Serials prices: Column 7

Serials Prices: Column 7

October Ivins

INTRODUCTION

This quarter, the column reports on three meetings and provides an update on the Gordon and Breach lawsuits against Henry Barschall, the American Institute of Physics, and the American Physical Society. News about the new UBSE, progress on the ASERL pricing project, Association of Re- search Libraries activities, vendor practices, and more can be found in the "News and Notes" section. Annotations for seven recent publications conclude the column.

RECENT INTERNATIONAL MEETINGS

American Library Association Midwinter Meeting

6-11 January 1990, Chicago, IL

Ivins is head of Serials Services at Louisiana State Universities, Baton Rouge, LA.

Acknowledgments: The editor gratefully ac- knowledges the contributions of the following in- dividuals: Paul Gherman, Virginia Tech; Chuck Hamaker, LSU; Nancy John, University of Illinois; Travis Leach, Arizona; Nancy Marshall, William and Mary (Virginia); Joyce Ogburn, Penn State; Jane Treadwell, Emory; Walter Tschinkel, Florida State; Marcia Tuttle, UNC; and Susan Van Dyke, Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg Co., (North Carolina).

ALA Council: Resolution on Free Scholarly Discourse

As a response to the potential for nuisance lawsuits, a resolution drafted at President Pat Ber- ger's request by ALA legal counsel was submitted to the ALCTS Publisher/Vendor/Library Relations Committee (PVLR). PVLR modified the resolution to broaden the scope to include not only scientific and technical journals, but other library materials and services. ALCTS (Association for Library Collec- tions & Technical Services) accepted the resolution from PVLR and submitted it to ALA Council, where

SERIALS REVIEW SPRING 1990 111

it was passed without modification. The text of ALA Council Document 46 appears in Sidebar 1.

ACRL Discussion Group on Serials Pricing

Chair Ann Okerson (then of Jerry Alper, Inc., now of the Association of Research Libraries) in- vited three speakers (all non-librarians) to provide a context for discussion. Dr. Henry Barschall, professor of physics emeritus at the University of Wisconsin, spoke from his perspective as a member of the American Institute of Physics editorial board. He addressed his remarks to three areas: first, that the pricing crisis is international in nature and cannot be solved in the United States alone; second, a history of page charges and their effect on prices; and third, the phenomenon of multiple publication of the same results, particularly in conference proceedings.

To illustrate the international nature of the problem, he pointed out that the percentage of foreign authors in Physics Review in 1962 was 25 percent; in 1989, it was 52 percent. He also cited figures showing the increased amount of financial support of research from 1961 to 1987. Although the United States leads today with a total research allocation of $I01 billion, that figure represents only a 120 percent increase during that period. Other countries have increased support by 875 percent to $39 billion (Japan), by 375 percent to $19 billion (West Germany), and by 367 percent to $14 billion (France). Thus, the increase in research is driving the increase in publication.

Page charges are unpopular with authors and have discouraged them from submitting papers to society publication. Thus, although they allow societies to charge less, the indirect support given to non-commercial publishers has a net negative impact on library budgets. Barschall was very criti- cal of multiple publication of the same results, particularly in conference proceedings. He gave as an example a two-volume conference proceeding priced at $564 that he felt was not worth even $56. He is particularly disturbed by conference proceedings published as issues of journals, and suggested that, if every librarian wrote to every publisher guilty of this practice to complain, the practice would be stopped. Buying conference proceedings very selectively, if at all, is one area for saving money without damaging library collections.

Eugene Garfield of the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI), the commercial abstracting firm and publisher of The Scientist , was the second speaker. He discussed the ARL report and suggested that non-profi t publishers should be studied as well. He stated that both types of publishers are essentially commercial enterprises. A com-

prehensive scientific publisher audit that incorporated informed peer review would be helpful to librarians, publishers, and scientists. Garfield also cautioned against using citation data as an indication of journal quality; this is why ISI calls such measurements "impact factors."

