>From Pat Wallace, Head, Serials Department, University of Colorado, Boulder (dated April 23):
"Last week the Serials Department at the University of Colorado, Boulder, received from Bowker an overnight Federal Express packet -- not your cheapest mail -- containing ONLY information brochures on Earth Day!! I am curious whether other libraries received similar mailings. Earth Day certainly is important, but this is an inappropriate means to advertise that fact. It is disturbingly indicative of the kind of business practices which, cumulatively, drive serial prices upward. If prices for Bowker publications rise this year, I suspect I know one of the reasons."
We continue to receive responses to the query about subscribers redirecting the Newsletter to colleagues. You are creative subscribers, as is indicated by the responses from Bob Houbeck at the University of Michigan and Harry Lull at the University of New Mexico. Bob says:
"One could print off copies and catalog the paper version. Lots of processing and preservation issues to deal with, though, but not a bad solution. Another solution, which I'm inquiring about here, is dumping the Newsletter into a file and creating a record in our online catalog for the title with instructions on how to access it. Will have to consider, though, the ongoing costs of maintaining such a file. Another solution might be to try to get an online vendor to mount the newsletter, like other fulltext titles. Has anyone looked into that? (Related to that sort of solution, I'm looking into creating bib records in our online catalog for fulltext titles available via online vendors -- which would expand the range of titles available to our patrons, though there are issues of staff costs and line changes that I need to work through first. Do you know if anyone else is doing that sort of thing?)
"This matter of providing broader access to the newsletter is really a cutting edge sort of problem. We're sure to get more of these sorts of collection development questions and it might be good to work through some solutions now. (Has it occurred to you, Marcia, that you are an electronic pioneer -- that the Newsletter will someday become an example of "early" efforts to exploit the new communications technologies? Put that on your resume.)"
And here is what Harry is doing:
"I receive the Newsletter on the university mainframe and then mail it to the VAX in the Centennial Science and Engineering Library. At that point, I distribute it to all of my staff in the building plus student supervisors. This comes to 16 staff and 3 students. I feel it is advantageous to send it to everyone because it gives them a broader understanding of serial collection development issues and relates directly back to public services. It also makes everyone feel a part of the bigger picture, and that is important when you are out in the middle of the desert. I hope to be able to route the newsletter electronically to more people in the UNM General Library. However, that is more of an issue that involves being comfortable with a VAX and having terminals on everyone's desk.
"I print out a copy for my office files and one to give to Linda Lewis, the collection development officer. She routes the paper copy to all the collection development coordinators outside of CSEL.
"I am attempting to get the newsletter accessible through Technet in New Mexico. This would mean anyone in the state who had access to Technet would get the newsletter. This would include institutions and businesses all the way from Los Alamos in the north to Las Cruces in the south and everything in between along the Rio Grande. Is this ok with you to reroute to other networks? I'll let you know when/if it happens."
You bet it's ok!!
>From Robert Philip Weber:
"Do you happen to know the origins of the phrase (and concept) "libraries without walls"? Is it attributable to any one person or to a group?? Is there a citation? I'm writing an article for PUBLISHERS WEEKLY on libraries on the Internet, and it would be helpful to know."
If anyone can help Bob (and I hope it's not too late), please contact him on BITNET at WEBER@HARVARDA.
Karen Muller, ALCTS Executive Director, sends this response to a recent issue's question about a methodology for attributing costs of serials to individual departments:
"At the 1986 RTSD Preconference on Technical Services Costs, Doug Phelps of Vanderbilt presented a paper describing Vanderbilt's methodology for attributing all technical services costs to academic departments. Doug's paper has now been published inCost Effective Technical Services, edited by Gary M. Pitkin (Neal-Shuman, 1989)."
In response to Karen's response, original questioner Vince Courtney replies,
"Although the information on the "how's" is good, what I'm really hoping for is good argument pro or con on the attribution of serials costs to departments as a management device for libraries. We currently attribute costs to departments in a very simplistic way. Our staff is split as to whether this is a "good" practice or not. While it makes some decisions and management data easy to make or collect, the practice clouds issues in many other respects. Thanks, again, for the information that has come in...."
Regarding Ann Okerson's discussion of NISO Standard Z39.16-1979, American National Standard for the Preparation of Scientific Papers for Written or Oral Presentation, Yvonne Wulff, Associate Director for Collection Management, University of Michigan Library, writes:
"The 'standard' cited does not really meet the criteria of a standard and should be abandoned. Items 2.3 and 2.4 are matters of professional ethics. They are learned from mentors and enforced by peers. An obscure standard which has no practical effect on the behavior of authors or journal editors weakens the standard protocol and does nothing to improve the quality of the literature."
