From: Paul Metz <pmetz_at_vt.edu>
Anyone in the collection development community might want to read Eric
Alterman's thought-provoking piece, "The 'Right' Books and Big Ideas"
("conservative foundations lavishly subsidize authors while the left loses
out") in _The Nation_, November 22, 1999, pp. 16-21.. Any of us who have
been watching the growing lists of CATO, AEI etc. or the changed nature of
Basic Books and The Free Press may have wondered about the effect of
private subsidization on the ideological balance of the available
literature relating to public affairs. Alterman addresses this in an
informative and informed fashion.
I don't mean to stir up controversy on this. Certainly the right would
argue that university press publication has subsidized the opposite side of
things for years. But I do think Alterman's essay is overdue and raises
legitimate questions.
Paul Metz, Director, Collection Management and College-Based Services
Virginia Tech University Libraries
P.O. Box 90001 / Blacksburg VA / 24062-9001
Ph: (540) 231-5663 FAX: (540) 231-3694 e-mail: pmetz_at_vt.edu
Lynn Sipe lsipe_at_usc.edu
Director, Collection Resources & 213/740-2929
Director, Information Delivery Organization & Retrieval 213/749-1221 (fax)
University Libraries
Information Services Division
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0182
Received on Fri Nov 12 1999 - 17:58:38 EST