Re: AAHSL: More on Elsevier

[David Goodman <dgoodman@princeton.edu>]

This is  perhaps looking at it slightly narrowly.

Just to give a few examples, Lexis is a product of one of their other
divisions, and Library Journal of one of their other.  Thus, many of their
other operations are also relevant to most libraries.

Dr. David Goodman
Princeton University Library
and
Palmer School of Library & Information Science, Long Island University
dgoodman@princeton.edu

----- Original Message -----
From: Tom Williams <twilliam@bbl.usouthal.edu>
Date: Tuesday, April 1, 2003 6:05 pm
Subject: AAHSL: More on Elsevier

> In figuring out the profit margin for Elsevier and Science Direct, we have
> to differentiate between the two.  In the article below from a year ago,
> it is stated that SD had a whopping gross increase of 44% with a net
> profit of 34%.  There were several areas of Reed-Elsevier that 
> actually lost money.  When Reed-Elsevier factors in its losing departments 
> and those doing so-so to good and then includes the Science Direct 
> profits,the overall profit margin may then be in the 10-15% range. 
> The overall Reed-Elsevier profit is not what we are most concerned with 
> but rather the SD profit.  That's the one that comes off of our 
> collective backs. No matter how they spin the numbers, our budgets are 
> being routinely sacked.  
>
> The high prices we pay are used to bolster weaker divisions of the 
> companySee the article below.
> 
> -- 
> Thomas L. Williams, AHIP
> Director, Biomedical Libraries 
> University of South Alabama
> College of Medicine
> Mobile, Al 36688-0002
> tel. (251)460-6885
> fax. (251)460-7638
> twilliam@bbl.usouthal.edu