Re: Libraries Urge Justice Departmen to Block Cinven and CandoverPurchase of BertelsmannSpringer

[David Goodman <dgoodman@phoenix.Princeton.EDU>]

My own personal answer to all three questions is that it depends on not
just the intentions but also the competence of the parties, both with
regard to the existing state of the former companies and to the STM
publishing and library situation.

As with publishers generally, I hope for substantial improvements but I do
not really expect much. Perhaps it is better not to judge them entirely on
the basis of their initial press releases.

Dr. David Goodman

Princeton University Library
and
Palmer School of Library and Information Science, LIU
dgoodman@princeton.edu


Fytton Rowland wrote:

> Sally is right to remind us that *something* is going to happen whether we
> like it or not.
>
> Actually there are three separate questions.  First, is it a good thing
> that a new player (C + C) comes into the picture instead of one publisher
> buying out another?
>
> Secondly, is it a good thing to merge Springer with Kluwer?
>
> Thirdly, is it a good thing that the no. 2 STM publisher should be nearer
> in size to Elsevier?
>
> My tentative, gut-level answers are "yes" to question 1, "no" to question
> 2, and "it probably doesn't matter" to question 3.  If C + C took over one
> of the two and another player again took over the other of the two it
> would be a healthier situation.
>
> Fytton Rowland, Department of Information Science,
> Loughborough University, UK.