establishment of the lesotho book development...

Restricted Technical Report RP/1984-1985/111.3.1 LESOTHO

Formulation and application of communications policies in the service of development

Establishment of the Lesotho Book Development Council

by S. A. Amu Djoleto

Serial No. FMWCOM/BAE/85/190

A United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

Paris, 1985

U l l f $ C O

L E S O T H O

EST~BLISHMENT OF THE LZSCTHO BOOK DEVELOPIYENT C OTJNCIL

by S. A. Amu Djoleto

Report prepared for the Government of The Kingdom of Lesotho by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and. Cultural Organization (Unesco)

U N E S C O

Technical Report RP/1384-1985/111.3.1 RG~/CCPI/BAE/B 5/190 (D j oleto) 31 December 1985 0 Unesco 1985 Printed in France

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I1 . THE LESOTHO BOOK INDUSTRY INFRASTRUCTURE AND BOOK USE .................................................. A background sketch ........................................... Sector operations and associations ............................ The Sesotho Language Academy .................................. Lesotho Authorship Development Fund ...........................

111 . ESTABLISHMENT OF A LESOTHO BOOK DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL (LBDC) ........................................................ Objectives and functions ...................................... Mode of establishment and constitution ........................ Operational structure ......................................... Budget ........................................................

IV . OPERATION OF THE LBDC ......................................... Administrative and management plan ............................ Work plan ..................................................... The LBDC. .the book profession and the public service .......... Implementation ................................................

APPENDICES

1 . Work schedule of Unesco consultant during his mission ......... 2 . The Lesotho Children's Literature Foundation (LCLF) ........... 3 . Index of designated recommendations ........................... 4 . Lesotho Authorship Development Fund ........................... 5 . Draft Constitution of the National Book Development

Council for the Kingdom of Lesotho ............................ 6 . Conditions of service of employees of the Lesotho Book

Development Council ........................................... 7 . Lesotho Book Development Council: First year's budget ......... 8 . Job descriptions ..............................................

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30 33 35

I. INTRODUCTION

1. At the request of the Government of Lesotho, the Director-General of Unesco arranged, under the Organization's regular programme for 1984-1985, for the author of this report to undertake, during the period 8 July-5 August 1984 I

a consultant mission to Lesotho to assist the government in the establishment of a National Book Development Council. In particular, the consultant was to advise the government on the objectives and functions of such a Council, assist in the drafting of the Council's Constitution, advise on its staffing and budget and help in the preparation of a detailed work plan of the Council as well as its administrative and management plans.

2. The views expressed hereunder constitute the assessment, proposals, recommendations and conclusibns of the Unesco consultant pursuant to his miss ion.

3. The day of his arrival in Maseru, Lesotho (Monday, 9 July), the consultant was received at the UNDP Offices by Miss Puleng Leboela, UNIPA Programme Assistant, who promptly got in touch with Ers M'alisema Mokhothu, Assistant Administrative Secretary of the Lesotho National Commission for Unesco, and Mrs L. Ntlhoki, the Secretary-General of the Commission, who was out of Lesotho at the time. Mrs Mokhothu discussed with the consultant an outline of the mission's work schedule, to be confirmed and elaborated the following 'day.

4. The next day (Tuesday, 10 July) the consultant attended a meeting at the Lesotho Ministry of Education with the Permanent Secretary, Dr E.M. Malie, the Chief Education Officer, Mr C.M. Rakubutu and Mrs Mokhothu. The general work schedule prepared by the consultant for the roughly three-week mission was found to be acceptable. Mr Rakubutu was assigned responsibility for co- ordination while Mrs Mokhothu ensured execution. The work schedule is attached to this report as Appendix 1. The contacts made enabled the consultant to assess the infrastructure of the book writing, publishing and production industries as well as book use in Lesotho and the perceptions of bodies and individuals concerned with book development about the nature , structure and operation of a Lesotho Book Development Council.

5. Lesotho is a comparatively tiny country and, like the Vatican City, unique in that it is an enclave completely surrounded by another sovereign State, the Republic of South Africa. Its area is 30,355 km2 and the population is 1.33 million. The capital is Maseru and the entire country comprises 10 districts. Formerly known as Basutoland, it gained independence from the British on 4 October 1966 and became the Kingdom of Lesotho under King Moshoeshoe 11. The Monarchy has two Houses of Parliament. According to a 1966 census, 39 per cent of the population are Roman Catholic, 24 per cent belong to the Lesotho Evangelical Church, 11 per cent the Anglican Church, 8 per cent to other Christian denominations, while 18 per cent are non- Christian. The official languages are Sesotho and English. The metric system is used for weights and measures and the currency unit is the South African rand. The 1982 figures for education are: 260,000 pupils in basic education, 28,000 in the second cycle, 1,100 in teacher training and 1,000 in the National University of Lesotho (NUL) , the country's only university. The literacy rate today is somewhere between 50 and 60 per cent.

6. The introduction of Lesotho to the outside world began effectively in 1833 when three French Protestant missionaries arrived at Thaba-Bosiu , the mountain fortress of King Moshoeshoe I, founder of the nation. To facilitate their work, the missionaries committed to writing the language of the people

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of Lesotho (Basotho in the plural, Mosotho in the singular), which is called Sesotho, and the first books in Sesotho were printed under their auspices in the Cape Colony, now Cape Town, South'Africa, in 1839. Their own printing press was established in 1841 in Beerseba but, as a result of frontier wars of the period, it had to be moved from place to place until finally it was combined in 1874 with that of the Rev. Adolphe Mabille, at Morija, Lesotho, where it is still operating under the name of Morija Printing Works housed in a modest but beautiful building amidst equally beautiful mountainous scenery. These small beginnings of the Paris Evangelical Missionary Society , whose still extant orthography of Sesotho was heavily influenced by that of their own language, have today fructified into one of the two noteable book production printing houses and distribution establishments of Lesotho. The press has three bookshops, at Maseru, Morija and Hlotse. According to the Manager, Mr S. Fontana, apart from jobbings, the press turns out some 350,OO-400,000, print runs of books per year constituting 80 per cent of its total output. The books printed are for local use and for outside publishers such as Longman and other establishments in South Africa, Zambia and Botswana. Most of the books produced are educational and religious with only a few general books.

7. Another factor in the bibliographic development of Lesotho is the Mazenod Institute, a highly efficient complex of publishers , printers , wholesalers and retailers with retail outlets in every district of the Kingdom. Owned by the Roman Catholic Oblates of Mary Immaculate, a Missionary Society which was started in France in 1816 by Eugene de Mazenod, the Mazenod Institute as it is now was established in 1931. The chief aim in establishing the Institute was to publish a weekly newspaper, Moelersi oa Basotho (the 'Adviser of the Basotho'), which was launched in 1933 and has appeared weekly ever since with a current circulation of 13,000 per week. Today, the Mazenod Institute also serves the fast-growing commerical, industrial, educational and general book and non-book sectors of Lesotho in other ways. For example, the Mazenod Print- ing Works has both a letterpress and up-to-date offset printing equipment, and includes a bindery department for booh and commerical jobbings.

8. is the Government Printing and Stationery Department which though capable of printing books, does not do so yet. Already, the combined efforts of Morija and Mazenod have contributed a great deal to the bibliographic and other related development of Lesotho, more especially in the publication of books, mainly in the Sesotho language which is also spoken in parts of South Africa, Botswana and Zambia. Most of their publications in Sesotho are for use in schools and in the church; otherwise, the bulk of general or trade books in Lesotho are imported from South Africa or from overseas countries, a fact which must be borne in mind in the operation or activities of the Lesotho Book Development Council. It is recalled, all the same, that at an exhibition held in Maseru as far back as in 1963, more than a thousand books printed in Sesotho were on display for the public. This of course testified to the fact that Sesotho literature had arrived, and all augured well for the country's book development. It should be noted that the Kingdom of Lesotho has just the one virtually universal indigenous language both spoken and written, and this is a wonderful national asset which many African countries do not have. Thus the Basotho child or adult does not have to contend with a multiplicity of languages in everyday life. It is this gift of a universal mother tongue together with English which Basotho should exploit fully for the promotion of their national book industry both for domestic use and for international export.

