"The present publication is an attempt to report on various practical methods adopted throughout the world to promote and develop the reading habit among those literate populations that read little or nothing at all. The countries surveyed represent the major geographic regions of the world and illu...strate a broad variety of internal structures. For example, leading publishing giants are looked at as well as countries where indigenous publishing is in its earliest stages; highly literate societies are considered as are those which have recently embarked on the path to literacy; monolingual countries and multilingual cultures are both represented here. Yet despite these disparities one common thread emerges: no country is satisfied with the number of active readers it counts among its population and all consider that methods and techniques for increasing reading must be tried and tried again in order to bring books and people together in a lasting aqd fruitful relationship." (Preface)
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"The aim of this booklet is, by briefly showing the diversity of the tasks undertaken, to survey the multiform but deliberately concerted and co-ordinated activities which, while centred on books as their main theme, none the less converge on the development of man and the fulfilment of his biologic...al and social potentialities." (Introduction, p.8)
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"This programme is intended to promote world-wide action in favour of books and reading. It responds to the decision taken unanimously by Unesco 's Member States at their seventeenth General Conference to maintain the impetus created by International Book Year 1972. The programme is based upon the f...our themes approved for International Book Year and n ow reaffirmed as long-term objectives. The themes deal, first of all, with the content of books and their use in the service of education and peace. They turn next to the role of the author and translator, then to the publisher and distributor. Finally, they cover encouragement of the reading habit, which is the ultimate goal. For each theme, national, regional and international measures are listed. The list is not, nor is it intended to be, exhaustive. Rather, the suggestions it contains are designed to stimulate further initiatives. These suggestions are based on the programme of International Book Year, together with reports from Member States and international organizations on action taken." (Preface)
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