STM publishing economics (was RE: Message from Pat Schroeder re: Librarians)

["DuBose, Stefanie" <DUBOSES@MAIL.ECU.EDU>]

I agree with Margaret.  After all, in light of the recent discussion re:
Nature site license, isn't this already what a number of libraries are
doing?  Seems like a natural market effect to me.  I recently had a
question from some our science faculty as the Nature issue; once I
explained it, they understood why we took that position.

The whole issue, obviously, boils down to economics.  There are a number
of ways that the publishing industry/economy can be effected.  No one is
implying that all publishers are price gougers, by any means.  However,
titles and publishers certainly exist that do take advantage of the
strange economy of STM publishing.  As Emily Mobley states in her article
"Ruminations on the Sci-Tech Serials Crisis" in the Fall 98 issue of ISTL,
publishers are doing what promises success on the STM publishing front.

We do have the opportunity to refuse to purchase extremely priced titles,
and furthermore, support the SPARC, BioOne, and other endeavors to
facilitate reasonably priced methods of scholarly communication with
support from our teaching faculty.  I have been pleasantly surprised at
how understanding some of our faculty have been regarding these issues;
it's especially effective to note their response to the overall increase
in their subjects and the rate of increase for specific journals.


Stefanie DuBose
Collection Development/Serials Librarian
Joyner Library
East Carolina University
Greenville, NC 27858-4353
(p)252-328-2598
(f)252-328-4834 
duboses@mail.ecu.edu

The views expressed are my own and do not necessarily represent those of
either Joyner Library or East Carolina University.


-----Original Message-----
From: MARGARET LANDESMAN [mailto:mlandesm@library.utah.edu]
Sent: Thursday, February 22, 2001 4:50 PM
To: liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu
Subject: (Fwd) RE: Message from Pat Schroeder re: Librarians

We don't need a cap on profits.  We just need to refuse to buy things that
cost more than they ought.  We do this all the time in our daily lives and
figure we will have to get by without, one way or another. And we do.

Faculty will back us in this, if we work with them.  And then things might
start costing less,

Margaret Landesman