Program Coordinator: Yegana Mamedova

Publishing Program has been launched in the Open Society Institute - Assistance Foundation since 1997. The key tendencies of the publishing program for the given period of time have become a support of the printed output publication in the national language, as well as conduction of the events on various themes. Work experience in this direction with the special emphasis on the grant activity aimed at the support of Azeri language literature publication haven't brought the expected results in the field of improvement of the state of the publishing sector in the country. The only advantage of such an approach has become increase of the paper production volume in the national language that hasn't had an impact on increase of the organization and activity level in the publishing sector.

At present, the followings might be selected among the existing problems in the field of publishing in the country:

• Dominance of print on demand instead of creative approach in Publishing (Publishing houses mostly work as Printing houses)
• Publishers Conservatism (fear of innovations, unbelief in success and possibility to implement other countries' successful experience in Azerbaijan)
• Lack of Distribution Sector/lack of readers services
• Disregard toward ISBN code/Copyrights issue
• Poor computerization and Internet access in the most Publishing Houses
• Passiveness in participation in Book fairs
• Lack of corporation among local publishers/poor international contacts
• Absence of any Methodological & Consulting Service for publishers
• Competition with Russian books
• Transition on Latin script (huge part of the information published in Cyrillic script is lost for present and future generations)

Taking into account all the abovementioned, as well as the program resources, OSI-AF Publishing Program has selected the following goals and objectives, which will become the main priority directions of the program in the aggregate for the current year of 2003.

Goals

• To enhance existing level of organization of Publishing Business in Azerbaijan
• To motivate publishers to increase financial support of Translation Projects

• Information collection
• Improvement of plane of education and knowledge of publishers, polygraphists and book vendors in utilization of advanced methods in mutual business development
• Distribution network development
• Attracting additional co-funding for TP prolongation

It should be also specified about one of the main priority directions of the publishing program - Translation Project, which is widely known among the publishing houses somehow or other cooperating with OSI-AF Publishing Program, as well as those participating in the competitions of this project. Translation project continues its activity within the current year.

The kernel of the project comes to that OSI-AF Publishing Program joint with "Next Page" Foundation (which submits lists of literature recommended for translation) announces translation and foreign book publishing competition within the framework of Translation Project once a year at least. Information on competition announcement and application receipt is usually announced in the local newspapers, Azerbaijan OSI-AF official site and another site AzerWeb, which is also supported by Azerbaijan OSI-AF and information desks in OSI-AF office. Participation terms in the competition are usually received in the OSI-AF reception room. One of the main terms to participate in the competition is a co-sponsorship of the applying publishing house. Depending on the terms of the definite competition, applications might be received from both only the local publishing houses and other organizations functioning in the territory of our state.

So, OSI-AF Publishing Program activity for the year of 2003 is determined by intensification of the accent in conduction of the such events as trainings, seminars, conferences promoting increase of the knowledge level of the publishers working in Azeri publishing sector, as well as support of publishers in participation in the specific international events. Along with the active training activity with the attraction of foreign specialists, Publishing Program will also be rendering feasible material and technical assistance, mostly via conduction of the competition in the specific thematic. Support of the literature publishing projects doesn't relate to the field of Publishing Program activity and the only direction maintaining replenishment of the book fund of the country is an abovementioned Translation Project. Having increased level of the publishing sector level in the country via conduction of number of the planned events, an opportunity to create the required conditions for the local publishers in order they would be able to publish the required paper production in the country independently and filling one of the most complicated deficiency arisen from the country's passing to the Latin script has appeared. Such an approach included in the improvement of the condition in the publishing field at present is more effective and long-term in comparison with the previous one.

It is planned to take a main decisive step to improve the state of the publishing sector in the current year via establishment of the "Book club" in Azerbaijan, which analogous have been established in various countries.

Speaking about advantages of cooperation of the Publishing Program the followings should be specified:

• OSI-AF Publishing Program cooperates only with the registered publishing houses;
• project ideas submitted for consideration in OSI-AF Publishing Program should also indicate Program's priority directions;
• expensive projects submitted to OSI-AF Publishing Program should have co-sponsors;
• long-term projects with the further financial independence are encouraged.