WHAT IS IT? BOOK? PERIODICAL? OR WHAT?

I have two six-page publications from the United Nations dated 2006 and 2007. These publications describe a series of United Nations stamps issued with the flag and coin of each nation in that body. The cover has the United Nations seal and another seal with Coin and Flag Series in three languages, and these languages are repeated below the seal. The back page has it identified as being printed by the United Nations Postal Administration, some other information and that it was Printed on Recycled Paper. All of the pages are very stiff card-like paper so the it is likely only about 10-20% recycled, but they got their politically correct line on it.

There are four other pages. The first three have two each souvenir sheets of four stamps with different countries' flags and coins on them, and the final page has information in three languages about when the publication was issued, who designed it, who printed it, etc. The two publications show three of my four countries; Viet Nam, Myanmar and Cambodia, so I am still looking for the one with the Lao stamp.

I have a question for our fellow bibliomaniacs. What is this publication called? Is it a pamphlet? Is it a booklet? Is is it a whatever? When I list references in the Bibliography sections of my catalogs, I separate them into Books, Periodicals, Flyers, Booklets, etc. Under what reference should I list these publications?

I would place these items into the category of "ephemera". It's a broad category that can include a lot of different physical formats, including booklets, pamphlets, flyers, letters and correspondence, etc. One thing ephemeral items have in common is well, their ephemeral nature - they were generally intended so serve a short-lived purpose and a not generally saved by their recipients.

As for how to list such items in a bibliography, I'm not sure if there is a standard. Perhaps our readers can fill us in. Generally the would be listed much as a book would, under the name of the author or publisher, if known. For instance, here's an entry from The Secret History if the First U.S. Mint by Orosz and Augsburger: "Stewart, Frank H," Inspection of the First Coins of the United States Mint", Printed brochure attached to the back of Frank H. Steward Electric Compny calendars." -Editor

THE BOOK BAZARRE

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