A study on the improvement of the distribution system of government publications in Korea

우리나라 정부간행물의 유통체계 개선에 관한 연구

The objective of this study is to catch hold of the problem occurring in the process in which librarians have obtained government publications and to show the method that can construct the rational distribution system of government publications. For this study, total 56 librarians who work for 44 institutes sponsored by central government and 12 institutes sponsored by local government were chosen as the objects of research and questionnaire survey to know how to obtain government publications. How to construct the rational distribution system of government publications is as follows. (1) The exclusive organization to manage overall service for government publications should be established newly or previous similar organization should be reorganized. (2) As reinforcing the law concerning deposit copy, government publications should be distributed obligatorily to all of the depository agency, and the depository library system of government publications should be introduced and managed newly. Especially the management of deposit copy and the depository library system of government publications should be undertaken by the exclusive agency of government publications. (3) Free-government publications should be converted to pay-government publications as much as possible so that everyone can purchase government publications easily. And free-government publications which are difficult to convert to pay-government publications should be distributed according to rational standard by the exclusive agency of government publications. (4) Pay-government publications should be sold by private distribution organization under exclusive agency of government publications. Also printing, editing and pricing of pay-government publications should be done by private distribution organization to compete with general books. (5) In order to promote the sales of pay-government publications, the sales centers of government publications must be established even in city and county. Also special government publications which have much demand should be sold even in general book stores. Especially the management of the sales centers should be undertaken by private distribution organization. (6) It is necessary to abolish or improve unreasonable regulations or system related to government publications and to make legislative, institutional devices for government publications. (7) The public relations for government publications should be enforced much through TV or radio etc. , and the various bibliographic tools of government publications should be developed and disseminated for the sake of much utilization of government publications. (8) By using new technology like CD-ROMs or communication networks, electronic production and distribution of government publications should be push ahead positively. And electronic information distribution center to su n.0, pport it should be established by government agency.