Re: Chuck Hamaker/Ebsco Full-Text Databases Post

[Janet Fisher <jfisher@MIT.EDU>]

Dear Martha,

There are no cost savings because we still have to do print. 20
cancellations of library subscriptions to Quarterly Journal of Economics,
for example, cost us $3,160. We can't drop the print run by 20. And
typical royalties from these database products do not cover this loss.

Best wishes,

Janet

_____

At 05:24 PM 3/22/01 -0500, you wrote:
>Aren't publishers compensated for their journals by full-text database
>publishers?  Does that not make up for at least some of your revenue when
>paper subscribers cancel?  Aren't there any cost savings to you when your
>publications reach readers by cheaper means than paper?
>
>On Wed, 21 Mar 2001, Janet Fisher wrote:
>
> > In response to Chuck Hamaker's post about full-text databases and their
> > impact on print subscriptions, I would like to say I wish what he suggests
> > is happening is actually happening. In fact, MIT Press has done telephone
> > follow-up with non-renewed library subscribers to some of our oldest,
> > established, highly-cited journals, and we have definitely had responses
> > indicating that librarians had cancelled because of the journal's
> > availability in a full-text database. Some database products were even
> > named specifically. As a result, we are definitely reviewing whether we
> > want to remain in these types of products.
> >
> > Janet Fisher
> > Associate Director for Journals Publishing
> > The MIT Press