In addition to the Morija Printing Works and the Mazenod Institute, there

11. THE LESOTHO BOOK INDUSTRY INFRASTRUCTURE AND BOOK USE

A background sketch

9. The LBDC would do well to take into account three main factors, albeit interlinked, that would appear to affect book development in Lesotho: (a) the missionary or religious body factor; (b) the educational factor; and (c) the non-government or the general public factor. The missionary factor, as indicated above, dates back to the nineteenth century, and especially to the second hzlf of the nineteenth century. The educational factor emerged as a force after independence, the impetus for its present phase having apparently begun in the late 1970s; it is still in the throes of asserting itself and practical, viable and permanent - or at least long-lasting - solutions have yet to be found. The general public factor, while somewhat diffuse, manifests itself to some degree in such activity as the voluntary association of Basotho individuals in concerted effort to establish a Sesotho Language Academy which, after a lot of devotion and praiseworthy contributions, is becoming firmly established.

10. The missionary or the religious body role in book development in Lesotho has already been touched on in so far as an account of the establishment and development of the Morija Printing Works and the Mazenod Institute is provided in paragraphs 6, 7 and 8. It has also been mentioned that as yet the Govern- ment Printing and Stationery Department prints neither text nor general books; its nearest production to the book is 'grey literature' for the State. There was no evidence during the consultant's mission that the Lesotho Government had any immediate plans to improve the book manufacture base by having its own press produce books or, since the lack of textbooks has been a real problem, to establish a modest additional press to take care of the manufacture of basic education books locally. On page 4, paragraph 1,18 of the Education Sector Survey Report of the Task Force, Maseru, Lesotho, November 1982, there is the following admission:

'A curriculum development policy was established in 1980, and a complete review of the primary syllabi is presently under way at the National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC). The curriculum now includes Sesotho, English, mathematics, social studies, science/health and practical studies (gardening, needlework, crafts and the like). Children buy instructional materials either at a bookstore if there is one in the vicinity of the school or, more often, from the school manager or head- teacher. However the majority of children do not have the recommended books in the subject areas'.

It is evident that despite the long-standing magnificent role of the religious bodies in the book industry of Lesotho, there is the need to tackle vigorously and on a continuing basis the problem of meeting the full provision of textbooks locally written, designed and manufactured and efficiently distributed to all primary schools in Lesotho if only because the primary schools constitute the base of the entire formal education industry of the country and any foundation damage could have a long-lasting effect. It is therefore recommended :

RECOMMENDATION NO. 1

That the LBDC should examine and help overcome without delay the problem of local writing, manufacture 2nd distribution of textbooks, particularly those for basic education, ensuring that the State, the private sector and all concerned recognize the area as needing urgent attention for national book and education development,

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11. Naturally, the education factor relates to what has been said in the preceding paragraph 10, and there have been efforts to work things out but not yet strictly or fully in terms of the writing, production and distribution of textbooks. One should in this connection cite the tremendous efforts of the NCDC, the Instructional Materials Resource Centre of Lesotho , the Lesotho Distance Teaching Centre and the Training for Self-Reliance Project. All these institutions are engaged in their separate and diverse ways in one or more area(s) of a book industry and co-ordination is necessary to ensure that the- - efforts of the Lesotho Ministry of Education to promote both indigenous and endogenous conception, design, manufacture and distribution of instructional -.

materials, especially the book, is achieved without delay through the LBDC'S application of Recommendation 1 in paragraph 10.

_ -

12. The general public factor is interesting, absorbing and in need of urgent attention; while its manifestations are scattered, this need not detract from their relevance. Briefly, there are at the moment in Lesotho two main writers' organizations : the Sesotho Language Academy and the Sesotho Authors ' Associ- ation. Moreover, in 1976 there was a three-day conference held in Maseru, the first of its kind in the history of the country, on book development (reference: Books in National Development, Report of the Conference organized by the Lesotho National Commission for Unesco, Maseru, 20-22 April 1976, designed and printed jointly by Mazenod Institute and Morija Printing Works). This conference passed five resolutions which are quoted here in full for ease of reference. They express in their own way the burning public concern for book development in Lesotho:

This conference resolves that as a first stage towards and as an interim measure before the formal establishment of a semi-autonomous Lesotho National Book Development Council, a National Book Develop- ment Committee be formed immediately under the auspices of the Unesco National Commission for Lesotho. The National Book Develop- ment Committee should concern itself primarily with preparing the gound for activities which will be undertaken by the National Book Development Council, taking as one of its first priorities the initiation of projects which will promote local authorship, including the collection and dissemination in literary form of oral material.

In view of the educational, cultural and economic advantages that would accrue, this conference endorses the recommendations put to the government by the Sesotho Language Academy for the revision of the Sesotho orthography.

This conference strongly advocates the establishment of a book-loan system in primary and secondary schools in place of the present outright purchase scheme. Under the system textbooks and library materials would be bought by government and distributed to individual schools by local booksellers provided that the necessary service can be guaranteed. Pupils would be required to pay a rental fee for the use of books and materials, which would remain the property of the school.

This conference recommends that as a matter of urgency the Lesotho National Commission for Unesco should initiate with the relevant government department the establishment of a joint committee to draft a National Copyright Act as the necessary prerequisite of accession to the Universal Copyright Convention.

- 5 -

(5) This conference recommends that as a preliminary stage towards the mounting of a full-scale literary programme , research should be undertaken into the comparative effectiveness of the various methods of teaching reading in Sesotho, and that this matter should be taken up by the National Teacher-Training College, the National University of Lesotho, the Community and Rural Development Department and other interested bodies'.

13. At the time of the consultant's mission, it was not possible to discern any positive concerted action that had been taken on these resolution; but this had in no way lessened the desire of Basotho who cared, to press for fulfilment. This was expressed by all and sundry during the extensive and numerous interviews undertaken by the consultant. Indeed, there was general relief and satisfaction in so far as the mission was expected to be a harbinger of a new era even if, as expressed in one case, the mission was long overdue and there was not much to start on anyway. Certainly there is much that commends Lesotho for what has been achieved so far, which should be a useful basis for a bright future.

Sector operations and associations

14. Apart from writers' groups intending to promote book-writing, there are the Lesotho Literary Association founded in 1978 and the Lesotho Publishers' Association established in 1983. Thus, in all, there exists:

the 'Sesotho Language Academy , the Sesotho Writers ' Association;

the Lesotho Publishers' Association; and

the Lesotho Library Association.

There is no book designers' and illustrators' association, no printers' association, no other association to promote book writing, production and utilization, and no overall national book agency to co-ordinate, assist and ensure the development of the totality of the national book industry and book use with which this report is concerned.

15. An outline of the historically most active sectors of the Lesotho book industry has already been given in terms of the operations and impact of the Mazenod Institute and the Morija Printing Works. There follows a brief sketch of the existing associations together with recommendations on them.

The Sesotho Language Academy

16. At an Executive meeting of the Academy, on 13 July 1984, the consultant was informed by the President that the Academy had its beginnings in the 1970s. It has been active ever since and the present membership is about 55. There is currently a draft constitution under discussion to formally establish the Academy as a corporate body with nine functions, the first three of which are :

'(a) to promote the usage and development of good Sesotho throughout the Kingdom of Lesotho, in the following ways:

(i) by protecting the Sesotho language from whatever may tarnish it;

(ii) by encouraging care in the speaking/writing of Sesotho in the Kingdom ;

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(iii) by promoting research which may help to establish the origin of the Sesotho language; and

(iv) by promoting the production of worthwhile Sesotho literature;

(b) to co-operate with other bodies in the Kingdom and elsewhere, which are concerned to promote the Sesotho language and culture and to endeavour to co-ordinate their activities; _.

(c)- to encourage the use of the Sesotho language in the conduct of official business and public life generally'.

17. The consultant was told that the Academy had published two textbooks in Sesotho for use in secondary schools and some more are in the pipeline.

