117.2 PRICE INCREASES AND PRINTING COSTS, Bruce Goatly
117.3 SOUTH AFRICAN INSTITUTE FOR LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE ANNUAL CONFERENCE: LIBRARIES AND INFORMATION FOR ALL, Norma Laburn
117.4 EARLY PROJECTIONS RECEIVED FROM PUBLISHERS INDICATE 8 TO 10 PERCENT INCREASES ARE POSSIBLE, EBSCO Subscription Services
117.5 ARCHIVE OF SUBVERSION DISCUSSION (Stevan Harnad), Ann Ercelawn
Marcia Tuttle, tuttle@gibbs.oit.unc.edu
I would like to introduce the newest member of the newsletter's editorial board -- to those of you who don't already know him; Christian Boissonnas is widely known and loved! Christian, who is Director, Central Technical Services, Cornell University Library, has recently given up the ownership and editorship of ACQNET, the electronic newsletter on library acquisi- tions. He has spent his career at Cornell, but he is active in ALA/ALCTS, especially the Acquisitions Section and the "Big Heads" group. Christian is also a fixture at the Charleston Conference. The editor and the rest of the editorial board are most pleased to welcome Christian, his perspective, and his personality to the _Newsletter on Serials Pricing Issues_. Thanks to those of you who have already commented on the proposed expansion of the newsletter's scope and the title change, mentioned in this space in no. 116. We value every one of those messages. More about that in a later issue.117.2 PRICE INCREASES AND PRINTING COSTS
Bruce Goatly, Head of Publishing, The Royal Society, London; ezrs002@ulcc.ac.uk
Guy Dresser of Allen Press (NSPI 115.3) is quite correct to question why, when STM printers have been holding or reducing their prices over the past 2-3 years, publishers continue to press for subscription price increases. While I would not wish to try to justify the quoted projections of 8-10 percent increases by other publishers, it is worth bearing in mind that the straight production costs (typesetting, printing, binding and paper), for the Society's journals at least, amount to only 42 percent of the total costs involved in publishing them: increases in the other costs can be offset only partly by reductions in production costs. The Society, like most other learned societies that publish, is acutely aware of constraints on library budgets and therefore always seeks to mini- mize its price increases. Its 1995 subscription rates for the four main journals, just recently set, average 2.3 percent over the 1994 prices. The recent weakening of the US dollar (alluded to by Ron Akie in NSPI 115.1) has led us to increase the rate used to set dollar prices, but even so, the average price increase for payment in dollars for US subscribers is only 5.4 percent (and payment in sterling, at 2.4 percent over 1994, is always an alternative). Indeed, the Society has even reduced its air-speeded post price for the rest of the world (all sterling and some dollar prices) after a recalculation of the costs. These are troublous -- if exciting -- times for publishers and librarians alike, and I doubt that the Society is either the best or the worst in respect of its price-setting policy. Thanks to improving dialogue between publishers and librarians it seems to me unlikely that any publisher -- learned society or commercial -- is now increasing its prices more than absolutely necessary.117.3 SOUTH AFRICAN INSTITUTE FOR LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE ANNUAL CONFERENCE: LIBRARIES AND INFORMATION FOR ALL
Norma Laburn, University of the Witwatersrand, 056norma@witsvma.wits.ac.za.
SAILIS (South African Institute for Library and Information Science) is
holding its annual conference at Esselen Park, close to both Johannesburg
and Pretoria, from 19-23 September, 1994. Speakers from the local LIS com-
munity and invited speakers from overseas will be addressing the question,
"Libraries and information for all," an appropriate theme in this the first
year of the democratic New South Africa. Visits to local public and special
libraries are being arranged. In addition, an exhibition is being staged
for suppliers of LIS equipment, books, serials, and other services.
Interested persons are invited to contact:
Norma Laburn (056norma@witsvma.wits.ac.za) (delegates)
OR
Di Man (056perio@witsvma.wits.ac.za) (exhibitors)
for more details.
117.4 EARLY PROJECTIONS RECEIVED FROM PUBLISHERS INDICATE 8 TO 10 PERCENT
INCREASES ARE POSSIBLE
Reprinted with permission from EBSCO's _At Your Service_, June/July/August 1994, no. 29.
Early responses to a recent inquiry to major publishers regarding 1995
subscription prices indicate increases might range from 8 to 10 percent.
These percentages are for actual subscription price increases, without
regard to currency exchange rate effects. The most recent rate inquiry was
sent to publishers worldwide in early June. However, prevailing exchange
rates at the time publishers are paid for 1995 subscriptions will affect
the ultimate costs for libraries or organizations subscribing to journals
published in other countries.
Most major STM publishers generally provide new rates to subscription agen-
cies by September. The chart below shows the percentage of major 1994 pub-
lisher rates received between August and October of 1993, based on a random
list of publishers analyzed in mid-September. As of Sept. 17, 1993, approx-
imately 76 percent of the large publishers in EBSCO's title database (this
includes large STM publishers and large commercial publishers) had provided
their rates. Conversely, in an average year less than one-third of the
other 30,000-plus small-to-medium size, non-STM publishers set and send
prices to agencies by September.