Finally, from Marcia Anderson at Arizona State University Library (IACMLA@ASUACAD):
"I was just talking to the Business Manager of the Ecological Society of America and he mentioned that they were considering destroying the back issues of Ecology and Ecological Monographs due to costs of storing. I thought that at the very least, this information should be spread around so that any library requiring back issues could acquire them. The phone number is (602) 965-3000; the contact person's name is Noreen Murray; the Business Manager's name is Duncan Patten."
22.2 ARTICLES TO LOOK FOR
Various subscribers
Holden, Constance. "Gordon & Breach Impanels a Journal Jury," Science 248 (April 20, 1990): 298-99. Discusses the "independent, international panel to define and develop criteria for future surveys that assess the relative cost-effectiveness of science publications" that was "conceived and proposed" by the publisher. Also reviews the current lawsuits against AIP, AMS, and Barschall. Quotes Chuck Hamaker on the matter.
Sadee, Wolfgang. "Publish or Perish, and the Journal Glut." Pharmaceutical Research 7 (1990): 433-34. This editorial addresses the issue of undue pressure to publish and comments on the following "undesirable or unethical practices" that may result: marginal experimental results; multiple publication of the same results; salami slicing, or the least publishable unit; large number of coauthors; trivial research; and scientific fraud. The author urges funding agencies and promotion committees in the pharmaceutical sciences to "adopt new policies that emphasize the quality, rather than the quantity, of scientific publishing."
The session at the AAAS annual meeting entitled "The Financial Crisis in Science Libraries" has generated a lot of discussion. Fred Spilhaus's talk was printed in full in Newsletter #21, and the entire session is covered in the April 30, 1990, issue of The Scientist on pages 17 and 19. After remarks by October Ivins and Henry Barschall, the article summarizes the talks by Robert K. Peet, Karen Hunter, and Spilhaus. This is the fullest account of the meeting that has appeared to date, and it includes photographs of all the speakers.
A recent letter to Nature points out a growing concern in referees' work in scientific journals. The author of "Blind Reviews" (19 April, p. 698) admits that it is very difficult to be objective about the work of an author who is known by "negative" reputation. J. Ellen Marsden of Cornell University's Department of Natural Resources readily admits that "the potential for bias is unavoidable unless reviews are blind, that is the authors' names and institutional affiliations are removed before being sent to reviewers." Most scientists I've talked to about this have denied any difficulty distinguishing quality whether they know who wrote an article they are reviewing or not. It's nice to hear a working scientist who agrees it just ain't so. (Chuck Hamaker)
The March 22 issue of Nature, News and Views section, includes an opinion piece entitled "Towards the Electronic Journal." (Lois Pausch)
Angie LeClercq, Special Assistant to Dean of Libraries Paula Kaufman at the University of Tennessee - Knoxville, sent the first issue of the Library's Information Issues (Fall 1989), which she edits. It consists entirely (4 pages) of a detailed article by Kaufman titled "A Crisis in Scholarly Publication -- Serials Price Escalation and New Title Proliferation."
22.3 LAST WORD ON THE ACRL JOURNAL COSTS DISCUSSION
GROUP AT MIDWINTER
Various subscribers
We can't win for losing on this one. From Ken Ford at the American Institute of Physics:
"A minor further correction in the first indented paragraph on page 1 of Newsletter 20. It is the American Physical Society, not the American Institute of Physics, whose membership figures are cited. AIP is an umbrella organization whose members are ten Member Societies, one of them being AIP. The combined membership of our Member Societies is around 100,000, of which APS accounts for about 40,000. Just for further clarification: AIP publishes journals for its Member Societies in addition to publishing its own journals and some 20 translation journals."
Thanks also to John T. Scott at the American Institute of Physics for pointing out our error.
>From Heinz Barschall:
"You may wish to correct also the discussion of page charges....What I said was...that physics journals started page charges in 1932 at $2/page. By 1963 the charge had increased to 50 actual dollars, which is $172 in 1988 dollars. By 1989 the page charges for the Physical Review had decreased to $40 in actual dollars. I did not say that paying the page charge has a bearing on how soon an article will be published; it does not have a bearing, although some years ago it did in some physics journals."
AND NOW, LET'S LET THAT BE THE END OF IT!!!
22.4 TETRAHEDRON ASYMMETRY
Susan C. George, Physical Sciences Librarian, Dartmouth College;
BITNET: SUSAN.C.GEORGE@MAC.DARTMOUTH.EDU.