'Lekhotlana la Bongoli le Ngolo ea Sesotho' (Sesotho Writers' Association)

18. This Association was launched in 1977. Another one had been in existence since 1965 but died out before the formation of this present one. It was the Sesotho Language Academy that encouraged the formation of the new one, which is nevertheless independent of the Academy. The membership at the moment is 50 with Dr Z.A. Mats'ela of the National University of Lesotho (NUL) as President and including Mr Patrick Mohlalefi Bereng of the Lesotho Institute of Extra-Mural Studies of the same university and currently an author of his own books and editor of other publications. The aims of the Association are:

(a) to encourage the development of authorship in Sesotho for all kinds of books, both text and general;

(b) to promote the development of young authors;

(c) to encourage co-operation between Sesotho writers and other Sotho writers elsewhere, e.g. in South Africa, Botswana and Zambia;

(d) to look after the interests of Lesotho writers, e.g. as regards copyright;

(e) to identify and address the special needs of book users, e.g. the critical need for children's books and the need for short stories in general.

19. According to Mr Bereng, the Association is not performing well and needs to be revitalized. There are in addition to this Association and the Academy special subject associations usually organized by and for teachers.

The Lesotho Publishers' Association

20. This was established in 1983. Membership is open to companies and organizations. Its founding members comprise the following publishing houses: Longman-Lesotho, FEP International, Morija Sesotho Book Depot, Mazenod Book Centre and Lesotho Printing and Publishing Co. (Pty) Ltd. The aims and objectives of the Association are eightfold:

'(a) to further the interests of its members as well as promote the status of the publishing industry in Lesotho;

(b) to encourage printing locally whenever possible in order to ensure cultural relevance for the benefit of the country financially and otherwise ;

- 7 -

to improve the quality of printing skills and the overall quality of printed materials;

to make available to children and the public printed matter of a literary nature at a reasonable price to facilitate the dissemination of knowledge in Lesotho;

to encourage reading habits among the population in order that people may improve their quality of Efe;

to negotiate on behalf of its members with government bodies or private organizations inside or outside Lesotho on matters of common interest and concern;

to organize book exhibitions, fairs or conferences in order to advertise Lesotho publications or to enable its members to participate in such events including courses and workshops inside and outside Lesotho;

to fornulate from time to time, as and when necessary, rules and regulations that will be binding on its members'.

21. The Lesotho Library Association was inaugurated in 1978. Membership is both individual and institutional and stands at 70 at the moment. The President of the Association is Mrs 'Mampaila Martha Lebotsa, at present NUL'S Librarian. The Secretary is Miss M.M. Moshoeshoe also of NUL. Apart from the NUL Library, which stocks some 140,000 volumes, there is the beautifully housed Lesotho National Library in Maseru with some 15,000 volumes, which was opened to the public in 1978 and which has two branch libraries, at Mafeteng and Leribe. The aims and objectives of the Association are:

'(a) to unite all persons engaged in or interested in library work, by convening meetings, conferences, by issuing publications, and by any other means;

(b) to promote, safeguard and encourage the establishment and improve- ment of libraries and professional interests of librarians;

(c) to promote and encourage bibliographical study and research and library co-operation;

(d) to establish and maintain standards in the education and certification of librarians;

(e) to watch any legislation affecting libraries in Sesotho, and to assist in the promotion of such legislation as may be considered necessary for the regulation and management or extension of libraries ;

(f) to collect and publish information of benefit to its members or for the promotion of the aims and objectives of the Association;

(g) to encourage formation of branch associations;

(h) to do all such lawful things as are incidental or conducive to the fulfilment of the above objectives'.

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22. The details provided of the Academy and the three associations in paragraphs 15-21 are a pointer to their strength as well as to their possible inadequacies despite the by and large impressive declaration of intent as contained in their aims and objectives. Writers present the greatest problem. True, writers do not like being organized except when they themselves are doing the organizing, yet a way has to be found to associate all Lesotho writers irrespective of the language in which they write. Their association need not cause the dismantling of the existing two organizations, especially the Academy.

23. The aims and objectives of the Lesotho Library Association do not imply any commitment to the spread of the reading habit among children in particular , nor to the establishment of sound primary school libraries or community or rural libraries or book-reading centres. Since literacy is the basis for educational and modern-day advancement, it is strange that large sums of money are expended on the rapid expansion of basic education which governments piously boast about in annual reports and speeches when in fact the major tool to promote it, the book (text or supplementary, in or out of school is in practice not adequately available to children.

24. to be established in primary schools, which have no libraries properly organized for daily use, everybody then laments the fact that there is poor performance in secondary schools in spite of these having been, albeit belatedly, provided with libraries. The Lesotho Publishers' Association comes closest to focus attention on this disturbing factor when it includes as one of its aims and objectives:

When administrative and pedagogic insufficiencies have caused retardation

'to make available to children and the public printed matter of a literary nature at a reasonable price to facilitate the dissemination of knowledge in Lesotho'.

Cognizance is also taken of the splendid objective of the Association of Writers and the Writing of Sesotho:

'to identify special needs of book users and address them, e.g. the critical need of children's books and the general lack of short stories'.

25. In the light of the above, it is recommended that:


The LBDC should consider as a basic essential of its work plan the establishment of an all-embracing Lesotho National Writers' Association irrespective of an author's medium of expression and that writers, publishers and librarians should consider it a matter of national emergency to ensure the provision and use of the book by Lesotho children in and out of the formal education system as a matter of habit with which they will grow.

26. It is practical and helpful to divide the national book industry and book use into the following six sectors:

book writing, book design and illustration, book publishing, book printing, bookselling, and libraries or book use.

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27. and sect

A National with sector :orS. It shou

Book Development Council functions most effectively through

Id assist and promote the formation and establishment of such associations and, more importantly, ensure their permanent efficient performance so that they in turn could facilitate co-ordination and stimulate rapid national development within each sector. There is still the need to promote further those already suitably established and operating.

associations for the full development of each of these

28. It is recommended that:


In order to promote rapid and balanced book development in Lesotho, the LBDC should, as part of its basic and urgent detailed work plan, first investigate and then encourage the effective establishment and operation of: (a) a Lesotho Book Designers' and Illustrators' Association; (b) a Lesotho Federation of Master Printers' or Printers' Association; and (c) a Lesotho Booksellers' Association.

29. It is further recommended that:


The following new organizations be included in the work plan of the LBDC as an important detail of its first year's action programme:

(a) a Board of Trustees/Authorship Development Fund; and

(b) a Children's Literature Foundation.

Lesotho Authorship Development Fund

30. If it is considered that Lesotho as a nation is entitled to have indigenous writers and translators in all fields commensurate with what it is capable of achieving, and if it is agreed that it is time now to get Basotho writers and translators , in a nationally co-ordinated effort , to write and translate books for education, information, entertainment, cultural and intellectual self-fulfilment generally, then the LBDC must spearhead an effort to accelerate this process by providing the modalities, secretariat and operational support for a Board of Trustees/Authorship Development Fund (ADF) which will concretely contribute to the rapid growth of book writing and translation in Lesotho.

31. The role of the ADF is to assist financially, without fully subsidizing, accredited bodies, organizations (including those of the government) and individuals to enable them to write textbooks for any level of the education system as well as to write creative or any other books. The purpose of this is twofold: to assure the public firstly that the State values group or individual effort to write books in order to uplift the country in this vital area and, secondly, that while the State may not be able to fully subsidize such effort, it is nevertheless providing assistance to enable an author to a cc omp 1 ish his task . 32. One other critical reason for advocating the setting up of the Lesotho Children's Literature Foundation (LCLF) is to contrive a strategy that should boost the operational impact of the LBDC at the grassroots right from its

- 10 - inception. The LBDC would have to launch the Foundation and then assist and encourage it to perform effectively. The LCLF will be a voluntary organization dedicated on a practical level:

(i) to promoting the writing of good quality, mostly creative, books for Basotho children in either Sesotho or English;

(ii) to encouraging book reading among children, notwithstanding the efforts of the formal education system;

(iii) to exploring and tapping sources of funding for its activities.