% Large Publisher
1993 Date Rates Received
August 17 40
September 9 69
September 17 76
September 24 83
October 1 90
PROJECTIONS FOR CUSTOMERS INVOICED IN US DOLLARS. At the time of this writ-
ing (28 June), the US dollar was weaker against major European currencies
[European currencies monitored are the British pound, Dutch guilder, French
franc, German mark and Swiss franc. -ed.] (especially the Swiss and French
francs) than it was last November when most publishers were paid for 1994
subscriptions. If invoiced at 28 June rates, most libraries and organiza-
tions invoiced in US dollars would pay the following increases for 1995
subscriptions:
12.5 to 15.5 percent for journals priced with fixed conversion rates
or priced in US dollars
14.7 to 16.7 percent for journals priced with variable exchange rates
and published in Germany or The Netherlands
12.4 to 14.4 percent for journals priced with variable exchange rates
and published in the United Kingdom
17.6 to 20.7 percent for journals priced with variable exchange rates
and published in other European countries
PROJECTIONS FOR CUSTOMERS INVOICED IN EUROPEAN CURRENCIES. As of 28 June
all major European currencies were stronger against the US dollar than they
were in November of 1994, when most publishers were paid for 1994 subscrip-
tions. If invoiced at 28 June rates, European customers would likely pay
less for 1995 journals published in the United States than they paid for
1994 subscriptions. Most journals published in Europe have traditionally
shown price increases of about 10 percent each year, and early communica-
tions from some publishers indicate that 1995 increases will be within an
average range of 8 to 10 percent before taking into account the effects of
exchange rates.
PROJECTIONS FOR CUSTOMERS INVOICED IN CANADIAN DOLLARS. Canadian libraries
and organizations will be among the hardest hit by 1995 price increases if
exchange rates continue on their current (28 June) course. As of 28 June
the Canadian dollar was 14 percent weaker against major European currencies
than it was last November (when most publishers were paid for 1994 sub-
scriptions). If Canadian customers were invoiced at these exchange rates,
European journals would cost about 22 to 24 percent more than they did last
year. As of 28 June the Canadian dollar was 7 percent weaker against the US
dollar than it was last November. This would result in a 15 to 17 percent
increase in the cost of US journals if customers were invoiced at the cur-
rent exchange rate.
PROJECTIONS FOR CUSTOMERS INVOICED IN AUSTRALIAN DOLLARS. The Australian
dollar has gained ground against the US dollar since November of last year
(when most publishers were paid for 1994 subscriptions). As of 28 June the
Australian dollar was about 7 percent stronger against the US dollar than
it was last November but held the same value against major European curren-
cies as it did at that time. Therefore, if invoiced at these exchange
rates, Australian customers would pay about 1 to 3 percent more for US
journals and about 10 to 12 percent more for European journals.
EBSCO will continue to provide price updates as more publisher information
is received.
117.5 ARCHIVE OF SUBVERSION DISCUSSION (Stevan Harnad)
Ann Ercelawn, Vanderbilt University, ERCELAA@ctrvax.Vanderbilt.Edu.
[Reprinted from SERIALST. -ed.] The following is excerpted from a message of Stevan Harnad's to the SERIALST editors regarding his "subversive proposal" for electronic schol- arly publication. While the SERIALST editors did not post the full discus- sion which ensued due to the length of many of the resulting messages, we are happy to refer you to the archive site for this discussion. --Ann & Marcia ________ From: Stevan Harnad, Princeton University, harnad@PRINCETON.EDU Subject: Archive of Subversion Discussion The discussion of my subversive proposal for accelerating the transition to electronic scholarly publication seems to have had something of an impact, so I have archived it all. There is a complete archive in: ftp: princeton.edu//pub/harnad/Psycoloquy/Subversive.Proposal It's all in one big file (3618 lines) called: archive.NOW Contributions are separated by a line of "-----------------------" Chrs, Stevan P.S. You can also get to my archive by archie, gopher, www, etc. Many poin- ters and paths.
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 Uni- versity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 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. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 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), Christian Boissonnas (Cornell University), Jerry Curtis (Springer Verlag New York), Janet Fisher (MIT Press), Fred Friend (University College London), Charles Hamaker (Louisiana State University), Daniel Jones (University of Texas Health Science Cen- ter), James Mouw (University of Chicago), and Heather Steele (Blackwell's Periodicals Division). The Newsletter is available on the Internet, Black- well's CONNECT, and Readmore's ROSS. EBSCO customers may receive the News- letter in paper format. To subscribe to the newsletter send a message to LISTSERV@GIBBS.OIT.UNC.EDU saying SUBSCRIBE PRICES [YOUR NAME]. Be sure to send that message to the listserver and not to Prices. You must include your name. To unsubscribe (no name required in message), you must send the message from the e-mail address by which you are subscribed. If you have problems, please contact the editor. Back issues of the Newsletter are available electronically. To get a list of available issues send a message to LISTSERV@GIBBS.OIT.UNC.EDU saying INDEX PRICES. To retrieve a specific issue, the message should read: GET PRICES PRICES.xx (where "xx" is the number of the issue). +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++