NEWSLETTER ON SERIALS PRICING ISSUES

This second letter continues with three paragraphs discussing the editor, the "emphasis," and the size of _In Vitro Toxicology_. The third letter is not dated, but it begins "Your immediate reply is required by 01/10/94...." and continues:

-----

               Re: JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF TOXICOLOGY

     Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. will no longer be publishing this
     title in 1994. Instead, we will offer you two options:

     Option #1:

     Replace your 1994 subscription to the Journal of the
     American College of Toxicology with a subscription to IN
     VITRO TOXICOLOGY: A Journal of Molecular and Cellular
     Toxicology (ISSN 0888-319X).... [Followed by the usual
     paragraphs about that journal, its editor, and its size.]

     Option #2:

     If you already subscribe to IN VITRO TOXICOLOGY: A Journal
     of Molecular and Cellular Toxicology, or if this Journal
     does not fulfill your current collection development needs,
     we will offer you a subscription to any other Mary Ann
     Liebert, Inc. journal that your library does not 
     currently subscribe to.

     I have enclosed a list of our publications which you can use
     to make your selection.

The form to be faxed back to the publisher lists only two choices:

-----

     [ ] YES - please immediately cancel my subscription to the
               Journal of the American College of Toxicology and
               replace it with a subscription to IN VITRO
               TOXICOLOGY (Option #1).

     [ ] YES - please immediately cancel my subscription to the
               Journal of the American College of Toxicology and
               replace it with a subscription to the Mary Ann
               Liebert, Inc. journal listed below. (I understand
               the library cannot choose a journal the library
               currently subscribes to (Option #2). 

I was curious as to what prompted the change of publisher and spoke with the journal editor, Dr. Robert Diener. He mentioned inaccuracies, inconsistencies in pricing, and inadequate promotion of the journal.

Finally, on February 22, I faxed a letter to Mary Ann Liebert, president of Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., It quoted the paragraph of Mr. Seiden's letter that says Liebert had offered JACT subscribers a refund. I attached copies of that letter and the three letters the publisher had sent to subscribers. My letter reads, in part:

-----

     Not one of these letters mentions a refund for those who do
     not want to receive _In Vitro Toxicology_ or another Liebert
     journal. Nor does any letter mention that JACT is still
     being published; the strong implication is that it has
     ceased publication. We both know that is not the case. Is
     this how scholarly publishers now do business?

     Under these circumstances I cannot print Mr. Seiden's letter
     without making an editorial comment concerning the three
     letters sent to subscribers which did _not_, as Mr. Seiden
     claims, offer a refund.

     Perhaps you would like to comment, in which case I would
     print your letter instead of Mr. Seiden's. Failing to
     receive any comment to clarify the situation, I will be left
     with only one alternative and that is to print his letter
     and point out the contradiction that exists. 

     I intend to compose and send the next issue of the
     newsletter on Saturday, February 26 and look forward to
     receiving your reply prior to that date.

A week after that date, I have heard nothing.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Statements of fact and opinion appearing in the _Newsletter on Serials Pricing Issues_ are made on the responsibility of the authors alone, and do not imply the endorsement of the editor, the editorial board, or the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

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+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The NEWSLETTER ON SERIALS PRICING ISSUES (ISSN: 1046-3410) is published by the editor through the Office of Information Technology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, as news is available. Editor: Marcia Tuttle, Internet: tuttle@gibbs.oit.unc.edu; Paper mail: Serials Department, CB #3938 Davis Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill NC 27514-8890; Telephone: 919 962-1067; FAX: 919 962-4450. Editorial Board: Deana Astle (Clemson University), Jerry Curtis (Springer Verlag New York), Janet Fisher (MIT Press), Charles Hamaker (Louisiana State University), Daniel Jones (University of Texas Health Science Center), James Mouw (University of Chicago), and Heather Steele (Blackwell's Periodicals Division). The Newsletter is available on the Internet, Blackwell's CONNECT, and Readmore's ROSS. EBSCO customers may receive the Newsletter in paper format.

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