I have an "interesting" item to ask about. Last week I received the first issue of a new journal:Tetrahedron Assymetry. It is part of a series of tetrahedron journals published by Pergamon. The problem with this particular one is that, it seems to me, the articles in this new journal could easily be a part of one of the already established and recognized tetrahedron journals. Instead, Pergamon has elected to start a new journal and price it at DM550/volume (and they will issue 2 volumes a year). I showed this to one of our Chemistry faculty members, and he was appalled; his views are the same as mine. We should purchase it, but right now my budget is so tight that I don't think I can afford it. What does the rest of the library world think and feel about this? I am concerned because this could proliferate and be a LARGE problem. I don't want to begin a battle with Pergamon (and Maxwell), but this treatment is really a major frustration.
22.5 HAMAKER'S HAYMAKERS
Chuck Hamaker, Louisiana State University; BITNET: NOTCAH@LSUVM.
The May 1, 1990, issue of Booklist (p. 1744) makes note of the concentration of reference book publishing that is a result of recent multinational mergers and acquisitions. Maxwell Communication, through its purchase of Macmillan, owns Scribner's, G.K. Hall, and Marquis Who's Who. Reed owns, in addition to Butterworth and Bowker, K.G. Saur. The first two of course are UK parent firms. The French firm Hachette owns Grolierand Scarecrow. Gale is owned by the Canadian firm of International Thomson. Someone in Reference should be working on whether these purchases have affected the price of reference books. Average prices, for example, over the last few years, or even title output of reference titles, price per page and a host of other measures could be used to try to find out what effect, if any, has been felt in this area. Any reference librarians up to the challenge???
At the recent ARL annual meeting in New Orleans a special presentation was made to Dr. Henry Barschall of the University of Wisconsin in "recognition of his contributions to the issues of scholarly communication and freedom of expression." Dr. Barschall is the author of a study of the cost per thousand characters of physics journals weighted by impact factors derived fromScience Citation Index. Dr. Barschall, the American Institute of Physics, and the American Physical Society are being attacked by Gordon and Breach in courts in Germany, Switzerland, and France for publication of the study.
22.6 SOURCES OF OUT OF PRINT SERIALS
Travis Leach, University of Arizona; BITNET: JTLEACH@ARIZRVAX
Sources of back issues of periodicals, out of print or not, have been high on the buzz list of serials acquisitions librarians since the demise of USBE. Cost, again, is one of the main issues. The cost includes extensive staff time on the part of both libraries and vendors to fulfill this acquisition function. For additional details, see the soon to be published groundbreaking paper by my assistant, Geraldine F. Pionessa, "Serials Replacement Orders: A Closer Look," in Serials Review, 16:1, 1990. The rebirth of USBE is welcomed, but there are other back issue dealers with long experience in the business and with extensive inventories, and often with competitive prices; not to mention here the many, many smaller vendors, some with subject specialties. Here are three of the larger vendors:
1) Alfred Jaeger, Inc., 66 Austin Blvd., Commack NY 11725. Phone: (516) 543-1500; (800) 453-0011. FAX: (516) 543-1537. DATALINX: JAEGER. Don Jaeger was the source of our information. Open orders only. Do not send firm order p.o.'s. Send written want lists alphabetized by "title." They will search current stock only and notify requestors of issues not available. Average price per issue is currently $25 - $30. Customers may set price ceiling, over which Jaeger will quote. If less than a whole volume but more than half is needed, the whole volume may be supplied without quote, at commensurate charge. Handling and shipping charges extra.
2) J.S. Canner & Co., 10 Charles Street, Needham Heights MA 02194. Phone: (617) 449-9103. Mr. Liebowicz at Canner gave us the following information. They usually have a large active stock; prefer to accept written want lists, but formal p.o.'s and simple telephone enquiries are accepted. They will notify customers of specific unfillable orders after agreed on search time (usually 90 or 120 days). They will agree to a cost per issue ceiling and quote when the price is over that before filling order. They are exclusive dealers for back issues of Plenum and Human Sciences Press titles. Handling and shipping charges extra.
3) John T. Zubal, Inc., 2969 West 25th Street, Cleveland OH 44113. Phone: (216) 241-7640. FAX: (216) 241-6966. "The Backissues Specialists." Open orders only, Written want lists accepted only. Only current stock searched. Sometimes considerable discounts on publishers' in print prices for recent back issues. Minimum charge per issue, which is usually low. Handling and shipping charges extra. It's not clear at this writing how the new USBE relates to the old Zubal business.