33. This approach will counterbalance the lack of non-text reading books in schools, inculcate the habit of voluntary reading among children at an early age, and most importantly, mitigate the dearth of books for children and young people in the country generally. If the programmes of the LCLF (including yearly children's book fairs in Maseru and the districts) are properly geared and executed, they could also improve considerably the perceptions of the LBDC, writers, publishers and librarians as to the book needs of Basotho children and cost-effective ways of meeting them. The LCLF would need all the support of publishers , booksellers , library and writers ' associations. The copyright of books written by members of the LCLF belongs to the authors who might nevertheless contribute 1 or 2 per cent of royalty earnings to the LCLF, which should eventually be self-financing through its own fund-raising devices. The aims, functions and constitution of the LCLF are provided in full in Appendix B to this report. In terms of the work plan of the LBDC, it is recommended that:


The Lesotho Children's Literature Foundation be launched towards the end of the first year of the operating establishment of the LBDC.

111. ESTABLISHMENT OF A LESOTHO BOOK DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL (LBDC)

Objectives and functions

34. What are national book development councils? What are their aims and functions? and what should be those of the LBDC? How are they constituted or organized and how should the LBDC be constituted or organized? How do or should they operate? It would be useful if these five questions could be answered before launching into the specifics of the establishment of the Lesotho Book Development Council in this section, namely, its objectives and functions, mode of establishment, constitution, operational structure, staffing and general terms of service and, finally, the initial budget.

35. Does Lesotho need a Book Development Council? The answer is yes, for four immediate reasons:

(a) the Conference on Book Development in Lesotho of 20-22 April 1976 expressed in its resolutions (quoted in full above) , particularly resolution 1, the preparedness of the Basotho public for an effective National Book Development Council;

(b) the Government of Lesotho responded to the need for a National Eook Development Council by asking Unesco to provide a consultant to advise and assist in its establishment;

- 11 - the aims and objectives of the present Lesotho Book Sector Associ-- ations are all consistently geared to one or other aspect of book development;

during the consultant's discussions, interviews and consultations with government officials, book-writers, publishers and producers and promoters of book use as well as concerned citizens, there emerged an overriding support for the establishment of an LBDC (any apprehension expressed was not with the need for such an agency but how quickly and effectively it could go about its task given the present disunity of the Lesotho book industry and book use). It goes without saying that the recommendations in this report are essentially founded on the above bases. Given, theref ore , well- thought-out planning, effective implementation, an industrious and creative staff and efficient management, in particular of the Secretariat of the LBDC, welcome results with long-lasting potential should begin to show within two to five years of the operation of a Lesotho Book Development Council.

36. What, then, are book development councils? A book development council is a nationally created or established, non-commercial agency charged with the promotion or development of the writing, design and illustration, printing or production, distribution or selling and use of books with special emphasis on the early formation of the reading habit throughout the nation. There is no

countries' needs and circumstances vary. Thus, Lesotho requires its own kind

establishment and operation, care should be taken to ensure that it can co-ordinate, assist, promote, advise and persuade in order to achieve a

single prescription for the organization of book development councils since

of a book development council that would best serve it, but, in its , ..

concerted development of the totality of the Lesotho national book industry a ..

and book utilization. .,...

, ,.I. ., . . 'L: r :,>-

.i

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.,. . Li:-:.

-. , . *-,< . .; ,

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37. The National Book Development Council should in no way duplicate the I .L

activities of the book industry and book use sectors. In this connection, Unesco' s 1979 publication National Councils for Book Development includes (on page 29) the following caution as regards the role of a national book development council:

'In some developing countries where the book industry is still in its infancy, there could be a strong temptation to make the council serve a dual purpose, namely that of publishing and book promotion. Ideally, a Council should restrict itself to identifying situations in which there is need for publishing and devising ways and means of causing the required material to be published. The responsibility for actually publishing the material would be better left to other agencies. A national council by its very nature is a non-publishing, non-profit- making organization with the avowed task of strengthening and stream- lining the infrastructure of the entire book industry. To act as a publisher would mean entering into competition with a sector of the book industry whose overall interest the council is expected to protect. Moreover, the needs of the book industry in developing countries are so numerous and varied that no Council could afford to allow its energies to be diverted into publishing except at the cost of its own main purpose' (underlining provided by the author of this report).

- 12 - 38. It is therefore recommended that:


c (a) The objectives of the LBDC be twofold:

(i) to ensure the full development of the totality of the Lesotho national book industry including writing, production, manufacture and distribution for national self-sufficiency and export; and

(ii) to promote the reading habit in Lesotho until the nation achieves a full reading society on a continuing basis; and that

(b) its functions be as follows:

(ii)

(.iii)

(vii)

(viii)

(ix)

to act as a national agency for concerted planning, co- ordination and monitoring for the practical promotion of the various activities of all groups, bodies or individuals, both public and private, concerned with book development;

to arrange to carry out from time to time a comprehensive study and research on the book industry in Lesotho, and to ensure the provision of an effective service to the reading public taking into account the formal and non-formal education systems;

to encourage indigenous authorship and ensure the provision of opportunities for local writers, publishers, translators, book designers and illustrators and printers to produce books especially in Sesotho and English;

to ensure the establishment of a suitable machinery for the promotion of the reading habit among all age-groups and children in particular;

to encourage, in close liaison with, among others, the National Library services and Association the development of the library system with special regard to school (particularly primary school), community, rural and village libraries or book reading centres or places;

to ensure the development of the infrastructure of the book industry in particular , through the establishment , support and encouragement of professional associations (e.g. for writers, illustrators and designers, publishers, printers, booksellers and librarians);

to ensure that the book marketing or distributiqn network is evenly spread throughout Lesotho and not just in urban cent res ;

to promote, assist with, and where necessary, co-ordinate plans for concerted action on the training of personnel for the book professions;

to make recommendations for national book development planning and policies especially in regard to overall national development planning;

- 13 -

I f

RESEARCH PROMOT IONS ADMINIS - SUPPORT TRAINING AND PUBLICAT IONS TRATION SERVICES PROGRAMMES LIBRARY AND WELFARE

(x) to generally undertake or promote such activities as will ensure the full development of the book industry and book use in Lesotho.

Mode of establishment and constitution

39. It is envisaged that the LBDC could be launched as a semi-autonomous body temporarily housed pending completion of the ministerial block currently being built thereafter to become autonomous and fully installed on its own premises. On this basis Appendix 5 provides a draft that could be used for the approval at Cabinet level of a Lesotho National Book Development Council as an interim measure to save time pending the passing of the Lesotho Book Development Council Act.

ODerational structure

40. It is recommended that the Council, the Executive Board and the Secretariat constitute the operational structure of the LBDC:


The Council and Executive Board's Chairmen or Vice-chairmen shall be non-officials preferably of considerable social standing, with literary inclinations, who may themselves have written books or have retired from the book industry or are somehow intellectually or otherwise committed to ' or concerned with book development and utilization in Lesotho. Other members of the Council and Executive Board shall be as specified in Appendix 5. It is recommended further that the Secretariat should be

-- constituted as follows within the LBDC:

THE EXECUTIVE BOARD

SECRETARIAT

This chart could be compared with that suggested on page 46 of the Unesco publication National Councils for Book Development. At this stage the main outline of a constitution of the LBDC should emerge in terms of the name of the Council, its objectives, functions, structure, membership, tenure of membership , administration, funding, powers of Council, powers of Executive

- 14 -

Board, the meetings of its Council and Executive Board, etc. As the final decision rests with the Government of Lesotho on what type of Book Development Council it should have, other items for inclusion in the Constitution shall remain outside the scope of this report.

41. Alternatively, should it be preferred by the Government of Lesotho, it is recommended to introduce as expeditiously as possible an Act of Paraliament concerning establishment of a Lesotho Book Development Council and matters connected therewith, the objectives and functions of the Council being as indicated in paragraph 38 above. The Act should provide for the Minister for Education and Culture to seek the approval of Cabinet for the appointment of the Chairmen or Vice-chairmen of the Council and Executive Board, but he could directly appoint the other members indicated in Appendix 5. The Council shall be in a position to sue and be sued, to use its own seal and have the authority to engage professional staff through the Public Services Commission

. or such equivalent body in Lesotho in accordance with the terms and conditions of service approved by the government for that class, all other administrative and support staff being subject to the terms and conditions of service of the Lesotho Civil Service.

