I. Introduction

The importance of books

Other learning materials

Author's note

II. Book provision in 1990

EFA objectives

Textbook availability

Quality of textbooks

Use of textbooks

Teachers' guides and supplementary materials

Methods of textbook provision

Production of textbooks

The role of the state in textbook provision

Constraints in provision

The role of funding agencies and donors

III. Global trends

Decentralization

Liberalization

Funding

Availability of school books

Quality and use

Educational materials

Supplementary reading and libraries

Production of textbooks

Constraints in textbook provision

Donors and funding agencies

IV. Regional developments

South Asia

Central Asia and Caucasus

Pacific Islands

Africa

Anglophone Caribbean

Central and Eastern Europe

V. What we have learned

Textbooks: a recurrent expense

State-run systems

Private sector

Sustainability

Governmental impediments

The book chain

Short-term policies

The state's role

Controlling costs

Public-private collaboration

Developing the book chain

Level playing fields

Cooperation and co-publishing

Information systems

Curriculum revision

Remedying inequities

Reaching the users

Special concerns

Teacher training

Training in evaluation

Training for decentralization

Distribution

Corruption

Stakeholders

Learning materials

A literate community

Coordination in assistance

National book policies

Future needs

Political will

VI. Looking to the future

A sombre scenario

What can be done?

A more optimistic scenario

VII. References