22.7 JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY OF HOSPITALITY
RESEARCH
Press release submitted by Bela Foltin, Virginia Tech.
The International Academy of Hospitality Research, in cooperation with Virginia Tech's Department of Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management and the university's Scholarly Communications Project, plans to launch one of the nation's first electronic scholarly journals. The journal will publish refereed papers authored by the leading scholars and researchers in the hospitality and tourism field.
The journal will be distributed electronically via BITNET and Internet to computer screens of subscribing libraries and readers. It will be the hospitality industry's first journal devoted exclusively to scholarly research in the field, according to Dr. Michael D. Olsen, founding president of the academy and head of the HRIM department. The journal will play a leadership role in the rapidly developing movement, sometimes referred to as an impending revolution, in the electronic communication of scholarly information. The electronic medium allows faster distribution of information at less cost than paper journals, with instant archiving and availability to scholars world-wide.
The journal will be dedicated to improving and expanding basic knowledge in the fields of hospitality and tourism. It is intended exclusively for researchers and scholars, most of them in schools of hospitality management with some in hotel chains and other hospitality enterprises. The field is a small one, comprising fewer than five hundred persons worldwide. In its exclusive appeal to researchers, the journal will be unique in the hospitality field, Olsen said.
The target date for the first issue of the journal is late fall of 1990.
In planning the journal, Olsen said, heaviest emphasis is being placed on academic quality. The sponsoring International Academy of Hospitality Research includes some of the world's leading scholars in hotel and restaurant management, persons who will demand highest academic standards. Members of the academy will serve as members of the journal's editorial board, while some will also serve as authors and editors.
Papers submitted to the journal, like those submitted to classical, paper journals, will be evaluated by referees. Once accepted and ready for publication, however, each paper will be transmitted, along with an abstract, by electronic mail to subscribers. Subscribers may print particular papers of interest in their own offices. Subscribing libraries may make the journal available to their patrons in any acceptable form. The abstracts and papers, after their original distribution, will be archived in such a way that persons may browse through the abstracts from their home computers, select, and order full texts of those of interest.
Launching the journal will involve a minimal outlay of capital, which may be made by the academy, the university, or interested individuals. A nominal subscription fee will be charged to cover costs. The journal will be non-profit.
The journal will be published in association with Virginia Tech's Scholarly Communications Project. The SCP was established last year to address critical problems of scholarly communication and to assist journals in taking advantage of new communication possibilities. The project utilizes Virginia Tech's international leadership in computing and electronic communication.
The unusual aspect of this journal, Olsen said, is its electronic delivery, a medium that computer people for years have been describing as the medium of future scholarly communication. Due to the small number of scholars in this field, it would be difficult to issue this journal exclusively on paper. Many potential subscribers already are sufficiently "computer literate" to handle the journal. If individuals incur difficulties with electronic aspects of the operation, "we may print a few copies off and send them by mail to help people get started," Olsen said.
A call for papers will go out soon to scholars to submit papers for possible publication. Announcements will be forthcoming of an editorial board, conditions of submission and other informtion relating to the journal.
For further information, contact: Dr. Michael D. Olsen; Department Head; Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management; Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Blackburg VA 24061-0429; phone: (703) 231-5515.
22.8 NEGOTIATING SUBSCRIPTION AGENCY SERVICES AND FEES:
A ONE-DAY SEMINAR FOR LIBRARY ADMINISTRATORS, BY N. BERNARD "BUZZY" BASCH
"Buzzy" Basch, Basch Associates, 860 North Lake Shore
Drive, Suite 7J, Chicago IL 60611; Phone: (312) 787-6885; FAX: (312) 943-0025.
Many serials managers fail to recognize that libraries can negotiate subscription agency services and fees from a position of strength. Those who are aware of the opportunities are often reluctant to act for fear of disrupting the status quo -- the smooth supply of serial materials. To be empowered to pursue cost savings and service enhancement through negotiation, library staff need the direction and support of senior administrators. This seminar provides an overview of agency practices and library strategies to equip administrators for a leadership role in this initiative.
The Marketplace
Libraries, the $1 Billion Plus Market
Market segments, service usage
Competition Among Agencies
The players, market share, marketing strategies, agency consolidation, other sources for serial services
Competition Between Agencies and Publishers
Dependency and competition
The Subscription Agency Business
Revenue Sources
Publisher discounts, service fees, money management
Costs
Payments to publishers, automation, risk, research/development
Business Practices
Margins, efficiency, profit objectives, cost assignment, perceptions
Service Charges
Calculation, assignment to customers
The Future
Negotiation
Opportunities
Collection profile, service usage, single or multiple vendors,
period of service
Objectives
Money and/or service
Strategies
Win-win, vendor attitudes
REGISTRATION: $295.00. Luncheon provided. Registration accepted through June 14, 1990. For further information contact Buzzy Basch.
