Announcement of Economic Development Libraries in French on March 16, 1962

• INTERNATIONAL BANK FOR RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT 181 8 H STREET, N. W., WASHINGTON 2 5 1 D. C. TELEPHONE: EXECUTIVE 3-6360 UI.J <D2./& y,., FOR REIEASE SUBJECT: Economic Development A.M. Newspapers Libraries in French Friday, March 16, 1962 The World Bank announced today that it will provide a small library on econanic development, in the F~ench language, to selected agencies and institu- tions in underdeveloped member countries and potential member countries of the Bank in which French ie the official language or the principal second language. Comparable libraries in English, consisting of about 400 books, articles and papers, were recently distributed, free of charge, to 92 institutions in 55 countries. Both the English and French library projects have received the • financial support of the Rockefeller Foundation. The French libraries are being prepared by the Bank's Econanic Development In6titute, with the collaboration of a small group of French economists. The bibliography contains 315 items, and includes works that are already published, soma that will have to be reproduced and others that will require translation and printing. The project is expected to take about two years to complete. While th.a libraries will be distribu·ted free of charge to selected ineti tutions in the lees developed countries, they will also be offered on a limited basis and at nominal cost to certain institutions in the more advanced member countries whose t: t: I: governments are prepared to undertake responsibility for the distribution. Ii The Economic Development Institute ie a staff college operated by the World Bank in W~ehington, D.C. for senior officials concerned with the aduitnistration • of economic development in its member countries. Its six-month courses have been attended by o~r 150 officials since 1956. The libraries are designed primarily I. - 2 - to meet the need expressed bY: many of these officials to have Access in their home countries to the kind of reading and reference material which va.s availabl~ • to them at the Institute. Most of the libraries that have been distributed ere housed in central banks, finance ministries or planning agencies in the countriea concerned, and each recipient institution has undertaken to provide space for t.he library, to take care of it, and to make it available to those who can benefit from it. The bibliiography of the libraries in English is being printed and should. be available by June 1962. Institutions which are interested can then obtain copiea by applying to the Office of Information of the Bank. One library is also on display in the Joint Library of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bnnk in Washington. • •