REGIONAL SEMINAR ON BIBLIOGRAPHY, DOCUMENTATION, AND EXCHANGE OF PUBLICATIONS, ORGANIZED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF MEXICO WITH THE COLLABORATION OF UNESCO (MEXICO CITY, NOVEMBER 21- DECEMBER 4, 1960).

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP68-00069A000100100015-1
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 17, 1998
• Sequence Number: 15
• Publication Date: December 9, 1960
• Content Type: MEMO

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Memorandum
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
TO Lewis 0. Coffin, Associate Director, DATE: December It 1960
Processing Department
FROM
SUBJECT:
,amt Xontgomory, Heel, Hispanic Dzohange aectisa,, Irchangs and
Gift Division
Regional Seminar on Bibliograpbj. Doauaentatien, and 3mob& s
of Publication, organised by the Government of Mexico with
the collaboration of IInesco (Mexico City, November 21-Deesabsr
4, 1960).
?,4.5 L 1
The original plan was to divide the members of the 3esdaer into
three groups, each oars to consider one of the topics mentioned. However,
most countries had sent only one d?le,gate, and most participants vets
interested In all of the topics. Therefore, the three topics wore taken
up cons?sutively, and only on 2 or 3 ocoasions wore separate meetings
hold.. The conclusions (minas details) reached are as foll?wsi
1. Bibliogrspky of Central America and the Caribbean.
Group I of the Seminar constituted a Third Reainar on Jibliog-
rs of Central America said the Caribbean. The first two senjIMB" were
held in Havana in 1955 and in Panes,, in 1966, and resulted in publication
of the 31bl1o raffia At C?ntroaMrica Z Carib., edited annually b
Fermin P?rasa in Savona. The 1986..1958 Tolaaes have been published by
various means, and the 1959 volume is now in press in Havana. The Brass
lien Government has offered to publish the 1960 volume.
It was decided to expand this bibliography as rapidly as possible
to include other countries of Latin America, and to change the title to
Bib ia is AS AWrIc Ist j . Argentina and Chile are to be included in
the forthcoming 1959 volume, and Uruguay will be included in 1960.
For the time being only books and pamphlets are included; addi-
tional bibliographies for periodicals and reference works are contemplated.
Hntri?s are to be supplied by ?bibliographic groups" in each
country. It is hoped that beginning with 1961 the publication can be fi-
nanoed from the sale of copies.
IInesco is trying to encourage each country to publish its national
bibliography; it was thought that the Biblioerafia At A"riC laths would
not obviate their publication.
2. Bibliography and Documentation.
Group II concentrated on the possibility of establishing docu-
mentation centers in various countries. It was agreed that the follows
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steps are presequisite:
(a) Betablish objectives
(b) Determine the existing resources
(a) Determine what is needed
(d) Provide for financing the project.
The University of Chile has evolved a plan for establishing a bibliographic
and documentation center, and I believe they will carry it out.
There was a goad deal of dispassion of a possible union catalog
of the holdings of Latin American libraries. The Brazilians are very
enkbusiastic about this, but most delegates agreed that this is something
for the distant future and that each country mast first organize its own
libraries, catalog all holdings, and establish national union catalogs.
Better education for librarians (including bibliographers) is also criti-
cally needed.
3. ]exchange of publications.
This is a topic which has been such discussed, with little tangi-
ble result, and a good deal of what was said was repetitious.
It was agreed that Latin American librarians will try to work for
ratification of the Unesco draft convention of 1958 by their governments.
In this connection, Unesco plans to help organize round table meetings in
each country to which Government officials and other influential persons
will be invited. Postal and customs difficulties would also be discussed.
It was generally agreed that new international agreements are
not needed so such as compliance with the existing agreements. There was
no enthusiasm for a new Inter-American convention at this time.
Several countries are interested in establishing national ex-
change centers. This question, with special attention to calculation of
the cost, would be included in the agendas of the proposed round tables.
Unesco may possibly be able to help set up an exchange center in one of
the smaller countries having a good output of publications, such as Peru,
Chile, or Colombia.
Most delegates felt that international exchange activities should
be centered in the National Library rather than the Ministry of Foreign
Relations. Uruguay is now in the process of making this change, and this
action was oommendet.
Miss Ball from USBB described its activities with emphasis on
its limitations. The example of Ui8s may assist others, particularly
the proposed Chilean documentation center.
Delegates expressed the hope of having another Seminar in 1962
or 1963, possibly in Santiago, Chile.
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