42. These recommendations on personnel are made with a view to keeping to a minimum the running costs of the Secretariat - i.e. in effect, the operational costs of the LBDC. The Secretariat of the LBDC is neither a para-statal nor a bureaucracy as such but part of a corporate body - indeed its dynamo, even if numerically modest, to generate and ensure the practical execution of programmes of the Council. Additionally, it should provide consultant services to the Lesotho book world, all the time using and prodding it to participate in developing itself. Funds for running the Secretariat and the affairs of the Council shall be by annual subvention from the government and their use shall be subject to pre-auditing and an annual audit inspection. This does not preclude the Council from raising funds, for example from fees charged in mounting book fairs, royalty earnings from books it sponsored expressly for this purpose, etc.

Staffing and general terms, and conditions of service

43. It is recommended that:


(a) temporary accommodation be secured for the LBDC to enable it to start operating without delay; and that

(b) the terms and conditions of service enumerated in Appendix 6 be considered for the staffing of the Secretariat of the Council.

Budget

44. The budget (see Appendix 7) is devised for rapid launching of the Lesotho Book Development Council during the first year. A regular budgetary pattern will evolve in the course of stabilization. Schedule I deals with the operational budget in respect of the professional staff only since it is presumed that during the first year, for instance, all other staff, such as one administrative secretary, a stenographer, a driver and a messenger could be on secondment from the Civil Service pending determination of the terms and conditions of service of staff for the Council. Schedule I1 sets out basic fixed assets and represents capital development.

- 15 - IV. OPERATION OF THE LBDC

Administrative and management plan

45. Since a Book Development Council is essentially a promotional organization which performs its assignments principally through: (a) training programmes; (b) research; (c) promotions, public relations and welfare; and (d) administrative and support services, it 5s recommended: .


That the administration and management of the LBDC be carried out by the Secretariat in these four main areas and that the Secretariat should operate through such units, an arrangement that could be reviewed if and when circumstances warrant.

46. The Training Unit is responsible for the organization and administration of all types of training courses of the Council. The main areas to be covered by the courses would relate to book writing, printing and bookselling as well 'as the various aspects of publishing. The Unit would also be responsible for programmes or training courses providing initial or advanced training, even if such training is offered by other bodies, organizations or establishments. In general, the unit would be responsible for the content of training programmes, especially those providing in-service training, including the design of courses , the organization of feedback and course evaluation- for review if necessary. During its first year of operation, the Council could organize:

(a) a seminar on book design and illustration, in co-operation with the appropriate department (s) of NUL;

(b) a seminar or workshop on children's literature for the 4-16 Lesotho age-groups, in co-operation with interested bodies and individuals;

(c) a seminar on publishing facilities in Lesotho, in co-operation with the Publishers' Association, writers and other concerned bodies or persons, with a view to defining the modalities of practical solutions to existing problems.

47. The Research Unit is responsible for systematic investigaticn into the status in Lesotho of the various aspects of book writing and typing, printing and distribution and patronage and how they can be further promoted as rapidly as possible. The unit should first identify, clarify and compile lists of all the organizations that are or might be involved in writing, design and illustration, printing , publishing, distribution, promotion, in short, book development and patronage. It should be in a position to commission other bodies to research on its behalf. Since not every book sector has a properly established and functioning association in Lesotho as yet. (1) An important management plan would be to make all research have direct, practical, problem- solving bearing on the work of the Council and the book industry.

48. The Administration Unit is responsible for all administrative matters including personnel management and ensuring the organization and efficient running of the Secretariat at the administrative level. Useful management

(1) During the first and second years of the Council's operation, a register of all such associations should be compiled.

- 16 - procedure is the monthly meeting through which tasks are assigned, their execution monitored, feedback elicited for future strategy, involving both the operative and administrative units of the Secretariat. The Administration Unit would be responsible for organizing such a monthly meeting, writing its minutes and, on this basis, preparing the Secretariat's action paper concerning inter alia, job assignments and how well and fast they are carried out. It would also be responsible for reporting on employees if required to do so by the Executive Director, who would be the final authority in this regard.

49. The Promotions, Public Relations and Welfare Unit is responsible for the dissemination of information, consultancy matters, and promotional activities in general on behalf of not only the LBDC but equally Lesotho's book industry and book development. Its targets could be achieved by means of:

(a) a publications programme;

(b) a consultancy service procedure;

(c) national promotions, e.g. book fairs, advertisements on behalf of the book'industry, book awards, book weeks and competitions, etc.;

(d) public relations;

(e) the book trade in particular;

(f) external trade or export, welfare programmes.

50. Publications could be in the form of a newsletter, brochures and certainly an annual report on the activities of the LBDC, and a book industry journal, say the Lesotho Book World, or such titles as approved. Initial publication of a newsletter would create awareness and interest. It goes - without saying that this unit should be in constant touch with the rest of the Secretariat in order to be kept informed of its activities. It should be clear that the above recommendations are intended only to serve as guidelines.

Work plan

51. The work plan indicated is intended mainly for the LBDC's initial phase so that it may become established efficiently. The content of paragraphs 45 to 55 could for example equally constitute part of the work plan, but to save duplication are not repeated here.

52. Once the Executive Director and a basic staff have been designated, attention should be turned to obtaining at least provisional accommodation for the LBDC.

53. The next step is to acquire the capital assets indicated in Schedule 11, Appendix 7. Then follows the design of the emblem of the LBDC (here a national competition might be in order), designation of a cable address (say, Lesobook), design of a letterhead, which should comprise the national emblem if the Council is to be a government set-up, installation of a telephone, establishment of filing and accounting procedures, etc.

54. The next item should be the mobilization of the sector associations as well as any other national bodies or individuals who could help in accomplish- ing specific tasks of the Council. To this end, the Council should now ensure that all the associations are properly constituted and together with them draw up a programme on how the government could help them to help themselves on a systematic, progressive basis. Each association should have an up-to-date list of members of good standing.

- 17 - 55. The Council should base its execution of the drawn-up work plan on short-, medium- and long-term programmes of the training, research and promotions units as approved by the Council and the Executive Board. In this connection, while a lot of material could be drawn from this report, more

available if the:following questions could be answered:

What is the national book policy? If there is none, how could one be established? Who should help in this?

Does the indigenous private sector of the Lesotho book industry participate fully today in textbook production and distribution for the nursery up to the university levels? And in the matter of book production generally, has Lesotho been allocated a Group Identifier by the International ISBN Agency? If not, what action should be taken?

Has Lesotho a Bibliographic Centre and a Law of Deposit with sanctions? How up to date is the Copyright Law? If there are no satisfactory answers, reparatory procedures must be established.

How can national production and/or importation of trade or general books be improved to off set post-school reversion to illiteracy so as to ensure lifelong education and social and cultural development through the book?

How does Lesotho as a matter of national policy show appreciation of or reward, even if only tokenly, citizens who distingush themselves in book writing, design and illustration, publishing printing, bookselling , librarianship or other form of dedicated service to book development in the country? In this connection, consideration might be given to the establishment of an Annual National Book Festival Week with a Book Fair, competitions and awards of prizes for service to national book development.

The LBDC, the book profession and the public service

56. Book professionals are not easily obtainable. A qualified one is someone who has had university training together with a graduate specialized vocational course at a university or high-powered polytechnic, e.g. Oxford Polytechnic, England. He may thereafter have worked in a publishing house or written a book or have been actively connected professionally with one or other of the book sectors.