Robert Shirrell, University of Chicago Press and candidate for vice president of the Society for Scholarly Publishing, addressed the role of scholarly associations in the publication of scholarly communication. Although such associations are ex- tremely diverse, most range in size from 1,000 to 5,000 members. The two primary arrangements are to publish on their own or to work with a firm that may be for -prof i t or non-profit . Associations are typically reluctant to begin new journals. One reason is that the organization is supported by dues and a new journal that would not interest the entire membership is discouraged. Even if made optional, staffing to handle such variations is rare. It is also expensive to start a new journal and associations are financially conservative. New journals are perceived as being less prestigious and of lesser quality than the established ones, and associations often prefer to incorporate articles on new topics into existing journals. As a result, the great majority of new journals are issued by for-prof i t publishers. This means that the traditional suppliers of high- quality, low-cost publication remove their societies from the arena of new publication.

In addition to making journals optional to members, associations can also establish divisions, which can sponsor publications. Since new publications will be considered only after widespread member demand, commercial publishers almost always enter a new area first. The society must then decide whether their journal will be better or serve a need. Part of the solution to the pricing crisis is to encourage societies to take a more active role in beginning new journals.

A lively discussion period ensued, making this session one of the most valuable at the meeting.

[Our notes were supplemented by the report from Deana Astle that appeared in Newslet ter on Serials Pricing Issues no. 17 (16 February 1990): 3-10.1

ALCTS Board of Directors

The electronic Newslet ter on Serials Pricing Issues was never proposed to the ALCTS Publications Committee as a formal publication, and was thus ineligible for funding. Funding requests for the paper copy prompted the board of directors to suggest that the Publications Committee take formal action to review the Newslet ter and make a recommendation regarding its status. The recommendation was that the Newslet ter be made a formal ALCTS

112 SERIALS REVIEW SPRING 1990

Sidebar 1: Resolut ion on Free Scho lar ly Discourse

Whereas, The costs of publication and other library materials and services, including scientific and technical journals, are rapidly increasing; and

Whereas, Escalating costs confront the library community with serious problems regarding the selection of publications and other library materials and services including scientific and technical journals; and

Whereas, Analysis, publication and dissemination of studies and other information concerning the comparative costs of such materials and services are of vital importance to the library community by assisting it in using library funds in a manner which best serves the needs of its patrons; and

Whereas, The many benefits of such studies to the library community include assisting in collecting, analyzing, comparing, and sum- marizing data in a readily accessible form; and

Whereas, Library professionals are capable of evaluating such studies to determine whether or not they include criteria relevant to purchasing and subscription decisions; and

Whereas, Disagreements concerning the ac- curacy of data criteria assessed, the method of analysis employed, and conclusions derived may be freely challenged and debated in the scholarly arena; and

Whereas, The appropriate method by which to respond to or challenge the analysis, publication, and dissemination of such studies is to participate freely and openly in an intellectual debate in a public forum; and

Whereas, The use or threat of litigation or other legal action for the primary purpose of discouraging such studies is inappropriate, as such action impedes scholarly discourse and makes it more difficult for libraries to best serve the needs of their patrons by depriving them of valuable information regarding the comparative costs and benefits of library materials and services; now, there- fore be it

RESOLVED, That the American Library As- sociation endorse, encourage, and support the analysis, publication, and dissemination of studies and other information concerning the comparative cost of publications and other library materials and services, including scientific and technical journals; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the American Library As- sociation, while in no way seeking to limit the legitimate use of legal action, disapproves the use of litigation for the purposes of discouraging the publication of such studies and information rather than engaging in a free exchange of views and scholarly debate.

division level publication (it has been issued as a Pub l i sher /Vendor /L ibrary Relations Committee, subcommittee publication) and that the paper edition be discontinued. Recognizing the new chal- lenges of the electronic format, the Publications Committee also noted that the Newslet ter combined characteristics of an electronic bulletin board and a newsletter. The board accepted the recommenda- tions to establish the Newslet ter as a formal publication and to discontinue the paper edition. It also agreed to form a task force to establish policies and guidelines for the electronic version of the Newsletter. Since Midwinter, Sharon Bonk, SUNY Binghampton, has agreed to chair the task force and Marcia Tuttle has been asked to continue to serve as Newslet ter editor. ALCTS Presi-

dent Nancy John, University of Illinois, Chicago, stressed that the board was delighted with the Newslet ter but needed to consider how to incorporate it into existing procedures.

