PRINTING, PUBLISHING AND BOOK DEVELOPMENT IN ETHIOPIA UP TO THE ERA OF MENELIK-II

Printing, publishing and book development may be considered as the prerequisites for the development of any library and information system in any society. This paper attempts to cover publishing in Ethiopia from 1500-1900. During this period numerous ecclesiastical and a few original works by Ethiopians and foreigners had appeared in Ge'ez and in other dialects. The role of the missionary societies in book development was also significant. Most of the products of the printing presses were kept either in church archives or in Royal Libraries. The establishment of any modern type libraries was utterly neglected. Consequently, most of the literate population of that time had no opportunity to find out what was being published in their own country. © 1992 Academic Press Limited.