Introduction
The human civilization and history flourish by the invention of the ‘alphabet’, which enabled humans to record their thoughts and arts in inscriptions and on rocks, thus creating written works. The next steps on the path of this great development were the writing of things on the skins of animals and trees, and the invention of paper. The literature of that era is an invaluable asset for us. The emergence of lithography and, later, printing industry took the ‘book’ beyond the limits of elite and made it possible for every educated person to read books in order to Increase his/her knowledge.
Nowadays, thanks to the use of computer technology and the creation of Internet networks, electronic publishing is booming and books are immediately made available to researchers and other interested people throughout the world. Despite all these striking developments, book remains an important educational means.
In post-revolution Iran, the content of textbooks has been a national-cultural concern. The Organization for Researching and Composing University Textbooks in the Humanities (Samt) was founded by order of the Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution to render scientific services to universities, and publish research-based and university books. Samt is the brainchild of the founding father of the Islamic Republic, the late Imam Khomeini (May God be pleased with Him), who contributed 10 million Rials to this organization.

 Objectives
Samt was established to offer scientific and research services, and provide basic and reference books as well as textbooks and various other educational sources in the humanities for Iranian universities and higher education institutes.

 Functions
In order to achieve these objectives, the Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution endorsed the foundation of Samt in 1985 to address the following functions:

1. Composing, authoring, and translating much-needed university books in the humanities, both in Persian and foreign languages;
2. Forging bonds between religious scholars and university professors to advance joint discussions on issues concerning the humanities and the Islamic sciences;
3. Organizing research seminars and inviting scholars from around the world to do fundamental research in the humanities and related Islamic principles and matters, and publishing the results of such seminars in the form of essays, textbooks, and other educational sources for universities;
4. Promoting scientific interactions and exchanges with other institutes, in Iran and overseas, which lead research in the humanities and the Islamic sciences;
5. Providing the scientific and educational sources needed by the organization;
6. Taking the necessary measures for printing, publishing and selling the books/sources provided by the organization;
7. Checking the relevance of university books in the humanities with the fundamentals of the Islamic sciences and the Cultural Revolution, and deciding if they need to be revised or edited.

 Main Constituents
The organization’s main constituents are:
1. A Board of Trustees;
2. A President;
3. A Research Council.
The board of trustees is subject to regulations stipulated in the law concerning the formation of boards of trustees for universities and higher education and research institutes.

 Administrative Organization
Samt’s activities are based on its administrative organization endorsed in 2003. The Board of Trustees heads the organization. The organization’s president is appointed to the post for four years by Minister of Science, Research, and Technology, with the approval of the Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution. The Research Council sets policy and passes annual research plans, and research projects. All the research and executive affairs of the organization are supervised by the Research Department and the Executive Affairs Department.

 Research Department
Since Samt is a research-oriented organization most of its activities are planned and carried out in the Research Department. The Research Affairs and Evaluation Management handles development of textbooks, while the Center for Research and Promoting the Humanities takes care of research projects. Either one’s products are sent to the Office for Composing and Preparing Educational-Scientific Sources where they undergo editing, typesetting, proofreading, and formal control, before printing. Each unit affiliated to the Research Department is briefly described below:

 Research Affairs and Evaluation Management
One of the functions of Samt is developing textbooks and other educational sources. The Research Affairs Management pursues this through 28 specialized groups. Its activities are as follow:

1. The groups’ annual plans are based on priorities, with the help of the Projects and Planning Management;
2. Authors and translators, most of whom university professors, that are willing to cooperate with the organization are identified and called in;
3. Once suggested by the respective specialized group, a prospectus is received and presented to relevent professors to be evaluated;
4. A prospectus that is approved by the group is then raised at the monitoring board ,and, on the condition of being endorsed by the board, a contract between the organization and author(s)/translator(s) will be signed;
5. The book, acquired from the author(s)/translator(s) on the agreed date, and evaluated. The results of all assessments are conveyed to the author(s)/translator(s) to be incorporated into the book. The group will help make the required changes;
6. The books along with their additional notes are sent to the Office for Composing and Preparing Educational-Scientific Sources, to be edited and arranged for publication.
This section also evaluates the books after their publication and distribution in universities. The evaluation results are largely applied in removing the works` shortcomings, or, in some cases, replacing an alternative.

 Foreign Languages Department
The necessity of using advanced technology in the communication age requires particular attention to cultural interaction, which means presenting national Iranian and Islamic cultural values to the world as well as absorbing the useful and desirable elements of other cultures on the one hand, and teaching foreign languages as a means of using scientific and specialized sources on the other.
Samt’s Foreign Languages Department is made up of four research groups: ‘English Language and Literature’, ‘English Translation’, ‘English Teaching’, and ‘English for Specific Purposes (ESP)’. This office addresses the above-mentioned needs. It is supervised by the Research Affairs and Evaluation Management.

