---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 13 Sep 2001 18:02:13 -0400
From: Albert Henderson <chessNIC@COMPUSERVE.COM>
Subject: Re: Disappearing microform titles (David Goodman)

on Thu, 13 Sep 2001 David Goodman <dgoodman@PHOENIX.PRINCETON.EDU> claims:

> Such reservesd are also at least a minimal protection against bad economic
> times. Or would Al rather see the scholarly publishing industry collapse
> totally if we have a depression?

        Don't tell us that university managerss are hoarding
        dollars to protect us publishers and librarians!!?

        When Congress cut research funding around 1969,
        payment of publishers' page charges was the first
        thing to go. The growth of library spending --
        which had been keeping up with R&D -- was right
        behind it.

        Universities are doing their best to dislodge the
        scholarly publishing industry, tenure, the influence
        of associations on academic matters, shared governance,
        the importance of publications to individual faculty,
        and costly libraries and librarians.

        States that underwrite public universities generally
        assume the responsibility for reserves.

        Moreover, the Dept of Education statistics indicate
        that the surplus, as a percent of revenue, has grown
        over the last 30 years while the libraries share dwindled
        by about the same amount.

        Best wishes,

Albert Henderson
Former Editor, PUBLISHING RESEARCH QUARTERLY 1994-2000
<70244.1532@compuserve.com>