[Nancy John, Marcia Tuttle]

American Assoc ia t ion of Pub l i shers /ALCTS Joint Commit tee , Subcommit tee on Serials Marketing

The subcommittee discussed plans for pretest- ing their surveys and for presenting the results. Serials pricing is one of the many issues covered, and separate surveys have been developed for libraries, publishers, and vendors. Test surveys were distributed in January and are due in early March. The final surveys will be distributed in May. They


will be sent to a sample of libraries and publishers, but to all vendors. Results will be published and presented in a program at the ALA An- nual Meeting in 1991.

[Jane Treadwell]

ALCTS Task Force on the Economics of Access . . . . . . . LS) T

A draft report by George Soete, representing ARL, was distributed. Members' comments were due shortly after the meeting and a revised draft was distributed on 12 March 1990 to task force members, "the press and other interested observers." Chair Wedgeworth's letter also asked members to solicit comments from their constitu- ents; comments are due 1 May 1990, and the final report will be presented at the 1990 Annual Con- ference program. The program has a working title "Information Resources: A Strategic Investment for the Future." A primary goal of the program is to elevate the discussion to a national policy level.

[Excerpted from task force member Marcia Tuttle's report in Newsletter no. 16 (13 February 1990): 6-7, and Bitnet correspondence with her.] ALCTS Library Materials Price Index Commit tee

Committee members Mary Beth Clack, of Har- vard, and Fred Lynden, of Brown, reported that a subcommittee to research questions related to the preparation of foreign periodical price indexes by vendors was established. Vendors Casalini, Har- rassowitz, Nijhoff, and Swets have expressed interest.

In a discussion on the revision of the U.S. price index standard, a request from Duane Web- ster of ARL was considered and rejected. Webster suggested that price indexes be used to "track price changes for higher priced titles." The committee disagreed and felt that page prices are ex- tremely difficult to track. They concluded that such analysis is more appropriate for the new ARL Office of Scholarly and Academic Publishing.

[Excerpted from Clack and Lynden's report

The committee decided that the best approach to completing work on several projects was to divide into three working groups with the goal of completing drafts for review by the full group before the next meeting. The three projects are new guidelines for serials vendor performance

and a comprehensive glossary of serials terms. Chair Myrna McCallister, Appalachian State Uni-

versity, can provide additional information at (704) 262-2772.

American Assoc ia t ion for the Advancement of Sc ience

1990 AAAS Annual Meeting

A session chaired by Dr. Henry Barschall, University of Wisconsin, addressed "Scientists and the Current Crisis in Science Libraries." Speaking first, October Ivins, LSU, described the impact that the combination of increasing size and price of journals and increasing prices of monographs has had on library budgets, summarized the research and dialogue between librarians and publishers that has occurred since 1984, and concluded with recom- mendations for action. Second speaker Karen Hunter, Elsevier, proposed to debunk three myths: 1) that journals are expensive (as a percentage of the cost of research, they are not and the refereeing process adds value); 2) that commercial journals cost more because of price gouging (they cost more than non- profit journals because the economic infrastructure is different); and 3) that commercial publishers are deliberately increasing the size of their journals (commercial publishers have more flexibility than non-profits, but growth is not indiscriminate). There was little new information in these two talks, as both speakers were attempting to summarize for a new audience. However, the next two speakers made some radical--and welcome--statements.

