellbeing. Objectives: An OA ‘consolidation’ initiative in public health is presented to show how the involvement of people and institutions is fundamental to create awareness on OA and promote a cultural change. This initiative is developed within the project NEtwork of COllaboration Between Europe and Latin American Caribbean countries (NECOBELAC), financed by the European Commission. Methods: Three actions are envisaged: Capacity building through a flexible and sustainable training programme on scientific writing and OA publishing; creation of training tools based on semantic web technologies; development of a network of supporting institutions. Results: In 2010–2011, 23 training initiatives were performed involving 856 participants from 15 countries; topic maps on scientific publication and OA were produced; 195 institutions are included in the network. Conclusions: Cultural change in scientific dissemination practices is a long process requiring a flexible approach and strong commitment by all stakeholders.     

Here Today,Gone Tomorrow: The Vicissitudes of Vendor/Library Relations in the Slavic and East European Book Trade

ABSTRACT

This paper discusses the transformations in the Slavic and East European book trade in the 1990s. Among the challenges these changes pose to Slavic librarians are a profusion of new vendors, very small print runs, and a general breakdown in bibliographic control throughout the region. It argues that vigilant and timely selection is critical in order to obtain materials before they go out of print. Cultivating direct relationships with vendors both in North America and in the region is also required in order to continue to build Slavic collections successfully. It also considers the performance of English language approval plan vendors, electronic vs. print, and the ominous implications that the trend toward mergers and economies of scale hold for library collections.