22.9 CALL FOR PROPOSALS FOR
Judith Niles, Director, Division of Technical Services,
Ekstrom Library, University of Louisville, Louisville KY 40292; BITNET:
JFNILE01@ULKYVM.
The Guides Subcommittee of the ALCTS Resources Section Acquisitions Committee was established in 1987 to develop and edit new publications and revise existing publications which serve as guides for acquisitions librarians or others involved in operations associated with acquisitions departments in all types of libraries.
The Subcommittee hereby solicits proposals for guides to be published in the ACQUISITION GUIDES series (formerly ACQUISITIONS GUIDELINES series). The guides are booklets which provide practical advice to the acquisitions manager. Published guides are generally not more than 30 pages long. Each guide should provide practical advice on acquisitions topics or on the management of specific acquisitions functions. It should provide basic definitions of terminology typical to the topic, methodologies for problem solving, strategies for accomplishing objectives, etc. A short bibliography may be included, especially one which directs the reader to helpful tools. Since acquisitions functions often overlap with those of other departments, the guides will be of interest to collection development librarians, serials acquisitions managers, administrators, and others, but issues specific to those areas (selection, serials acquisitions, budget allocation, etc.) will not be included in this series. Guides may make reference to these related areas, but should avoid lengthy discussion of them.
Guides already in development are:
--Financial Management
--Preservation Concerns in Acquisitions
Additional topics which have been identified as appropriate for this
series, and for which authors are particularly solicited:
--Acquisition of Out of Print Materials
--Legal Issues in Purchasing: Bidding, State Contracts, etc.
--Selecting an Automated Acquisitions System
--Implementing an Automated Acquisitions System
--Managing Gift Acquisitions
--Managing Approval Plans
--Managing Exchange Operations
--Acquisition of Non-Print, Non-Book Materials (proposals need not
address the full range of such materials, e.g., a guide to acquisition
of videos would be considered)
--Acquisition of Government Publications for Non-Depository Libraries
In addition, there are publications from the original ACQUISITIONS
GUIDELINES series which are out of print and need to be revised for
republication:
--GUIDELINES FOR HANDLING LIBRARY ORDERS FOR IN-PRINT MONOGRAPHIC
PUBLICATIONS, 2nd ed.
--GUIDELINES FOR HANDLING LIBRARY ORDERS FOR MICROFORMS
The list above is not comprehensive, and the Subcommittee invites proposals on other acquisitions topics.
The subcommittee will review proposals, select those to be developed, establish a development schedule with each author, and work with the author in an editing process. Authors will be members of the subcommittee during the development of their guides. The subcommittee forwards proposals to the committees and boards which approve publications and will hold hearings on final drafts at ALA conferences.
Each proposal should include a detailed outline of the proposed contents. If you are interested in submitting a proposal or would like further information, please contact the Chair of the Guides Subcommittee: Judith Niles, Director, Division of Technical Services, Ekstrom Library, University of Louisville, Louisville KY 40292; Phone: (502) 588-6756; FAX: (502) 588-8753; BITNET: JFNILE01@ULKYVM.
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Readers of the NEWSLETTER ON SERIALS PRICING ISSUES are encouraged to
share the information in the newsletter by electronic or paper methods.
We would appreciate credit if you quote from the newsletter.
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The NEWSLETTER ON SERIALS PRICING ISSUES (ISSN: 1046-3410) is published as
news is available by the American Library Association's Association for
Library Collections and Technical Services, Publisher/Vendor-Library Relations
Committee's Subcommittee on Serials Pricing Issues. Editor: Marcia Tuttle,
BITNET: TUTTLE@UNC.BITNET; Faxon's DataLinx: TUTTLE; ALANET: ALA0348;
Paper mail: Serials Department, C.B. #3938 Davis Library, University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill NC 27599-3938; telephone: (919)
962-1067; FAX: (919) 962-0484. Committee members are: Deana Astle (Clemson
University), Mary Elizabeth Clack (Harvard University), Jerry Curtis
(Consultant), Charles Hamaker (Louisiana State University), Robert Houbeck
(University of Michigan), and Marcia Tuttle. EBSCONET customers may receive
the newsletter in paper format from EBSCO. Back issues of the newsletter are
available electronically free of charge through BITNET from the editor.
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