Fred Spilhaus, American Geophysical Union, spoke as a scientist and a non-profi t publisher on "The Scientist's Role in Solving the Library Crisis." He began by stating that scientists are both the cause of the problem and the solution. Two fundamentals are that scientists are the sole producers and consumers of scientific publication, and that every step in the publication process should add value. Following a description of the publishing process, he concluded by urging scientists to follow a long list of actions if thev don't lika tha z : : : z z : : : : : 7 7 _ _ _

Don't wait for a librarian to ask you to suggest titles for cancellations. Don't submit articles. Don't let your name be used to keep a bad journal alive. Take care not to be misled; consider price

114 SERIALS REVIEW S P R I N G 1990

He concluded that once scientists have im- proved quality they still will not have solved the library problem. It will then be the responsibility of the scientific community to get more funding for libraries.

In a similar vein, Robert Peet, Department of Biology, UNC, described his experience with

its commercial publisher. He also sees an important role for electronic publication.

Audience response took the entire hour al- lotted and continued after adjournment. Scientists in attendance asked perceptive questions on such topics as how librarians solicit faculty input on cancellation and ordering decisions, whether higher institutional rates can or should be avoided, whether the problem is equally severe in other countries, and the effectiveness of publication exchange agreements. Other attendees making useful comments included Ann Okerson (who described some of ARL's projects); Chuck Hamaker, LSU; Eugene Garfield, ISI; and John Tagler, Elsevier.

[The session was reported by Kim A. McDon- ald in the Chronicle of Higher Education (28 Feb- ruary 1990): A6, AI3.]

University of Oklahoma Conference "Acquisitions Budgets: Strategies for Serials,

Monographs, and Electronic Formats" 1-2 March 1990, Norman, OK

Eight speakers addressed various aspects of this now-familiar topic, and ninety attendees were rewarded with some new insights and productive discussions. Those that pertain to serials pricing are noted. Dan Richards, National Library of Medi- cine, identified the need for better information on the actual prices of scientific journals and the exact effect on academic medical libraries. He presented a 10-year perspective on book and journal n~' ;o~,e t n ] l l n e t r , a t a h ; e ~r-.~r~t / ' ~h i , c . l r L l , a 'm ,aka~- I CTT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p U l A l l ~ l l ~ l d l a y t l l ~ f g A U l l k . . U l l l p i ~ l i y gO ~ i i O W t l i~ l . t tllg3

percentage increase for books has equalled that of journals. Carolyn Bucknall, University of Texas, Austin, suggested that "the philosophical bases on which much of current collection development practices are predicated" must be reevaluated, as "a truly 'balanced' collection may no longer be realistically achievable."

NEWS AND NOTES

Gordon and Breach Conducts Peculiar Survey and Sues the American Mathematical Society

The past two columns have described the Gor- don and Breach lawsuits against Henry Barschall, professor emeritus at the University of Pennsylvania, the American Institute of Physics, and the American Physical Institute, and outlined related activities and press coverage. At least two of the articles cited in column 6 (SR 15, no. 4, p. 69-70) have generated an exchange of letters between the parties. The new developments this quarter are even harder to fathom. The role Gordon and Breach played in the distribution of a survey about journal cancellations mailed to U.S. libraries in January 1990 is gradually being revealed. Due to some alert librarians, good detective work, and the magic of electronic mail and facsimile transmission, the story came out that Gordon and Breach apparently prepared and mailed the survey on the letterhead of the Foundation for International Scientific Cooperation (which is abbreviated FSCI in the French version). The cover letter was signed by French physicist Maurice Levy, who had no knowledge of the survey until after it was distributed. Both Pat Berger, ALA president, and Duane Webster, executive director of the Association for Research Libraries, issued member alerts while the survey was still being investigated.

