RE: Journal/Publisher 2010 price freeze info on MLA website

["Joseph Esposito" <espositoj@gmail.com>]

I believe the point Nawin is making is that freezing or lowering 
prices is not in a publisher's interest unless the product is of 
marginal value, in which case a high price may indeed result in a 
cancellation.  The obvious point to be made here is that this is 
an editorial game (the best products win)and other aspects of a 
publisher's trading practices (low pricing, good customer 
service, flexible usage terms, nice people)are rarely rewarded 
(except, to repeat, for marginal publications).  In fact, it may 
be in the interests of a publisher of the higher quality 
publications to raise prices even in desperate economic times, as 
such a publisher is protected by the armor of outstanding 
editorial content and can stand by and watch as the weaker 
editorial products get cancelled, despite the generous trading 
practices of those unfortunate publishers. If I have 
misunderstood Nawin's question (which I took to be rhetorical), 
please correct me.

I don't like the implications of this reasoning any more than 
anyone else; it's a lot like cheering on the Second Law of 
Thermodynammics; so I beg you not to shoot the messenger.  But 
this is the way the economy works, and matters are not improved 
by encouraging "good behavior" only to punish the most noble in 
the end.

Joe Esposito

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu
[mailto:owner-liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu] On Behalf Of Rais, Shirley (LLU)
Sent: Thursday, July 30, 2009 6:08 PM
To: liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu
Subject: RE: Journal/Publisher 2010 price freeze info on MLA website

Nawin:

I would still base cuts primarily on usage and value to our collection &
mission, but if I had to make choices between marginal titles, those without
price increases would get an edge towards retention.  The price freezes will
help me save titles overall, not just the titles with frozen prices.  By
marginal I mean titles with usage on the low end of the spectrum that
support smaller programs on campus.  The price freezes may actually help me
add some titles!

Shirley Rais, MLS  -  Chair, Serials & Electronic Resources Dept.
Library Liaison to the School of Public Health LOMA LINDA UNIVERSITY |
University Libraries Loma Linda, California 92350 srais@llu.edu


-----Original Message-----
From: owner-liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu On Behalf Of Nawin Gupta
Sent: Wednesday, July 29, 2009 4:58 PM
To: liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu
Subject: RE: Journal/Publisher 2010 price freeze info on MLA website

It is gratifying to see that a number of publishers are foregoing price
increases for the upcoming year.  Anecdotal evidence to date is that many of
the libraries, if not most, are expecting budget cuts of around 10% or more.
Sadly, despite the noble gestures of some, chances are that librarians would
still need to cut some subscriptions.

If I may ask a question of librarians on this list:

Would a journal that did not increase its subscription price likely to be
spared in your decision to cut?  Or, are the decisions likely to be based
primarily on a journal's usage and its importance to the library "customers"
and collection?

Nawin Gupta
www.nawingupta.com