CDL-Frequency of publication question

From: "James R. Kelly" <jrkelly_at_library.umass.edu>

I had a conversation with the incoming editor of The Yearbook of English
Studies, John Batchelor, last week and he mentioned that he has been
thinking of increasing the frequency of publication of the Yearbook from
once yearly to twice (and changing the title accordingly, I assume, or
designating the issues as part one and part two ...). My initial response
was to tell him that that might increase the jeopardy of the title's being
cancelled should the ever-recurring serials cuts hit any subscribing
institution in future. Our perspective on annuals is that they are deemed
standing orders and thus in a different class from a periodical. Too, if we
did have to cancel the standing order, an annual could always be purchased
as a firm order item on an annual basis (inconvenient but possible). On the
other hand, if the title should become a periodical, presumably it would
migrate from one category to another an thus be prey to the inevitable
future reductions in the serials budget.

Thoughts from any of you as to this conundrum and/or advice to the editor?

Many thanks in advance.

Jim Kelly

James R. Kelly
Humanities Bibliographer
W.E.B. Du Bois Library
University of Massachusetts
154 Hicks Way
Amherst, MA 01003-9275

American Co-Editor, Annual Bibliography
    of English Language and Literature
Department of English
Bartlett Hall
University of Massachusetts
130 Hicks Way
Amherst, MA 01003-9269

(413) 545-3981; (413) 577-2565 (fax)
E-mail: jrkelly_at_library.umass.edu

Adjunct faculty: Simmons College Graduate School of Library and Information
Science; University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Library and
Information Studies; Massachusetts Center for Renaissance Studies