ACQNET v7n027 (August 7, 1997) URL = http://www.infomotions.com/serials/acqnet/acqnet-v7n027 ISSN: 1057-5308 *************** ACQNET, Vol. 7, No. 27, August 7, 1997 ======================================== (1) FROM: B. Hirsch and D. VanArsdale (3 postings) SUBJECT: Marshall Cavendish (49 lines) (2) FROM: S. Shaw SUBJECT: Staff accounts (19 lines) (3) FROM: D. VanArsdale SUBJECT: Interloc (26 lines) (4) FROM: D. Fisher SUBJECT: Which are the most expensive scientific titles? (70 lines) (1)-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 21 Jul 1997 09:49:00 -0700 From: Bonnie C. Hirsch (Eugene Public Lib.) Subject: RE: Marshall Cavendish Elizabeth Larson asks about Marshall Cavendish. We have bought materials from them for years. They seem to specialize in reference materials, and children's nonfiction which is related to school curricula. I've been told by our sales rep that the reason MC do not go through jobbers, is that they have independent sales reps working on commission. If the sales go through a jobber, MC does not know who earned the commission. Our rep is a gentleman with a "social conscience" who would not be likely to represent a company that did not also have one. MC is rather slow; I think they must advertise a year or more in advance of publication sometimes. And sometimes invoices arrive weeks or months before the publication; but I just stick them in a folder until the items arrive; payment is not required until then. So the company does not seem to be as "efficient" as a jobber, but does seem to have a sense of responsibility and fair play. Bonnie Hirsch Eugene (Oregon) Public Library bonnie.c.hirsch@ci.eugene.or.us ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Date: Mon, 21 Jul 1997 14:29:05 -0600 From: Dennis VanArsdale (Westark Comm. Coll.) Subject: Re: ACQNET 7:24: Marshall Cavendish (posting 2) This is a legitimate vendor, and we have ordered and received from them. They're not real quick, but they have gotten the product out. We still use them as necessary. Dennis G. Van Arsdale, Technical Services Librarian +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Date: Wed, 23 Jul 1997 11:26:09 -0600 From: Dennis VanArsdale (Westark Comm. Coll.) Subject: Re: ACQNET 7:24: Marshall Cavendish UPDATED (Posting 3) Elizabeth Larson asked about Marshall Cavendish Corporation. UPDATE: I just ran across a note from Midwest Library Service (800-325-8833) which states that Marshall Cavendish is now willing to sell through wholesalers such as Midwest. As for Midwest, I can wholeheartedly recommend them! Dennis G. Van Arsdale, Technical Services Librarian Boreham Library, Westark Community College********* (2)-------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 21 Jul 1997 13:53 -0600 From: Susan Shaw (South Dakota State U.) Subject: Staff accounts Do other libraries have staff accounts, that is, special accounts with book vendors whereby library staff can order books at the same discount as the library gets? If so, how do you assure that it's legal and okay with the parent institution? Policies and procedures? I've been asked if we could set one up, and it appears to be even more complicated than I thought. You may answer me directly or to the list. I'll be very grateful for feedback on this. Thanks, Susan Shaw Acquisitions Librarian South Dakota State University shaws@mg.sdstate.edu (3) ------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 21 Jul 1997 14:25:11 -0600 From: Dennis VanArsdale (Westark Comm. Coll.) Subject: Re: ACQNET 7:24: Interloc use? While I've not used it for the Library yet, I _have_ used it to obtain a personal purchase. Results: 1. Got a wide range of prices, which may be the case for a number of different materials. Well above list price to well under list price. Some dealers give condition, others don't. 2. First attempted to send a message to a dealer using the Interloc email. Never got a response. 3. Tried another dealer. Got a prompt response. Sent a check, and got my book, and I'm very happy for me. The tough part is, while I didn't ask this dealer I used, I suspect that a lot of small dealers might require prepayment. I noticed that a number of the dealers seem to be one-person operations, or at least do not seem to be "stores" with the Interloc as an additional access method. However, since Interloc seems to provide information on each dealer, one could pick out the more established places and see if they would take a purchase order, or just use email or the phone number (if provided) to check quickly. I will be trying Interloc for Library desiderata shortly; wish me luck. Dennis G. Van Arsdale, Technical Services Librarian Boreham Library, Westark Community College P.O. Box 3649 Fort Smith ARkansas 72913-3649 (501) 788-7206 -- dvanarsd@systema.westark.edu (4) ------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 21 Jul 1997 15:31:00 -0700 From: David Fisher (Univ. of Calif. - San Diego) Subject: Which are the most expensive scientific journals? Editors of ACQNET and NOSPI: The Library Director at Scripps Institution of Oceanography sent the following letter to his constitutents at the institution. With his permission I'm submitting this letter to both your lists for appreciation and comment by a broader audience. He's identified the issues with clarity and brilliance and posed some challenging questions. I'm hoping his ideas will promote some publisher response. David (Dave) Fisher Science Acquisitions Coordinator Geisel Library/Acquisitions Department University of California, San Diego 9500 GILMAN DRIVE DEPT 0175A La Jolla,CA 92093-0175 (619) 534-1221 voice dfisher@ucsd.edu (619) 534-1256 FAx ======================================= 7/21/97 To: SIO From: Peter Brueggeman, SIO Library Director Regarding: Which are the most expensive scientific journals? People regularly ask me which are the most expensive scientific journals at SIO Library. One measure of journal value is cost per page: library subscription cost divided by the number of pages published in one year. Simple comparison of cost alone is insufficient since a $1000 journal may publish four times as many pages as a $500 journal and thus be a "better" value. For example, TETRAHEDRON cost SIO Library $7,474 for 1996 and its cost-per-page is $0.49. JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE PHYSIOLOGY. A, SENSORY, NEURAL, & BEHAVIORAL PHYSIOLOGY cost SIO LIbrary $3636 for 1996 and its cost-per-page is $2.13. An order of magnitude difference: the more expensive journal is the "better" value. Of course if less notable research is published inexpensively, then it isn't really a "better" value, is it? To see the disparity of cost among scientific journals costing SIO Library over $500/year ( journals costing less are too numerous), see http://scilib.ucsd.edu/sio/guide/prices/perpage.html The cost per page for SIO Library's journals over $500 ranges from $0.03/page to $7.68/page. Generally, society and university publishers have a lower cost per page than commercial publishers. Why do scientific journals range in cost so widely? Several factors affect institutional (library) subscription rates including total number of subscribers, additional revenue received from author page charges and personal subscriptions, quality of paper, the number and quality of illustrations, strength of dollar if title is published outside US, operational overhead, presence of translated articles, and profit margin. Even so, such a large range in cost per page leads one to wonder: What is a reasonable price to charge for a scientific journal and when does it become unreasonable? This analysis is part of SIO Library's larger analysis on the crisis in scientific journal publishing; see http://scilib.ucsd.edu/sio/guide/prices/ Electronic journals promise no relief since their financial model encompasses annual price increases similar to those of print journals. Scientific journal publishing is ingrained with an annual price increase structure that is not provided for library collections at UCSD. ============================================================= Peter Brueggeman, Scripps Institution of Oceanography Library UCSD, 9500 Gilman Dr, Dept 0219, San Diego CA 92093-0219 USA ...pbrueggeman@ucsd.edu.......http://library-pc5969.ucsd.edu/ ...Telephone: 619/534-1230.......Fax: 619/534-5269 ****** END OF FILE ****** ACQNET, Vol. 7, No. 27 ****** END OF FILE ******