ACQNET v7n042 (December 8, 1997) URL = http://www.infomotions.com/serials/acqnet/acqnet-v7n042 ISSN: 1057-5308 *************** ACQNET, Vol. 7, No. 42, December 8, 1997 ========================================== (1) FROM: S. Golden SUBJECT: Charleston report: Lively Lunch, 11/7/98 (52 lines) (2) FROM: J. Montgomery SUBJECT: Charleston report: Lively Lunch, 11/7/98 (47 lines) (3) FROM: P. Sonberg SUBJECT: Charleston report: Publishers panel, 11/8/97 (56 lines) (1)--------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 14 Nov 1997 16:00:11 +0000 (DST) From: Susan Golden (Appalachian State U.) Subject: Charleston Report: Lively Lunch, Friday 11/7/98 Role of Reviews in Collection Development: a Lively Lunch The title of this lunch was a bit of a misnomer as it was really an informal information sharing session among Francine Graf (Managing Editor), Helen MacLam (Social Sciences Editor) of _Choice_, and librarians both experienced and new to collection development on how we use _Choice_ and ways it could be improved. The consensus was that librarians need reviews as much or more than ever, which supports a _Choice_ survey that found that most librarians will order as many or more books for the next five years and want more reviews. However, participants felt that although _Choice_ does a good job as far a timeliness, we need more timely reviews because of approval plans, prepublication offers, and fear of books going out of print. Librarians specifically asked the editors to consider prepub reviews of expensive reference sets, or putting reference reviews on the web. Others suggested that a note that certain reference books would be reviewed in upcoming issues would be a step in the right direction. Most librarians present used the reviews on cards the most, for their portability, ease of sending to faculty, etc. The recent change in format of the cards to 4"x6" for economy of production was discussed as well as the criteria for review. Books are vetted in the editorial office before being sent for review, hence the large number of positive reviews. Approximately 22,000-25,000 books are received and 25% of them are reviewed by faculty reviewers around the country. Reviewers evaluate quality of scholarly apparatus, broadness/soundness of topic, quality of editorial work. Undergraduate libraries are the target of 85% of the reviews, mainly books from university presses, and some from trade houses. Participants commented that there are gaps in the reviews in some of the following areas: leisure studies, weight training, exercise physiology, sports (not as entertainment or biography), agriculture, applied sciences, physical therapy, science and technology, and teacher education. The _Choice_ editors agreed. The bibliographical essays featured in each issue were mentioned by librarians as valuable, and something people who use only cards might miss. One librarian mentioned that his consortium in Minnesota met once a month with their cards for monthly buying sessions, to assure that worthwhile books were bought, but without duplication. This is a valuable idea, and one that members of other consortia might like to adapt to their circumstances. Susan Golden email: goldensl@appstate.edu Appalachian State University Boone NC 28608 (2)--------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 11 Nov 1997 08:07:47 -0600 From: Jack Montgomery (Univ. of MO Law) Subject: Charleston "Lively Lunch" report: Friday, 11/7/97 The "Lively Lunch" tradition at the Charleston Conference allows conference attenders to continue the learning experience during the noonday period in a relaxed, interactive discussion atmosphere. This year on Friday, Nov. 7th, one option was a program on "Web shopping : the nuts and bolts of online acquisitions," hosted by Anna Belle Lieserson of Vanderbilt Law Library and Eleanor Cook of Appalachian State. The discussion began with a show of hands indicating that roughly half the 30 attenders use the Web for some form of online acquisitions. Vendors used included well-known ones like Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Powells Bookstore, and alt.books.com and more specialized vendors like Pan-Asian Books for Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean and Malaysian titles. The next topic covered was the prevalence and use of institutional credit cards for web-based purchases. Although several progressive institutions like the College of William and Mary have encouraged the acquisition and use of credit cards, the majority of schools represented still have not realized the value of labor and cost reduction through invoice consolidation. The issue of Internet privacy and security naturally followed the topic of credit card use including the attachment of "cookies" that extract information from your site as you download the file into your system for viewing. One solution suggested to combat this unwelcome intrusion was to purge your cache each time you exit from Netscape. Several vendor representatives indicated programs being developed by their respective companies to further secure the information moving along the Web. The final topics discussed included the lack of status reports supplied by some online vendors, websites for back-issue vendors and the need to post contract information for technical services functions such as binding on your institutional home-page. If there could be a complaint regarding this lively lunch presentation/discussion, it would be that it was simply too short to adequately cover these new and fascinating topics. It is hoped that time will be allotted in the formal programs next year for these important issues. Respectfully submitted, Jack G. Montgomery, Technical Services and Collection Management Librarian, Law Library, University of Missouri-Columbia (3)--------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 01 Dec 1997 15:56:05 -0500 From: Paul Sonberg (Blackwells Periodicals) Subject: Charleston Report BRIEF REPORT: Saturday "Publishing Panel"-- 1997 Charleston Conference This group stayed very close to the conference's overall theme of "Learning from Our Mistakes" to illustrate the dilemmas facing publishers in a time of rapidly changing dissemination technology. Participants were: Barbara Meyers (Meyers Consulting), Jill O'Neill (Institute for Scientific Information), Rosalynn O'Connor (Oxford University Press), and Judith Turner (Editor, _Journal of Electronic Publishing_. Judy Luther (Consultant) moderated. Panelists agreed on several points. It is not an easy time for publishers because they are often entering uncharted waters where user behavior, technical problems, and pricing/licensing models are all relatively unclear. In trying to improve print products through electronic delivery, there is often a fine line between what is a "mistake" and what is a useful "learning experience." As O'Neill noted in an historical overview of ISI's operations, it sometimes happens that a publisher introduces a good electronic product before the market is ready for it. At other times that publisher may abandon a new way of publishing too soon. Meyers exhorted scholarly publishers to "assume nothing, research everything" and to understand from careful analysis the levels of capital investment that will be needed. All panelists pointed to the need for especially good technical support and customer service when planning for e-publications. O'Connor described OUP's experience in putting the OED online and the special difficulties of pricing something intended for both the library and consumer market. Turner's remarks centered on her experience in creating a 1990 online version of the _Chronicle of Higher Education_ where the problems they anticipated (technical hurdles -- loss of paper subscriptions -- librarians' role in delivering an electronic product) were not in fact the ones they faced. Most of all it was the discontinuity of trends and managing elevated market expectations which presented a challenge. Turner said that as a publisher today you rarely wind up in the place you expected to be. A consistent picture emerged of publishers learning as they go and not quite sure if the most recent lessons mastered about electronic publishing will apply to tomorrow's decisions. Librarians in the audience asked for some practical experience to date about loss of paper subscriptions when electronic alternatives are present. There appears to be no consensus on how this plays out and publishers represented indicated that they must price and license with the danger to their traditional print revenues in mind yet not quantifiable. Paul A. Sonberg TEL: 215-493-1607 Blackwell's Information Services FAX: 215-321-4111 45 S. Delaware Ave. MESSAGES: 800-458-3706 Yardley, PA 19067 EMAIL: sonberg@blackper.com ****** END OF FILE ****** ACQNET, Vol. 7, No. 42 ****** END OF FILE ******