Handbook of Bibliographies on the Laws of Developing Countries: Report on a Project

In: International journal of law libraries: IJLL ; the official publication of the International Association of Law Libraries, Band 4, Heft 2, S. 115-119

Abstract

As regards legal literature and its bibliographical description many developing countries are not as underdeveloped as some people in this continent may believe. In various countries of the Third World legal bibliographies have been published (partly with, partly without development aid) which need not shy from being compared with works of the same kind published in Europe. Nevertheless, these bibliographies tend to remain obscure – a fact for which one cannot blame the developing countries. In the course of his education the average jurist in the West becomes acquainted only with the law of his own country. Occasional comparative studies are generally confined to the other European legal systems and to Anglo-Saxon law. In exceptional cases he may also deal with some East European law. Librarians and documentalists get acquainted with a great many bibliographies during their studies, but in general with none dealing with developing countries. For these reasons information experts, lawers and persons assisting in developing countries – having to deal with the legal literature of a developing country for some reason – often do not know whether they must discover all the relevant literature themselves or whether there are – and if so, in what cases – bibliographies already in existence and how to use these bibliographies.