Franklin Book Programs:
A Container List of Its Records at the Harry Ransom Center
| Creator: | Franklin Book Programs | |
| Title: | Franklin Book Programs Records | |
| Dates: | 1952-1978 | |
| Extent: | 40 record cartons (40 linear feet) | |
| Abstract: | The material in this collection consists of chronological correspondence files from the Franklin Book Programs. These files, consecutively numbered, consist of letters and cables to and from Franklin's New York office and their foreign offices: Cairo, Tehran, Beirut, Baghdad, Lahore, Dacca, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Nigeria, Mexico City, Rio de Janiero, and Buenos Aires. | |
| Call Number: | Manuscript Collection MS-01474 | |
| Language: | English |
| Access: | Open for research. Researchers must create an online Research Account and agree to the Materials Use Policy before using archival materials. | |
| Use Policies: | Ransom Center collections may contain material with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in the collections without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which the Ransom Center and The University of Texas at Austin assume no responsibility. | |
| Restrictions on Use: | Authorization for publication is given on behalf of the University of Texas as the owner of the collection and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder which must be obtained by the researcher. For more information please see the Ransom Center's Open Access and Use Policies. |
Administrative Information
| Preferred Citation | Franklin Book Programs Records (Manuscript Collection MS-01474). Harry Ransom Center, The University of Texas at Austin. | |
| Processed by: | Lisa Jones, Deb Shelby, David H. Sparks, 1994 |
| Repository: |
Scope and Contents
| Franklin Book Programs was created as a nonprofit corporation in New York in 1952, principally for the purpose of making American books available in the languages of developing countries: books about American history, culture, technology, and science as well as poetry and fiction. The project, initiated in 1951 by Verner Clapp, Assistant Librarian of Congress, was funded by numerous public and private corporations. From the program's inception there was close involvement with the U.S. publishing industry. The Franklin Book Program was also guided by librarians, professors, and other civic minded individuals. Certain unique factors aided in the development of this program: small fees for translation rights, free consultation services and office space, and selection of books by local advisers in each country. | ||
| The material in the Franklin Book Programs Records consists of chronological correspondence files. These files, consecutively numbered, consist of letters and cables to and from Franklin's New York office and their foreign offices: Cairo, Tehran, Beirut, Baghdad, Lahore, Dacca, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Nigeria, Mexico City, Rio de Janiero, and Buenos Aires. The "chrono files" comprise the correspondence between these offices from their inception to termination. These materials are in their original binders. Additional materials, dating from 1952 to 1978, consist of financial and annual reports, a bibliography of translations, photocopies of the original charter and other legal documents, and newsletters and brochures. In terms of academic research, the Franklin collection touches upon several subject areas: the history of U.S. government relations with developing countries, the West's influence on intellectual development in the Third World, the history of the United States publishing industry, the history of United States philanthropy, and book publishing development in the Third World. | ||
Related Material
| Related materials are held by Princeton University, University of Pennsylvania, and the Library of Congress. | ||
For further information, see:
| Mitgang, Herbert. "Poor countries Helped With Books, " New York Times, June 25, 1978 | ||
| Smith, Datus C., Jr. "Books for Developing Countries: The Franklin Book Program," The Quarterly Journal of the Library of Congress, Summer 1983. | ||