Transcript The World Bank and its Office of the Publisher H. Dirk

The World Bank
and its
Office of the Publisher
Publishing Workshop, Beijing, September 4, 2007
H. Dirk Koehler, Publisher, The World Bank,
Washington, DC
What the World Bank Does
 One of the world's largest sources of
development assistance
 In fiscal year 2006, it provided more than
US$23 billion in loans to developing
countries
 Works in more than 100 developing
economies
 Primary focus: helping the poorest people
and the poorest countries
The “Knowledge” Bank
To support the quality of its operations and to
promote economic development in client
countries, the World Bank
 Compiles indicators of social and economic
development
 Undertakes research on an array of public
policy issues
 Actively disseminates information
worldwide
The Office of the Publisher
(EXTOP)
 Unit of the External Affairs Vice Presidency of the
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World Bank (http://www.worldbank.org/) based in
Washington, DC
About 80 staff (regular, short-term, consultants)
Publishing in print and electronic form for the
World Bank Group and affiliated organizations
Bookstore and Information Center InfoShop
Approx. $11 m budget, not including the
production costs of publications which are borne
out of other budgets
EXTOP: Publishing for
Development Impact
 Objective is development impact, not profit
 Market is used where possible because it is
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efficient, leverages established channels
Where the market doesn’t work, it is
complemented by subsidies/discounts and free
distribution
Open access policy for PDF files
Pricing in industrial countries according to
market, steep discounts for customers in poor
countries (up to 75%)
Capacity building and support for book industry
in developing countries
EXTOP: Some Numbers
Approx. numbers per year:
 200 new publications, see catalog
http://publications.worldbank.org/
 150 licenses granted (approx. 100 translations)
 $6m sales (50% print; 50% electronic)
 400,000 printed copies disseminated (WB only; in
addition 300.000 copies license editions)
 12m authorized online users of World Bank Online
Resources (growing fast)
 100 events (book launches, discussions) with
10,000 attendees in WB InfoShop
EXTOP: Some Publications
 Statistical Publications incl. Atlases
 World Development Indicators, Global
Development Finance, Atlas of Global
Development, Little Data Books
 Other Annuals
 World Development Report, Doing Business,
Annual Report
 Research Publications
 Policy Research Reports, Regional and Topical
Series (often co-published)
 Outreach Publications
 Guide to the World Bank, Mangas, Mini-Atlases
 World Bank Online Resources with World Bank
e-library
EXTOP: Distribution Policies
 One or more local, commercial
distributors in a country (non-exclusive)
 Targeted free distribution
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Depository and regional libraries
By WB country office (to government
officials etc.)
 Public information through local Public
Information Centers/Development
Information Centers and web
WB/GW Workshops
 The George Washington University in
Washington, DC
(http://www.gwu.edu/index.cfm) has a
masters program in publishing, see
http://cps.gwu.edu/publishing.html
 EXTOP collaborates with GW to organize
workshops for publishers in developing
countries in partnership with a local coorganizer (publishers association, or
university, or…)
WB/GW Workshops
 Topics are to be chosen by local co-
organizer
 Faculty from WB and/or GW; additional
local speaker/faculty desirable
 Venue, catering, and local organization up
to local co-organizer
 Fees for participants have to cover costs
of GW faculty
 Certificates for participants from GW
Internship Program
 EXTOP offers 3 summer internships for
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publishing graduates (or last semesters) of
participating universities
We’re open for additional universities to
participate
Applications of students have to be approved
and pre-selected by a participating university.
Duration of the stay in DC should be 3 months.
For details contact: Richard Crabbe
([email protected])