Government Publications

[Documents librarians regularly alert patrons to the vagaries of the seemingly infinite variety of statistics available in the publications of international governmental agencies. Many documents experts even warm of the possible inaccuracies of international government statistics. Only the most skeptical, however, would portray the validity of government statistics in the manner that two international experts do in the following essays. The warnings they issue would be important at any time, but they are particularly relevant now that documents librarians are on the verge of having unparalleled access to these data via Congressional Information Service's Index to International Statistics (first issue due in January 1983). Considering the increasing use of international statistical publications, the contents of the following essays exemplify why it is imperative that librarians renew their skepticism regarding the limitations of international statistics.