International network for the availability of publications (INASP)
The International Network for the Availability of Publications (INASP) is a programme of the International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU-Press) in collaboration with the Commission of the European Communities, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the Third World Academy of Sciences. Aiming to widen the access of developing countries to current scientific and technical literature, INASP takes the form of a cooperative network of donors and recipient organizations. It has three main objectives - To encourage new initiatives to increase the availability of current scientific literature; - To identify methods to permit the sustainable exchange and distribution of scientific publications; - To support and strengthen existing programmes in the distribution, publication, exchange and distribution of books, journals, audiovisual material, software and CD-ROM. At present the network is centred on two databases. The first supplies information on existing sources of donated scientific material and is being expanded to provide support to indigenous publishing. The second will provide an inventory of recipient institutions.