57. There are not so many people in the world who have such qualifications and experience. Indeed, the occupation known as the book profession is a recently categorized development. Besides , only a few universities of fer training in this field, though India, the United States of America, France and the United Kingdom have developed a respectable tradition of such training at university level. It should be recognized therefore that a qualified book professional belongs to the same high-technology class of university-trained personnel as doctors, engineers, dentists, etc., that at the moment they are few universally, and that their emoluments should relate to their training, skill, experience, market value and scarcity. It is with this in mind that the job description in Appendix 8 are made in respect of recruiting book professionals either into the Professional Class of the Civil or Public Service or into the Secretariat of the LBDC in particular, and their salaries are determined accordingly (see Schedule I, Appendix 7).

- 18 - Imp 1 emen t at ion

58. The findings of the mission having indicated that Lesotho is ready for the setting up of a National Book Development Council, and following the government's examination of this report. It is accordingly recommended that:


An Implementation Committee be constituted comprising the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education and Culture as Chairman and a representative of each of the following: Lesotho book writers, Lesotho book publishers, Lesotho booksellers, the Lesotho Library Association, the Lesotho National Commission for Unesco, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Education and Culture, and Lesotho printers.

- 19 - APPENDIX 1

WORK SCHEDULE OF UNESCO CONSULTANT DURING HIS MISSION

Arrival at Maseru Monday, 9 July 3.40 p.m.-5 p.m.

Contacts at UNDP

Contacts at National Commission for Unesco

Check-in hotel

Meeting at Ministry of Education with the Permanent Secretary, Dr E.M. Malie, the Chief Education Officer, Mr C.M. Rakubutu, and Mrs M. Mokhothu of the Lesotho National Commission for Unesco, Discussion of work schedule

Organization of work schedule in detail; collection of background material

Tuesday, 10 July 8 a.m.-1 p.m.

2.30 p.m-5 p.m.

Meeting with Mr Rakubutu Wednesday, 11 July 8 a.m.

9.15 a.m. Unesco National Commission

9.40 a.m. National Library

2 p.m.-5 p.m. National Curriculum Development Centre

Lesotho Distance Teaching Centre

Interview of consultant for radio programme on the miss ion

United Nations Information Centre for Lesotho (The Centre later published a write-up on the consultant mission in its Newsletter, Vol. 2, No. 1, p. 6)

Thursday, 12 July 8 a.m.-9 a.m.

9 a.m.-1 p.m. Lesotho Training for Self-Reliance Project Headquarters

Meeting with executive members of Sesotho Language Academy

Government Printing and Stationery Department

2 p.m.-5 p.m. Lesotho Publishing and Printing Co. (Pty) Ltd. (discussion with Dr W.M. Tsotsi)

Instructional Materials Resource Centre

Sesotho Language Academy Friday, 13 July 8 a.m.-1 p.m.

Discussion with Mrs Masechele Khaketla, a prominent writer in Sesotho

2 p.m.-5 p.m. Work at Lesotho National Commission for Unesco

- 20 - Saturday, 14 July Visit to bookshops, Maseru Morning

Monday, 16 July National University of Lesotho (NUL) , Roma (discussions 9 a.m.-1.30 p.m. with Dr Z.A. Mats'ela, President of the Sesotho Authors'

Association, and Mrs 'Mampaila Martha Lebotsa, NUL Librarian; courtesy call on Dr A.M. Maruping, Acting Vice-Chancellor of the NUL).

2.20 p.m.-5.30 p.m. Morija Printing Works

Morija Bookshop depot

Mazenod Book Centre/Institute of Publishers, Printers and Booksellers

Tuesday, 17 July National Teacher-Training College 8 a.m.-1.30 p.m.

Discussion with Dr B. M. Saneng

2 p.m.-4.30 p.m. Director of Sports and Culture, Ministry of Education

Lesotho National Commission for Unesco

Wednesday, 18 July 9 a.m.-12.30 p.m. Ministry of Education

2.30-5 p.m. Lesotho National Commission for Unesco

Thursday, 19 July Discussions with Mr Seymour B. Kikine and with Mr Patric 9 a.m.-11 a.m. M. Bereng, Secretary, the Sesotho Authors' Association

1 p.m.-5.30 p.m. Lesotho National Commission for Unesco; collection of data

Friday, 20 July Discussion at Ministry of Education 10 a.m.-12.30 p.m.

2 p.m.-3.30 p.m. CNA Bookshop, Maseru

2 p.m.-3.40 p.m. Radio programme on 'The printed word and the onslaught of the electronic media'

Saturday, 21 July Maseru Bookshop and other bookshops in Maseru 10 a.m.-12 noon

Monday, 23 July-Friday, 27 July

1. Cross-checking and drafting of the report

2. Two radio broadcast programmes on:

(a) 'Prospects of book development in Lesotho';

(b) 'The new information order'.

- 21 - 3. Consultations at Ministry of Education and Culture on scheme of service,

staffing, details of budget, accommodation and administrative and work plan.

4. Visit to schools in Maseru and districts (first and second cycle) to assess the book situation.

Sat-urday, 28 July-Wednesday, 1 August

1. Work on the mission report, and typing.

2. Further consultations with bodies, individuals and government officials on matters of detail.

3. Finalization of the mission report on the establishment of the Lesotho Book Development Council.

- 22 -

APPENDIX 2

THE LESOTHO CHILDREN'S LITERATURE FOUNDATION (LCLF)

The name of the organization shall be the Lesotho Children's Literature Foundation (LCLF) .

(b) Governing body

The Foundation shall have a Board of Directors of not fewer than seven members.

(c) Committees

The Foundation shall, with the approval of its Board of Directors, have working committees such as for:

(i) fund-raising and public relations;

(ii) publication and book reviewing.

(d) Status

The Foundation shall be a voluntary, non-profit-making autonomous organization related to the Lesotho Book Development Council.

(e) Membership

Membership of the Foundation shall comprise educators, 'parents, authors, reviewers, librarians and all concerned individuals and organizations.

Aims and objectives

(i) to promote the writing of good quality, mostly creative, books in Sesotho or English, etc.;

(ii) to encourage book reading among children over and above the formal education practice; and

(iii) to explore and tap sources of funding for its activities.

(g) Functions

The functions of the Foundation shall include:

(i) selection of manuscripts and sponsoring the production 'of the books by publishing houses for distribution at reasonable prices;

(ii) carrying out surveys on the shortcomings of books for Lesotho children and young people; compiling and publishing of findings in order to assist writers, book illustrators and designers and publishers ;

(iii) encouraging the review of books produced for Lesotho children and young people;

- 23 - (iv) organization of seminars and workshops on various aspects of

children's books;

(v) dissemination of information abroad about the best children's book produced in Lesotho;

(vi) co-operation in every possible way with the Lesotho Library Service if and when necessary;

(vii) co-operation with various institutions working on children's literature, e.g. the International Board of Books for young People (IBBY), Unesco, UNICEF, the International Institute for Children's Juvenile and Popular Literature (Vienna);

(viii) encouraging the publication of children's newspapers, magazines, etc.

(h) Finance

The Foundation's finances shall be derived from:

(i) grants, loans, donations and financial aid from public and private sources ;

(ii) fund-raising activities.

No.

1

-

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

- 24 - APPENDIX 3

INDEX OF DESIGNATED RECOMMENDATIONS

Reasons for establishing a National Book Development Council ................................ Basic essential of the Lesotho Book Development Council work plan .................................. Establishment and operation of professional associations ....................................... First year's action programme ...................... Establishment of the Lesotho Book Development Council (LBDC) ..................................... Objectives, functions and constitution ...........,. Operational structure .............................. Terms and conditions of service .................... Administrative and management plan ................. Implementation Committee ...........................

Paragraph

11

25

28

29

33

38

40

43

45

58

- 25 - APPENDIX 4

LESOTHO AUTHORSHIP DEVELOPMENT FUND

The fund shall be administered as a trust by a Board of Trustees under the Ministry of Finance but operating under the aegis of the LBDC which shall also provide the secretariat and any other support service. Suggested criteria for providing assistance are as follows:

The subject or theme of the manuscript in respect of which application for assistance is being made, should be generally acceptable for school or general reading.

The standard should be such as a publisher would accept. In some cases the Board may call for a publisher's opinion on standard and/or marketability, etc.

