RE: open access to dissertations

["Michael Zeoli" <mzeoli@ybp.com>]

Just a note of clarification to Sandy's point about dissertations 
on approval plans.  Approval Plan vendors put dissertations into 
2 groups: Unrevised Dissertations and Revised Dissertations.  It 
is true that most academic libraries exclude Unrevised 
Dissertations (with some notable exceptions such as those 
published by the Univ. of the West Indies Press).  In my 
experience (15 years writing these plans), few exclude Revised 
Disserations.  And as Rick points out, there is also an 
intermediate step: Send slips (in lieu of books).  Here's how 
that portion of a profile typically appears in libraries with 
approval plans (B-allow books, S-limit to slips, X-exclude):

B Museum & Gallery Publications
S Music Score
S Periodical Anthology
S Personal Narrative
X Programmed Text
B Revised Dissertation
S Study Guide
X Textbook-High school
S Textbook-Intro.
S Textbook-Adv.
B Textbook-Grad.
S Textbook-Prof.
X Travel Guide
S Unrevised Dissertation
S Workbook/Consumable

Revised Dissertations from University Presses are publications 
that libraries consider above many other categories in the 
'Non-Subject Parameters.'  I'd guess that other factors may be 
holding these titles back as Rick suggests, such as their highly 
specialized treatments.  Other Non-Subject Categories hurt titles 
more.  One approach might be to take several categories of the 
Non-Subject Parameters for university press titles and compare 
their levels of immediate approval sales vs. orders in several 
broad subject areas.  Geographic parameters, for example, are 
ones that hurt UP titles.  'North Country: the Making of 
Minnesota' was tagged 'Basic Essential' at YBP (our highest 
rating), and yet the state geographic focus of 'Minnesota' killed 
sales (due apologies to Doug Armato!).  Sandy, I'd be happy to 
work with you if you'd like to reopen this study.

Mike