Nature

["MARGARET LANDESMAN" <mlandesm@library.utah.edu>]

I wanted to comment re. Nature.  The future often resembles the past, and
that may hold true here.  Nature - a weekly with a cost half the average
commercial science journals - gives us a per-page cost among our lowest.  
Given its history, maybe we should assume they will continue to do so;
they just haven't figured out how yet. Though it would be very nice if it
were easier to talk to them about it.

But I don't think their fears unfounded.  Labs here are very interested in
campus access.  These researchers have full access with individual
subscriptions.  It's my distinct impression they hope to cancel - maybe
not this year, but eventually.  Nature is a one-off - perhaps more akin to
something like the Chronicle of Higher Ed in its economics and the role it
plays in its various constituencies - than to other science journals.  
While getting the initial pricing scheme wrong in a way that loses the
company money may not threaten Nature itself, I expect it could be career
threatening for those who got it wrong. Librarians have such job security,
I think we tend to underestimate what that must feel like.

I hope libraries stick to the professional tone Harvard's letter has set
and view Nature not as a problem, but as an ally which is having a
problem.

Margaret Landesman
Head, Collection Development
Marriott Library
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT 84112-0860
phone: (801) 581-7741
fax: (801) 585-3464
e-mail: mlandesm@library.utah.edu