INFORMATION ACCESS WITH THE FORMER EAST-GERMANY - BOOK PROCUREMENT AND OTHER INFORMATION ACCESS ISSUES BEFORE AND AFTER REUNIFICATION

The demise of the Eastern Bloc has brought about monumental changes affecting both access to information in the former East Germany and its neighboring allies, as well as the acquisition of materials by libraries through purchase and exchange from these former Communist countries. Within the short period since reunification, the transformations in the eastern German book trade toward privatization have proceeded more efficiently than have such transformations in the other former Eastern Bloc countries. Consequently, for North American libraries it has become easier to obtain materials from publishers in the new eastern states of Germany than from those in East Germany's former allies. Before the fall of Communism, problems experienced in dealing with the East German book trade were similar to those faced in dealing with book trades of the other Eastern European countries. Now, hotever, in dealing with the new eastern Germany, most Of these problems have been overcome, although some new but minor ones have arisen. Since reunification, the improvement of acquisitions with eastern Germany and the recent freedom of access to documents in its libraries and archives are positive developments, but they create new challenges for libraries.