6. Information and Documentation

6.3 Publications

Throughout the year under review, a conscious effort continued to be exerted toward the implementation of the recommendations contained in the Report of the External Review Panel (1985). However, this effort was diffuse as resources and resource constraints remained at the 1985 level while the workload generally increased with the increase in the number of scientific staff.

The following publications were produced in 1986:

• Agroforestry Systems, Vol 4, Numbers 1-4 (Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, Dordrecht, in collaboration with ICRAF)

• ICRAF Newsletter Numbers 16, 17and 18

• 5 ICRAF Working Papers (See Appendix 6)

• 7 ICRAF Reprints (See Appendix 6)

• 1 book. Directory of Multipurpose Tree and Shrub Seed Directory. (Owing to the highly complex nature of the material and the camera-ready copy mode of production, the compiler. Peter G. von Carlowitz, provided direct supervision during production.)

• Annual Report for 1985.

As in 1985, full use was made of microcomputers for word processing, thus ensuring that documents in manuscript form were as free of spelling and typographical errors as possible. This, in turn, resulted in a lowering of costs and a saving in time as the typesetter was able to copy the documents directly from our computer and to go directly into "type" without having to input the text again.

Although we continued to receive inquiries about the orders for Council publications which have been out of print for varying periods of time, only one of the titles was reprinted: Louise Buck (ed): Proceedings of the Kenya National Seminar on Agroforestry; this was reprinted, with the Council's permission, by the Peace Corps for their use only. However, with regard to other titles, the information requested was provided in the form of photocopies of individual chapters and papers at a nominal charge. This was facilitated by the installation of a Cannon NP 7550 photocopying machine capable of printing on both sides of a sheet of paper and of producing 50 copies per minute, which considerably improved reproduction capacity. The Council continued to rely on skills and resources externally available in Nairobi for the greater part of the processes involved in the assembly and manufacture of a publication — design and typography, illustrations and artwork, typesetting, printing and binding.

The idea of desktop publishing continued to attract and to tempt the publications staff, and a trial was made in the production of No. 17 of the Newsletter. With facilities provided by Apple's local agent, the issue was created using the Apple Macintosh computer and the Aldus PageMaker program, and the final camera-ready copy printed on the Apple LaserWriter printer. The issue was then printed litho process from the camera-ready pages. The trial demonstrated that, for certain types of publications, desktop publishing is a break-through; the idea is expected to be implemented in 1987.

The same avenues were used for the promotion of Council publications as were used in the previous year; the Council's catalogue (which was updated in March), announcements and reviews in the Newsletter, abstracting services (CAB, AGRICOLA, AGRINDEX), free listings in Bowker bibliographies and other free-listing services, and the Council's Mailing List, which grew from 4,600 to 5,500 addresses. Perhaps the single most important vehicle for the promotion of Council publications is the IARC catalogue, "Publications on the International Agricultural Research and Development", which features publications by over 20 international agricultural research centres; Council publications issued during the year were featured in the 1986 Supplement. Promotion was also done through displays at international professional meetings and participation in international (Frankfurt) and regional (Zimbabwe) book fairs.

The bulk of Council publications were warehoused in the Council's offices in Nairobi from where physical distribution was done. Copies of the Newsletter were air freighted to Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, from where it was mass-mailed worldwide using the KLM Publication Distribution Service. This service was also used to distribute bulk quantities of other publications as well as mail.

The number of distribution agents remained the same during the year under review: Agribookstore for North America, Intermediate Technology Publications for the United Kingdom, and Verlag Josef Margraf for continental Europe. Discussions were initiated with possible distributors for India and Southeast Asia; arrangements will be formalized in early 1987.

A selection of current 1C RAF publications.