In the case of both creative and non-creative or specialized subjects, the Board, may prefer the submission of the entire manuscript together with the application, though in some cases and depending on the proven standing of the applicant in book writing, a few chapters of the manuscript together with a chapter synopsis of the part not yet written may suffice for consideration.

An application must be supported by a breakdown of the costs involved item by item. As the Board's funds are limited, it does not grant money for tape-recorders, cameras, vehicles or research.

As far as possible, the Board will seek specialized opinion on the applicant's manuscript and the assessor's opinion will, to a large extent, determine the Board's reaction to the application. Where the manuscript has potential but requires to be worked on some more, the views of the assessor will be anonymously conveyed to the applicant for the applicant's consideration plus a token grant of encouragement in the form of money. All monies paid by the Board are not loans but out-right grants. The Board has to be strict, therefore, and a successful applicant should not appeal for help again unless the manuscript in respect of which he received a grant has been published and two copies lodged with the library of the LBDC.

Suggested membership of the Board is as follows:

Chairman: prominent Basotho educationist/scholar/writer/bibliophile.

Vice-chairman: LBDC ' s Executive Director. A representative of the Ministry of Finance, preferably also a bibliophile.

A representative of the National Teachers' Association, A representative of the Ministry of Education's Culture Directorate.

A representative of the National University of Lesotho. A representative of the Lesotho National Association of Writers. A representative of the National Curriculum Development Unit. A representative of the Instructional Materials Resource and Book Supply. Secretary from LBDC .

A yearly block subvention of M5,000 should be provided direct to the fund by the Ministry of Finance.

- 26 - APPENDIX 5

DRAFT CONSTITUTION OF THE NATIONAL BOOK DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL FOR THE KINGDOM OF LESOTHO

Members of Cablnet are respectfully invited to approve the establishment of a National Book Development Council for the Kingdom of Lesotho hereinafter designated the Lesotho Book Development Council (LBDC) to promote book development in Lesotho and ensure that books play their full role in the economic and social progress of the nation.

'(b) Members are aware that books are a vital instrument in the service of education and play an important role in economic, social and cultural development. They also contribute much to individual self -fulf ilment . It should therefore be the principal aim of every nation to ensure the promotion of their development. The inadequacy of the right type of books for use in the country and in Africa as a whole is far more detrimental than is usually readily realized. By the right type of books is meant books written, preferably by indigenous writers, which draw on the creative and cultural traditions (oral or written, etc.) of the nation. Such books are lacking in sufficient quantities in this country. In spite of our insistence on political and economic independence, our quest for cultural identity and our desire to conserve our hard-won foreign exchange , the inadequate or in many schools non-existent supply of the right type of books especially non-school children's books, render all these concerns futile if not sham.

(c) Book development entails the production (authorship, translation), distribution (bookselling , development of libraries , documentation) , and use of books (the reading habit , the development , understanding and preservation, where necessary, of cultural traditions). Each of these subjects is extremely complex. The full development of each depends greatly on the development of ali others. A large number of important activities should be carried out in all these fields aimed at overcoming the insufficient availability of books in the country which in effect curbs our economic, social and cultural progress to a large extent.

(d) Some of these activities under reference relate, inter alia, to copyright, libraries, free-flow of information, textbook production, public information, production of general books , standardization of teaching equipment and materials, literary work, appropriate review of the Sesotho orthography, adult education and cultural development. Thus, many government and non-government organizations will have to be dealt with. At present, there appear to be overlappings and duplication of effort due largely to an unnecessarily diverse group interest approach to the solution of the same problems; and possible interest clashes between various functionaries are not unknown since there is no overall nationally co-ordinated administration of this important area, nor has there ever been a clearly defined and published national policy for the promotion of books and reading.

(e) A National Book Development Council will rationalize the administration of book development and promotion in the country and help to draw up an effective national policy for the promotion of books and reading. Its long-term activities will encourage the use of diversified books in the service of education, information and translation, etc., with due regard to copyright, production and distribution of books including the development of libraries and book-reading centres , the promotion of the reading habit , the

- 27 - training of personnel for the book industry, as well as help in the solving of problems of the national book industry either in existence or as they arise.

(f) Ideally, the LBDC should be established outright as a statutory body by an Act of Parliament, but, in view of the delay that this entails, it might be preferable, as an interim measure, to have it established by the government under the Ministry of Education and Culture, with a very small staff and a reasonable subvention.

(g) As stated before, the LBDC should serve as a co-ordinating body which should draw upon and make use of existing bodies and assist them to do their work better. In view of the wide interest the LBDC should serve, its Council membership should be large. The Council will be the policy body which should meet once or twice a year to make recommendations for broad policies and possibly provide guidelines. An Executive Board will have fewer members, representing the vital sectors relevant to the book industry and book use, and will meet once in two months to carry out the functions of the LBDC. The Secretariat of the LBDC will be the executive professional administrative and consultancy wing of the total set-up.

(h) Accordingly, approval is recommended of:

(i) the establishment of the Lesotho Book Development Council;

(ii) the Executive of the Council;

(iii) a Secretariat of the Council;

(iv) the publication in the Lesotho Gazette of the membership, the terms of office of the Council and the Executive Board, the Constitution and the scheme of service of the staff of the Secretariat as indicated below;

(v) an appropriate sitting allowance (to be determined by the Ministry of Finance) for the Chairman and members of the Executive Board;

(vi) an interim subvention of M76,380.00;

(vii) ... as the acting Executive Director pending the determination of the terms of service of the Professional staff of the Secretariat.

(sgd.) Hon. ..................... Minister of Education and Culture,.'

The Gazette Notice could read as follows, and incorporate the Constitution:

'It is announced for the information of the general public that a Lesotho Book Development Council has been established as an operating agency, in the meantime and pending it being set up as a statutory body by an Act of Parliament, under the Ministry of Education and Culture.

(a) The membership of this Council is as follows:

Chairman

Vice-chairman

- 28 -

Representative of the National Writers' Association

of the Lesotho Publishers' Association 11

of the Lesotho Book Designers' and Illustrators' As soc iat ion

11

of the Lesotho Printers' Association I1

of the Lesotho Booksellers' Association 1 1

of the Lesotho Library Association

of the National University of Lesotho

of the Unesco National Commission for Lesotho

11

11

11

of the Lesotho National Library Service

of the National Curriculum Development Centre

of the Sesotho Language Academy

of the Instructional Materials and Resource Centre

I1

I1 .

11

11

of the Department of Sports and Culture

of the Lesotho Distance Teaching Centre

of the Lesotho Training for Self-Reliance Project

11

I1

11

of the Central Bank of Lesotho

of the Ministry of Education and Culture

I1

11

of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism

of the Ministry of Finance

of the Ministry of Co-operative and Rural Development

ot the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting

of the Ministry of Planning and Economic Affairs

of the Ministry of Justice

11

11

11

11

I1

I1

The Chief Education Officer or his representative

The Executive Director of the LBDC

(b) The Council has an Executive Board, the membership of which is as follows :

Chairman

Vice-chairman

Representative of the Ministry of Education and Culture

- 29 - Representative of the Lesotho National Writers' Association

of the Lesotho National Commission for Unesco 11

11 of the Lesotho Book Designers' and Illustrators' Association

of the Lesotho Publishers' Association I1

of the Lesotho Printers' Association 11

of the Lesotho Booksellers' Association 11

of the Lesotho Library Association II

11 of the National University of Lesotho

of the Lesotho National Library Service It

of the Department of Sports and Culture II

The Chief Education Officer or his representative

Representative of the Ministry of Trade

The Executive Director of the LBDC

(c) The Council shall meet at least twice a year to review and evaluate past activities of the LBDC and make recommendations for broad policies and guidelines and approve programmes of the Executive Board. Any other meeting shall be at the instance of the Secretariat with the approval of the Executive Board. All matters of the secretariat shall be the responsibility of the Executive Director in accordance with the regulations and practices of the Civil Service in force. The Executive Board shall meet once in two months as found necessary to ensure the execution of the policies and guidelines of the Council. Membership of the Council and the Executive Board shall be for a term of three years renewable.

