SELLING BRITAIN ABROAD
StE,—Mr. Philip Carr in his article " Selling Britain Abroad," repeats the frequently heard criticism of the British Council's failure to provide English periodicals for foreign libraries. I have had plenty of opportunities to appreciate the complexities of this problem, for until recently I held the post of Director of the British Institute in a large European city where I was constantly approached by librarians and other officials who were most anxious to obtain English periodicals. Finding that these were not easily procurable through the local book-sellers they frequently suggested that the British Council should supply them, importing the periodicals, of course, through diplomatic channels.
Unfortunately it was generally impossible to comply with these requests. On the one hand if the periodicals were sold to subscribers we antagonised the local book-sellers. On the other- hand if they were given away free to one library all the other local institutions naturally expected to be treated with equal generosity. The unfortunate Council officer who makes dona- tions of books or periodicals soon finds himself besieged with requests which the financial resources of his department are quite insufficient to satisfy. And, as may well be imagined, the disappointment of the unsuc- cessful applicant is often far more loudly expressed than the satisfaction of the successful one.
The true causes of the lack of British books and periodicals abroad lie not in any failure on the part of the British Council, but firstly in the lack of paper available to British publishers who simply cannot print enough copies to supply the foieign market, and secondly in the restrictions on imports imposed by foreign governments in the form of quotas and censorship. Once these obstacles are removed it will be found that foreign librarians and private subscribers are only too ready to purchase English periodicals through the normal commercial channels.—Yours faithfully,
CHRISTOPHER HOWARD.
University of London, King's College, W.C.2.
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