Judith Axler Turner's article "Library Survey from Journal Publisher Sent under Unsuspecting Foundation's Name" (Chronicle of Higher Education, (21 February 1990): AS) is as entertaining as the story is bewildering. (One of our staff deemed it "more fun than the National Enquirer.") American Libraries editor Tom Gaughan is less amused by the situation. The March issue includes a news summary "Serials Survey Linked to Gordon & Breach" (p. 173) and an editorial "A Splendid Wake for a

LIUII~, ~.[JIJ¢:tl qiSll Ll ~ L¢Ii~III~ ~A~,g'i,¢ LiUIi LU I.II~ OUI Vl~y

of American Research Journals," Notices of the AMS (vol. 36, no. 9, November 1989: 1193-98). Be- fore the lawsuit was made public, a later issue of Notices of the AMS (vol. 37, no. 1, January 1990) included opinions on both sides of the case. An unsigned editorial, called a "paid advertisement" and entitled "AMS Continues Gross Distortion in

Breach" (p. 92-93), presents the Gordon and Breach view. In the same issue (p. 2, 18), William H. Jaco,


executive director of the AMS, "responds to the challenge of the integrity of the Journal Price Survey published in the November issue of No- tices." (p. 1)

Meanwhile, the Chronicle of Higher Education has run letters responding to Judith Axler Turner's article about the original suit Chronicle (25 Oc- tober 1989): A6. The letter from Christopher Schneider, Gordon and Breach, was printed in the 3 January 1990 issue (p. B4). A response to Schneider from Harry Lustig, American Physical Institute, and Kenneth Ford, American Institute of Physics, appeared in the Chronicle of 24 Jan- uary 1990 (p. B3-4).

A similar exchange occurred in American Li- braries, which published a story about the lawsuit in its September 1989 issue (p. 717-18). Schneider, G & B, responded to the article in the December 1989 issue (p. 1060-61). Kenneth Ford, AIP, and Harry Lustig, APS, responded to Schneider in the March 1990 issue (p. 192).

The Newsletter on Serials Pricing Issues provides up- to-date coverage, and additional articles continue to appear:

- - Ken Kalfus, "Publisher Continues Its Fight against Prices Surveys," The Scientist (5 Feb- ruary 1990): 5.

- - G. Christopher Anderson, "Errant Survey Draws Fire," Nature 334, no. 6261 (1 March 1990): 3.

ALA President Pat Berger Active in Pricing Issues

Reflecting on six months of serials pricing events, one is struck by the leadership Pat Berger has demonstrated. In August 1989, she called a meeting to "discuss issues related to serials pricing" at the IFLA (International Federation of Li- brary Associations) conference in Paris. Those at- tending included three librarians from West Ger- many and Switzerland, and the meeting summary shows their concern with price studies and related issues. This overture to librarians in Europe has helped establish that the problem is an international one, and international communication has continued. When the Chronicle of Higher Education (25 October 1989, p. A6) first covered the Gordon and Breach lawsuits against Barschall, the Amer- ican Institute of Physics, and the American Physical Society, Berger noted that she was not speaking for ALA but stated, "There is no question but that this is intimidation. Any librarian, any scientist, has every right in the world to look at benefit for money spent." She is a subscriber and contributor to the Newsletter on Serials Pricing 1ssues. l ins cotumn nas alreacly cltea her solicita- tion of what has become ALA Council Resolution

46 for 1990, and her action regarding the Gordon and Breach/FSCI survey. One assumes American Libraries editor Tom Gaughan was supported in his coverage of the situation. The combination of insight and decisive action has helped publicize these concerns beyond the library community, and is also setting a tone of support for activism that seems new and refreshing for ALA.

USBE Revived by Zubal

A call to follow up on reader responses to the discussion of USBE's bankruptcy in column 6 (SR 15, no. 4: 65-68) produced some surprising and welcome information. John T. Zubal, proprietor of the firm that bears his name, purchased part of the stock, the name, mailing list, and "goodwill" of USBE in early March 1990. The operation has been moved from Washington, DC, to Cleveland, Ohio, and is expected to begin operation on 2 April 1990. Mr. Zubal states "we are responding to a need in the library community, and plan to operate the new USBE on a membership basis." USBE will be managed by Mr. Zubal's wife, Marilyn Zubal, who has been in charge of the back issue department of their firm for twenty-f ive years. USBE will eventually absorb the back issue and back file portion of John T. Zubal, Inc., which will continue to operate as an independent firm specializing in antiquarian books. Both Mr. and Mrs. Zubal plan to attend the June 1990 meeting of the North American Ser- ials Interest Group.

