MetaFilter posts tagged with library and publishing

We write to communicate an untenable situation...

Toekneesan — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 15:53:23 -0800

Harvard’s annual cost for journals from these providers now approaches $3.75M. In 2010, the comparable amount accounted for more than 20% of all periodical subscription costs and just under 10% of all collection costs for everything the Library acquires. Some journals cost as much as $40,000 per year, others in the tens of thousands. Prices for online content from two providers have increased by about 145% over the past six years, which far exceeds not only the consumer price index, but also the higher education and the library price indices. These journals therefore claim an ever-increasing share of our overall collection budget. Even though scholarly output continues to grow and publishing can be expensive, profit margins of 35% and more suggest that the prices we must pay do not solely result from an increasing supply of new articles. Harvard's Faculty Advisory Council asks Harvard's faculty to change how they publish. The Guardian's story on the development. Harvard's Arts & Sciences faculty previously on Open Access Scholar and Harvard University Librarian, Robert Darnton, Promises to Launch an Open Digital Public Library by 2013

NIH Open Access Policy Under Attack

humanfont — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 14:22:56 -0800

The Open Access Policy of the National Institutes of Health mandates that NIH funded research is published to PubMed Central. This provides free online full text access to the resulting research. This policy has been very popular. As a result journal publishers have seen their business models threatened. As other government agencies consider similar policies, publishing industry lobbyists have worked to put an end to the practice.. (previously) The legislation seeks to block agencies from:

duplicating the capabilities of privately available research archives which may compete with university and commercial publishers.
requiring that publicly funded research published in private sector journals be being distributed for free without authorization.
mandating that non-government authors agree to free distribution of works as a condition of receiving grants.

Of course you realize this means war!

grouse — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 11:23:48 -0800

Libraries and commercial publishers have struggled with each other over the skyrocketing costs of academic journals for years. As costs have increased more rapidly than library budgets, the libraries have had to cut journal subscriptions and other acquisitions. The recent recession has necessitated further cuts. Against this backdrop, Nature Publishing Group told the University of California that next year subscription prices would increase 400 percent, with the average annual cost of a journal increasing to $17,479. UC Libraries fought back with a combative letter to UC faculty suggesting that faculty should consider boycotting the journals, and cease submitting or reviewing articles for these journals. NPG responds, saying that UC currently pays unfairly low rates, and that "individual scientists, both within and outside of California are already suffering as a result of [UC]'s unwarranted actions."

Sorting it all out

Toekneesan — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 07:46:09 -0800

Future Reading. Anthony Grafton explores what we can learn about the future of the text from the history of libraries, publishers, and the sorting of books. See also, A Discussion With Anthony Grafton, The Nutty Professors, and Grafton's lecture on Faustus