As part of the ongoing process of decentralization the National Spiritual Assembly has passed responsibility for the book agency here to the Bahá'í Council for Northern Ireland. Beman Khosravi is the new manager. Until stocks are built up there may be a delay while books are ordered for you—don’t let that put you off! You can, of course, order direct from Bahá'í Books UK (formerly the Bahá'í Publishing Trust) and do not have to go through the agency: you may prefer to do this if your community has a sizeable order of its own. If you just want a single copy of something, though, the agency is a good option.
The printed word is an invaluable resource, both in propagation of the Faith, and teaching: a leaflet given at a devotional meeting or a tranquillity evening, can pass through many hands and someone who did not attend could become a seeker. The range of Bahá'í literature is increasing all the time, and there are many new books suitable for enquirers and new believers as well as those for your own personal deepening.
The Friends should remember that—contrary to what is sometimes said—the National Spiritual Assembly does not encourage the Friends to order Bahá'í books through local bookshops. This will not increase the likelihood of these shops carrying Bahá'í books as part of their normal stock and as they require their portion from the cost of the books, doing things this way actually takes money away from the Faith.
In August 1957, in his last letter to the Bahá'ís of these islands, the Guardian included a wider dissemination of Bahá'í literature in his list of rock-bottom requirements which would secure the progress of the Faith here (Shoghi Effendi: Unfolding Destiny, page: 385). Although what we understand by “literature” has now extended to include such diverse phenomena as the World-Wide Web, the spoken word in audio formats (as diverse as cassette tape and downloaded MP3 files), and computer and desk-top published materials, the principle still applies. We need the printed word as a resource for our own study, and to help us spread the Faith.
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