ACQNET v1n055 (April 1, 1991) URL = http://www.infomotions.com/serials/acqnet/acq-v1n055 ACQNET, Vol 1, No. 55, April 1, 1991 ==================================== (1) FROM: _Fresno Guardian_ SUBJECT: *** EXTRA! SPECIAL! *** MAXWELL TAKES OVER ACQNET!!! (32 lines) (2) FROM: Christian SUBJECT: Publisher consolidation & mergers, Elsevier, Pergamon (23 lines) (3) FROM: Kay Granskog SUBJECT: Protected class booksellers, minority vendors (13 lines) (4) FROM: Marie Beth Clack SUBJECT: Czech Academy of Sciences serial publications (15 lines) (5) FROM: Christian SUBJECT: Who's new in Maxwelland tonight (9 lines) (1) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- From: michaelg@zimmer.CSUFresno.EDU (Fresno Guardian) Subject: Maxwell takes over ACQNET! Date: Mon, 1 Apr 91 8:57:23 PST April 1, 1991 The library world has been stunned by the news that portly Britism tycoon and megalomaniac Robert Maxwell has taken over the world's fastest growing elec- tronic library serial - ACQNET. Maxwell is resigning from his work at the New York _Daily News_ to devote himself to managing the lucrative electronic journal. He intends to make few major changes, though the pricing structure will, of course, change. Libraries will be charged ten times as much as individuals. All charges will be in zlotys or yen and will be translated into US dollars at a rate no less than seven times the current exchange rate. All prices will rise monthly. Christian Boissonnas, who founded ACQNET as a small family business less than a year ago, has been bought out by Maxwell for a sum adjacent to the annual materials budget of Cornell University Library. He intends to begin another e.-mail journal, called ORDNET, which will be devoted to the design of order cards and tracking order card price increases, bulk buying rates, etc. [This stunning development, rich though it has made me, has not dampened my enthusiasm for networking. Bob (I call him Bob, now) and I have already held some preliminary discussions about future investment opportunities. Although ORDNET has been mentioned specifically, release of exact details would be premature at this time. I assume all of you current ACQNET members will want to receive ORDNET. Contrary to the slanderous statement in the _Fresno Guardian_ article, ORDNET will be free for three issues to you who have supported ACQNET through its rather short, but intense, life. After that, I don't know for sure. Bob has opened my eyes to the real value of money and I must admit that I found his arguments compelling. I promise not to be a pig about it, though. Stay tuned. C.] (2) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 01 Apr 91 19:45:20 EST From: Christian Boissonnas Subject: Elsevier I spoke with Karen Hunter today. Hunter is Vice-President and Assistant to the Chairman of Elsevier Science Publishers. The following is my summary of the important points in our conversation relating to the purchase of Pergamon by Elsevier. Elsevier believes that it needs to broaden its base, have more journals and more titles. The company, Hunter said, does not see this acquisition as an anti-competitive move. Rather it will allow Elsevier to better position itself to compete against a whole new set of competitors which are now emerging, especially in electronic publishing. Hunter mentioned specifically CARL, OCLC, and some university libraries, all organizations which are beginning to be active in electronic publishing. This strategy, she also said, "is a gamble, but it won't be won or lost on the present product line." She did not see it having any impact on the monograph publishing program of the company. (3) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Friday, 29 March 1991 4:56pm ET From: Kay Granskog <20676KAG@MSU.BITNET> Subject: Protected Class Book Vendors Michigan State University is beginning to produce a report of dollars spent using businesses which are owned and operated by persons in protected classes. What I mean by "protected class" is minorities that have been under-represen- ted in the past such as African Americans, women, and handicapped. We are being encouraged to identify vendors we currently use which fit this category. We also would like to consider new vendors with which we could do business. Can the readers of ACQNET help us? If you like you can sent them to me separately at my email address. Thanks in advance. (4) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 01 Apr 91 09:48 EST From: Mary Beth Clack Subject: letter from Czech.Acad.of Sci Sender: "SERIALST: SERIALS in libraries - A user discussion group" At Harvard we just received a letter from the CSAV (Czech Acad of Sciences) stating that they would no longer be able to supply many of their serial publications on our exchange agreement. Has anyone else received this notifi- cation, and if so, how are you handling this? Thank you very much. Mary Beth Clack Serial Records Librarian Harvard College Library MCLACK@HARVARDA.BITNET (5) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: April 1, 1991 From: Christian Subject: Who's new on ACQNET today Karen Feeney Acting Head, Acquisitions Dept. Univ. of California - San Diego E-mail: KFEENEY@UCSD.EDU ***** END OF FILE ***** END OF FILE ***** END OF FILE ***** END OF FILE *****