Plans call for USBE to accept library dup- licates and charge a set price of $7, which is only slightly more than the $5.60 (multiple) and $6.45 (single) issue rates of the old USBE. Since USBE records are in disarray, the new USBE will accept library orders at the member rate throughout 1990. Membership renewals will be mailed during fall 1990 for the 1991 year; a membership fee of $100 is anticipated. Membership will be restricted to institutional, public, and corporate libraries. In- quiries may be directed to Marilyn Zubal, USBE, 2969 West 25th St., Cleveland, Ohio 44113; telephone (216) 241-6960; facsimile (216) 241-6966.

We agree that USBE provided an important service to libraries, but the problems that contributed to the demise of the old USBE remain (SR 15, no. 4: 65-68.) We wish the new USBE well and will watch its progress with great interest. Perhaps not coincidentally, Zubal is the firm that readers suggested in response to the call for additional free and purchase back issue and back file suppliers in the last column (SR 15, no. 4: 68). Early respondents note that Zubal has had a good fill rate and r~.a~on~hl~ nr~oo~ hnt th,~ T T ~ : ~1^.:~ has apparently increased orders and depleted stock: Travis Leach, University of Arizona, is compiling


a directory. Please send submissions to him at University of Arizona Library, Serials Department, Tucson, AZ 85721; (602) 621-6421; or JTLEACH- @ARIZRVAX.BITNET.

[Travis Leach, Joyce Ogburn, Susan VanDyke, John Zubal]

ASERL Consol idated List o f Expensive Tit les

Marcia Tuttle, UNC, reports that the editing into a single list of titles costing more than $200 held by ASERL libraries has been completed. The list shows whether each cooperating library has a current subscription, not complete holdings information. Twenty-f ive libraries have contributed titles to the list of 3,600 titles; ISSNs are shown for most. Titles ordered like serials, including looseleafs and some sets, are included. Paul Gher- man, Virginia Tech, who proposed the idea and served as chair of the working group, will ask ASERL directors to decide what use will be made of the list. A meeting in May 1990 is anticipated.

Assoc iat ion of Research Libraries Activit ies

Ann Okerson has joined ARL as the director of its new Office of Scientific and Academic Pub- lishing, effective 5 February 1990. The ARL an- nouncement states that she "will have initial responsibility to identify and influence the forces affecting the production, dissemination, and use of scientific and scholar ly information." Okerson has an MLS from Berkeley and held positions in serials and acquisitions at Simon Fraser University (Vancouver). She spent a sabbatical at B.H. Black- well (Oxford, England) and has most recently served as manager, library services, Jerry Alper, Inc. Many librarians familiar with her publications (including a consultant's report for the Report on Serials Pricing of the ARL) and presentations are pleased that Okerson will continue her pricing activities at ARL.

ARL distributed a "Serials Information Brief- ing Packet" in January 1990. It contains a copy of the Final Report of the Study Group on Library Materials and the article by Anne Pasearelli, both of which are discussed in this column.

The 1988-89 edition of the ARL Statistics was released in February 1990. The text opens with a dramatic graph that demonstrates that books, as well as serials, have shown dramatic increases in per unit price from 1986 to 1989. The serials unit price has increased by 44 percent, with serials expenditures increasing by 43 percent. The mono- graph unit price has increased by 38 percent, while mnnn~r~nh ~.xn~nditnra~ increased bv l I r~ercent. As a result, there has been no growth in the number of serials titles purchased, while the numbers

of monographs purchased has fallen by 19 percent. Chuck Hamaker, LSU, concludes that "to have re- mained even, libraries would have had to increase book budgets at the same level as serials expenditures to purchase the same numbers of books as they did in 1985/1986. "1

