Korean Government Publications: Untapped Treasure Trove Myoung C. Wilson Social Sciences Librarian Chair, Information Services Group c/o Alexander Library Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey New Brunswick, NJ A presentation at the annual meeting of the Committee of Korean Materials Council on East Asian Libraries (CEAL) Association of Asian Studies New York, NY, Wednesday, March 26, 2003

Genesis of the Project Nature of government publications in general Lack of bibliographic control and access English speaking countries vs. non-English speaking countries A reference tool to enhance access to Korean materials for an English speaking audience Modeled after the 1990 (and 1994) American Library Association project Guide to Official Publications of Foreign Countries

Research Methodology Adopted and revised selection criteria from the Guide to Official Publications of Foreign Countries Data Collection Initial identification of titles from the 1998 Catalog of Government Publications Shelf reading/browsing at the library of the Korean Government Publishing Office, the National Library of Korea, and the National Assembly Library in Seoul, Korea North Korean Materials

Types of Government Publications Three Principal Types of Publications Statistical Yearbooks (Mostly bilingual -- in Korean and English) Yearbooks White Papers (mostly in Korean) Publications of quango (quasi-autonomous non- governmental organizations)

Access and Dissemination of Government Publications Different concept of depository libraries Agency produced indexes and access tools Lack of private sector engagement in repackaging government publications

Conclusion Accelerated activities in building digital libraries Digital libraries will enhance access to government publications regardless of the locations of the four depository libraries -- all located in Seoul Importance of an open political environment as a stimulant to the production, dissemination and use of government publications