Official Publications in Britain - Hardcover

The pattern of official publishing in Britain continues to change. This second edition aims to present a concise and up-to-date overview of the range of current official publishing. It is intended for practising librarians, students in departments of library and information studies and users of official publications to help them to discern the pattern of official publishing today. Her Majesty's Stationary Office is the largest single general publisher of official material, but its output represents only a small proportion of the total. The great majority of official publications are published directly by government departments, public bodies and local authorities. Despite advances in bibliographic control, some of these publications are still relatively little known and underused. Developments in electronic publishing have begun to have a significant impact in the offical publications field with online and CD-ROM databases becoming more common. This book examines the nature and organization of official publishing in Britain at national, regional and local levels, the extent and adequacy of bibliographic control, and the ways in which these publications may be selected and acquired. Publications are discussed in the context of the functions and work of the different kinds of official bodies responsible for producing them.