Scientlsts Take on Pub!i_shers

Robert K. Peet, Department of Biology, UNC, has reported on an attempt by the International Association for Vegetation Science (IAVS) to reduce the price charged by the publisher for its journal, "Vegetatio." The title was originally published by Junk, which was purchased by Kluwer Academic Publishers. Since the editorial board was unable to persuade Kluwer to reduce the price, the editor and most members of the editorial board resigned and are starting a new journal, "Journal of Vegetation Science" in 1990. Prices are excepted to be half of the old level, and a member discount will be offered. 2

Walter R. Tschinkel, professor at Florida State and president of the North American Section of the International Union for the Study of Social Insects (IUSSI), is undertaking a similar project. In October 1989, he wrote to librarians soliciting opinions as to how many would transfer subscriptions to a possible new title from "Insects Sociaux." Dr. Tschinkel reports in a telephone conversation of 11 March 1990 that the library response was both heavy and positive, which has been important in bargaining with prospective new publishers. The proposal was discussed at the North American section annual meeting in December 1989, and over- whelmingly passed by the membership. Since then, the German, British, and French sections have also voted to change publishers, and are soliciting bids from other firms. Tschinkel expects the proposed change to be the most important item on the busi- ness meeting agenda at the full society meeting in Bangalore, India, in August 1990. He also expects the publication to remain with a European publisher since the society was founded in Europe.

Do Serials Vendor Pract ices A f f e c t Journal Prices?

In September 1989, The Faxon Company sent a form letter to publishers proposing to supply "your consolidated orders...during the week of Nov. 13 accompanied by checks that are post-dated for Dec. 22." The letter also stated "we trust that this schedule will allow you both ample time to process t h e orders and to post payments before the beginning of the subscription year. If you require anv ehan~e to this schedule, olease contact..."

Nevertheless, some publishers were LILIStUlOCU by the letter and the trend it represents, and ad-


vised Chuck Hamaker and the column editor of the letter's existence. The two of us and Stanley Wilder, a colleague at LSU, were concerned with potential fulfillment problems that could result from late supply of renewal information, and the possible negative financial impact on small publishers. We felt that more information about the ex- tent of the practice and impact on publishers was needed. We were aware that other vendors might be pursuing similar practices without sending letters, and wished to avoid being perceived as re- proaching a specific vendor. We accordingly con- ducted a survey of 25 publishers, but the results were inconclusive and we decided to take no public action at the time. Some recipients, however, for- warded the survey to vendors and informal discussion ensued at the ALA Midwinter Meeting in Jan- uary 1990, although the context was not always understood. The survey was mentioned in an EBSCO ad addressing vendor reliability, which appeared in Library Journal (15 February 1990, p. 221).

Because of extreme interest in the library community about this matter, the next "Serials Prices" column will be devoted to this topic. The column will include opinions from a number of authors representing libraries, publishers, and vendors. We hope that it will add to our understand- ing of the interrelationship of library, vendor, and publisher practices.

NOTES

1. Chuck Hamaker, "Hamaker's Haymakers," Newsletter on Serials Pricing Issues, no. 18 (7 March 1990): 10.

2. Robert K. Peet, "An Experiment in Lower Journal Prices," Newsletter on Serials Pricing Is- sues, no. 13 (3 December 1989): 13-14.

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

Alexander, Adrian. "Serial Pricing in the Interna- tional Market: Fifteen Years of Faxon Experience." Library Administration and Management 4, no. 1 (1989): 27-32.

This excellent article incorporates concise reviews of key articles with a clear summary of journal prices over the past f if teen years. The U.S. Periodical Price Index (USPPI) and average Faxon prices are compared, and foreign currency variation is considered. The conclusion cautions that each library's title mix will be different, but that the "average price of the USPPI has not increased by less than 8 percent since 1975."

Carrigan, Dennis P. "The Political Economy of Scholarly Communication and the American System of Higher Education." Journal of Academic Librar- ianship 15, no. 6 (January 1990): 332-37.