 Office for Collaboration with Universities and Research Centers
A responsibility of research centers and universities is to address the demand for university books. Given the expansion of higher education centers and the increasing number of students on the one hand, and the limited resources on the other, these institutes should share their potentials and capabilities for the sake of their common goals. To this end, Samt presented a plan in 1997 to meet part of the needs of universities. The idea was hailed: so far memoranda of understanding have been signed with numerous scientific centers, and dozens of books have been published by joint funding. This office, supervised by the Research Affairs and Evaluation Management, handles all the phases involved, from contract conclusion to printing, and settling accounts with the collaborating party.

Meanwhile, this office cooperates with Afghan universities. Samt has published 44 titles of books authored by Afghan university professors based on contracts signed with Afghanistan’s Higher Education Ministry.

 Office for Composing and Preparing Educational-Scientific Sources
Considering the necessity of providing students with original books or translations in a pedagogically positive way, all the books must inevitably undergo content, linguistic, and formal editing. With this idea, Samt has, from the outset, put editing and preparation top on its agenda. In order to accomplish that, priority is placed on the training of skilled editors. This office has the following functions:
1. Content editing (by respective experts if needed) as well as linguistic and formal editing;
2. Type setting of manuscripts in standard formats;
3. Proofreading, formal control and preparation of the final print of the book.

 Center for Research and Development in the Humanities
The Center for Research and Development in the Humanities started work in 2003 with the authorization of the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology. The main function of the center is to have various research projects carried out through ten research groups, namely linguistics and Persian literature; foreign languages; social sciences; law and political science; arts; management; economics and accounting; behavioral sciences; history and geography; philosophy and theology.
It should be noted that on the basis of the organizational chart, the office of the research group for philosophy and theology is established in the city of Qom. All the related projects are planned and pursued there. The center is also responsible for organizing scientific-cultural conferences and seminars.

 Library and Information Center:
Library and information center are essential to a research institute. Naturally research is done on larger scale and at higher ease if these are developed and upgraded. Considering that Samt specializes in developing university books in the humanities, and in fundamental research in the field, its library should necessarily be run in a specialized fashion. Fortunately the library has been following the course of specialism over the last couple of years. Another function of this section is expansion of the information unit and creation of links with other research and university centers and major libraries, both inside the country and abroad. The library contains around 13,000 volumes of books, most of them in Persian, Arabic, English, and, to a lesser extent, French. It also accommodates other print media such as magazines and newspapers, and audio-visual records like tapes, diskettes and CDs.

 Periodical: Publication of scientific and research journals gains prestige for research centers. The Sokhan-e-Samt quarterly, licensed in 1996, specializes in the development of university books.

  Executive Department
This department is made up of financial-administrative, press, and sales sections. It has to do with the printing, publication and distribution of books, logistical support of research, annual budget drafting, recruitment and employment, development projects, and supply of such resources as accommodation, building, machinery and equipment.

 Sales Department
Currently the organization’s sales department is in touch with its representatives nationwide, providing them periodically with lists of the titles of most recently published books. The distributors can also find the latest information about the books on Samt’s Web site. This section receives orders round the clock by e-mail, fax, or telephone, or in person. The ordered books are sent to the customers as soon as possible. The most remote areas of the country acknowledge receit in less than 48 hours. No distributor may change the price, which is approximately equal to the production and distribution costs. A discount of 15 to 18 percent applies for purchases not in cash, 20 percent for purchases in cash, and 25 percent for wholesale purchases.

 Public Relations
The prime responsibility of this unit is to get in touch with universities and educational and research institutes as well as the media, introduce newly-published books, disseminate news about the organization, and improve internal relations. It also takes care of Samt’s Web site, the Samt Newsletter and publications lists, and organizes exhibitions.

Samt HQ: Jalal-e-Al-e-Ahmad Highway, Tehran, Iran
P.O. Box: 14155-6381
Fax: +98-21 44248777
Tel.: +98-21 44234843  ,   +98-21 44248776

Distribution Center: No. 2, Abureyhan St., Enghelab Ave., Tehran, Iran
Fax: +98-21 66405678
Tel.: +98-21 66408145  ,   +98-21 66408120

Book Store: No. 2 , Abureyhan St., Enghelab Ave., Tehran, Iran
Fax: +98-21 66405678
Tel.: +98-21 66417857

“... An important matter is textbooks for universities. Of course, a decision has already been taken: the Samt organization was founded where they developed certain books, and their effort is appreciated.”