Joint Publications Research Service Translations

Abstract

DURING THE LAST SIX YEARS a large body of valuable research materials known as JPRS translations has become available to research libraries and to the general public. Much of this material is unique because the original sources are often completely unavailable to organizations outside the government. Furthermore, in the case of translations from difficult languages, such as Arabic and Chinese, it would be impossible for undergraduate and graduate students as well as for many scholars to make use of the original materials. Organizations distributing the translations have received many letters from scholars and librarians testifying to the great value of the materials. Theodore Kyriak of Research and Microfilm Publications, Inc., says of the period 19571961: JPRS social science translations represent over 90 per cent of all scholarly translations produced in English during that period in the social sciences.1 The quantity of materials issuing from this source has been voluminous. By the end of 1962, more than thirteen thousand and five hundred JPRS translations had been issued in the social sciences. Many thousands more had been issued in scientific and technical fields. Amounting to approximately one million pages since March 1957, about seven hundred thousand of which are in the social sciences, these materials now form one of the most complete and current collections of translations available in ' the United States.2