According to the author's introduction, "This article examines how dramatic price increases and substantial growth in the number of scholarly journals are the logical outcomes of the scholarly communications system that came into being a century ago. Moreover, of the four major players in the system --scholars, publishers, university officials, and librarians--i t is shown that the first three have an interest in continuing the current system. As a consequence, the volume of published material tends to grow unchecked, and academic libraries are expected to provide a ready market for it." This well-written article provides a sobering reminder of the momentum scholarly publishing enjoys.

Final Report of the Study Group on Library Materials Pricing Policies to the General Professional Advisory Committee of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (31 October 1989). [Available from Dr. John E. Molnar, Coordinator, Institutional Ap- praisal and Library Services, State Council of Higher Education of Virginia, James Monroe Bldg., 101 N. 14th St., Richmond, VA 23219].

This report does more than restate the problems that have produced the serials crisis. Acknowledging a reliance on the ARL pricing report, this report also proposes, for a state audience, a number of short-term actions and long-term solutions. It de- scribes a program at Virginia Tech that promotes "the migration of scientific journals from foreign publishers" (p. 9) and suggests similar programs at other state university presses. One short-term action gives an idea of the forceful recommenda- tions:

Faculty and administrators in Virginia higher education should support federal legislation to require that federally funded research be reported only in academic or scholarly society presses, or by U.S. commercial publishers as a second choice. Similar regulations should be imposed at the state level for research supported by state dollars. In both cases, public funds are used to support research which is often subsequently published commer- cially. Academic libraries often buy the content back in journal subscriptions. This sequence of events contributes to the problem. (p. 8)

A fascinating view of the future, "A Technological Future: What Can We Expect...and When?" by Robert C. Heterick, Virginia Tech, is included in the report.


Hunt, Richard K. "Journal Deselection in a Biomed- ical Research Library: A Mediated Mathematical Approach." Bulletin of the Medical Library Associa- tion 78, no. 1 (January 1990): 45-48.

Hunt reports on a successful cancellation project at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Library, which considered price and use. The total number of subscriptions was 537, so the technique would have to be modified for larger collections. Nevertheless, the methodology and results are clearly described and are a fruitful addition to the literature.

Pascarelli, Anne M. "Guest Editorial: Will Libraries Exist in the Year 2000? The Effect of Prices on Collections." Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine 65, no. 8 (October 1989): 859-65.

Pascarelli reviews the problem with an em- phasis on medical titles. She covers causes of price increases, causes and effects of title proliferation, the library community response, and possible solutions. [Please see a related article in this issue of SR.]

Rice, Patricia Ohl and Joyce L. Ogburn. The Serials Partnership: Teamwork, Technology and Trends. Proceedings of the North American Serials Interest Group, Inc. 4th Annual Conference, 3-6 June 1989 (Haworth: New York, 1990). [Also published as Ser- ials Librarian 17, nos. 3/4, 1990.]

Rice and Ogburn got these proceedings to press in record time. To see which papers are re-

lated to serials pricing, please refer to the conference review in an earlier column (SR 15, no. 3: 75-76).

Rogers, Sharon J. and Charlene S. Hurt. "How Scholarly Communication Should Work in the 21st Century." Chronicle of Higher Education (18 Oc- tober 1989): A56. [Reprinted in College and Research Libraries 51, no. 1 (January 1990): 5-6, 8.]

This provocative article starts with a bang: "Scholarly journals are obsolete as the primary vehicle for scholarly communication." It proposes that all scholarly publishing be handled on an electronic "Scholarly Communications System" that would also allow reader comment during a draft stage, reviewing, and tagging by type of contribution. Rogers and Hurt suggest that if the $500 million spent annually on journal subscriptions were invested in developing such a system, it could be a reality in five years. This article and that by Carrigan are not necessarily contradictory, in that they present the past and one possible future.

COMMENTS OR SUGGESTIONS?

To comment or supply news, please contact October Ivins at (504) 388-4364, or by electronic mail: [email protected] or Ivins on Data- linx. Mailing address: Serials Services Department, 241 Middleton Library, Louisiana State University Libraries, Baton Rouge, LA 70803. @


Documents

Serials prices: Column 7