RE: Message from Pat Schroeder re: Librarians

[Adrian Alexander <alexandera@lindahall.org>]

If we ARE reduced to such a discourse, I don't think it's because
librarians wanted it to take that direction.  Many feel that we had no
choice, given continual price increases, limited funding for libraries,
and the continuing proliferation of scholarly publishing. Anyone seen any
publishers in the state legislatures lately lobbying for more funds for
libraries? The tight space between the rock and the proverbial hard place
is getting smaller for libraries, not larger.  Having said that, I don't
think it's realistic to consider price caps in the current environment.  
The only strategy that makes any sense long-term is fundamental changes in
the scholarly communication system.

Adrian Alexander

At 06:08 PM 2/21/01 -0500, you wrote:
>Mike Sommers wrote about putting a cap on publisher's profits. Are we now
>reduced to talking about publishing being regulated by some sort of
>governmental agency, the way electric power is or used to be? This would
>surely be a new low in the level of our discourse.
>
>Alan M. Edelson

*********************************************
Adrian W. Alexander, Executive Director
Big 12 Plus Libraries Consortium
http://www.big12plus.org
Treasurer, BioOne, Inc.
http://www.bioone.org
EMAIL: alexandera@lindahall.org
"One reason I like to highlight reading is, reading is the beginnings of
the ability to be a good student." -- George W. Bush (Feb. 9, 2001)