(d) The objectives and functions of the LBDC are as provided in this report.

- 30'- APPENDIX 6

CONDITIONS OF SERVICE OF W,LOYEES OF THE LESOTHO 'BOOK DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL

(i) Except where agreed otherwise in writing between the Secretariat and the body concerned, staff will be employed on a temporary basis.

(ii) All appointments shall be made on one or other of the following terms:

on six months' probation with a view to confirmation as a permanent employee ;

for full- or part-time temporary service;

for a fixed period of service; or

on secondment.

(iii) An employee's effective date of appointment shall be the date on which he first reports for duty.

(iv) An employee shall be confirmed if he completed his or her six-month probationary period to the satisfaction of the Council; on the other hand the Executive Director or someone duly exercising his authority may, at his discretion, recommend:

termination, before or at the end of the probationary period of employment, for unsuccessful or poor performance;

extension, with notification in writing to the employee, of the period of probationary employment;

termination for want of satisfactory performance after an extension of the probationary period of employment.

(v) There shall be two categories of employees appointed to the Secretariat, namely: Professional and Administrative/General Services on different salary scales and, where specified hereunder, different terms of service.

Professional employees

There shall be Professional employees in Professional grades. The Pro- fessional grades will relate to employees appointed to positions which directly concern technical/professional aspects of the Council's work and will thus, subject to the discretion of the Executive Board, comprise the following staff, listed in hierarchical order:

Executive Director Deputy Executive Director Principal Book Development Officer Senior Book Development Officer Book Development Officer Assistant Book Development Officer

- 31 - All appointments to the Prbfessional grades shall be made in accordance with the requirements of the individual posts and through the Public Services Commission or equivalent body taking into account the related regulations in force.

Except when recruitment is made from outside the Secretariat and/or where, in the opinion of the appointing authority, a particular employee merits promotion by more than one grade above his effective grade, the progression of employees from one post to another shall follow the hierarchy outlined above, with the proviso that:

a serving Assistant Book Development Officer would normally become eligible for promotion to the grade of Book Development Officer after a satisfactory service ot two years, likewise the advancement of Book Development Officer to Senior Book Development Officer;

advancement beyond the position of Senior Book Development Officer will be on the basis of competitive selection on consideration of proven professional ability, leadership capabilities, efficiency, effectiveness, innovativeness and maturity as well as on length of service.

Administrative and General Service employees

The Administrative and General Services will comprise those employees appointed to provide the Council with auxilliary services such as administrative, personnel, secretarial and accounting.

All appointments to the Administrative and General Services shall be made in accordance with the requirements of the individual posts.

Promotions will be made at the discretion of the appropriate authority and shall take into account an employee's education, qualifications, length of service and general performance of work.

The Executive Director may require that an employee selected for promotion should act in an interim capacity for a period to be determined by the Executive Director with a view to assessing his or her suitability for substantive promotion. The interim period shall not exceed six months.

(vi) An employee may be transferred temporarily or permanently to any department or section within the Secretariat or to any part of the country where his services are required provided that on transfer to

. another part of the country, accommodation can be made available to the employee and his family should he be entitled to such accommodation.

(vii) Employees in the Professional grades who have completed a minimum of three years of service shall be entitled to gratuity equal to 25 per cent of their total basic salary up to the time of termination of service. The rate of gratuity for staff in the Administrative and General Service grades shall be 20 per cent of basic salary to date in the case of an employee who has completed continuous service for a period of five years or more. Ten per cent of basic salary to date in the case of an employee who has served for a continuous period of three years but less than five years.

- 32 - Gratuity shall not be payable to an employee who has been summarily dismissed from employment.

Annual leave, sick leave or other leave permitted by the Secretariat shall not constitute break of service.

In the event of the death of an employee whilst in employment, the gratuity payable to him or her shall be paid to his nominated representative (s) . In this respect, all employees are required to submit in advance their nominees.

- 33 - APPENDIX 7

Schedule I

LESOTHO BOOK DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL First year's budget

Post

Executive Direct0 r

Book Development Officer (Research)

Schedule I1

Book Development Officer (T raining )

Book Development Officer (Promotions )

TOTAL

Staff on secondment

Secretary

Stenographer

Driver

Messenger

Office furniture

4 filing cabinets 8 desks 20 chairs 8 tables 6 bookshelves Curtains

Emolument per annum

M15,000.00

M11,000.00

M11,000.00

M11,OOO. 00

M

600.00 1,000.00 1,000.00 1,200.00 600.00

1,500.00

5,900.00

Office equipment

2 typewriters 1 duplicating machine 1 photocopying machine 10 wire trays 6 wastepaper baskets 6 fans 6 heaters

2,700.00 2,000.00 2,000.00 120.00 10.00

1,000.00 500,OO

8 , 330.00

- 34 - Motor vehicle

1 pool vehicle

Sundry items

Crockery Stationery and postage

TOTAL

GRAND TOTAL

M

12,000.00

150.00 3,000.00

~ ~

3,150.00

29,380 .OO

76,380.. 00

- 35 -

APPENDIX 8

JOB DESCRIPTIONS

A. Book professionals . -

. -- (a) A good first degree from an approved university, but preferably a second

degree or its equivalent, in book production and distribution, industry or publishing, plus at least three years' satisfactory practical experience in an appropriate area.

(b) Or a good first degree from an approved university, but preferably a second degree or its equivalent, as well as a postgraduate diploma in librarianship or postgraduate certificate in education, and a certificate in book production, plus at least four years' satisfactory experience in an appropriate area.

(e) Or be a Fellow of the Library Association and have a certificate in book production.

Where they have no qualifications in book production and distribution, industry, publishing, librarianship or education, they must have had practical experience for a minimum period of five years in at least one of the following areas: book writing, techniques of editing, book design and production, publishing, the practice of translation, book illustration, printing, book distribution and sales promotion, etc., and will be expected to do a certificate course in book production or industry after employment.

Where a degree is middling, this should be compensated for by very promising performance in the area(s) of practical performance.

The terms of initial appointmect, of progression, and the hierarchy in the professional grades of the Council are covered in this report.

B. The Executive Director

The grade of Executive Director should be the normal promotion outlet for the confirmed, permanent Deputy Executive Director who must pass an interview conducted by the Public Services Commission and approved by the government or by such established procedures and/or regulations as are in force in Lesotho. Where , however a qualified serving officer is not readily available, per- mission should be granted for direct recruitment of a candidate who has the qualifications indicated in (a) as well as either (b) or (c) above, plus a minimum of ten years' experience including administration at the top level in at least one of the following: a reputable publishing house, a book distribution organization, senior lectureship in the library and archival ,studies department of a reputable university, a library board, the public or civil services or a reputable private organization, as well as in an established position as a writer, translator, editor or having demonstrated competence in any other relevant field . Duties

The Executive Director is the Chief Executive of the LEDC under the general direction of the appropriate ministry as p.rovided in the Lesotho Book Development Council Act, He has overall responsibility for the efficient

- 36 - management of the Council and, more specifically , for its Secretariat. In particular he is responsible for the formulation and implementation of the Council's policies and programmes, co-ordination of all services and operations, preparation of the annual budget, financial control, arrangements for the recruitment of Professional and other personnel and liaison with national and international bodies. He is also a member of the Council and the Executive Board and will attend the meetings of the Council and its committees either in person or through a delegated representative.

C. Deputy Executive Director

Requirements as for the Executive Director but with at least two years' satisfactory performance as a principal book development officer or, for direct entry, eight years' previous satisfactory experience.

Duties

The Deputy Executive Director is responsible to the Executive Director, will assist him in the formulation and implementation of policies and programmes of the Council and will prepare the Council's annual report. He will also be responsible for co-ordinating the work of the training, research, administration and public relations and welfare units. He will deputize for the Executive Director in his absence and participate in the preparation of the annual budget.

Note: Both the Executive Cirector and the Deputy Executive Director are responsible for the distribution of work to other Professional grades, all of whom would be subject to constant review to ensure efficiency.

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