WEB Edition Published at Duke University:
HTML coding by Eric Albright, maldacht@duke.edu
Masthead design by Dan Barkey, d-barkey@nwu.edu
| About BLAB |
|---|
44.1 NEWS: UPDATED FAXON PRICE PROJECTIONS
From: Anne E. McKee, Faxon <MCKEEA@faxon.com>
For Immediate Release
Faxon Reports Actual 1996 Journal Price
Increases in Line with Earlier Projections
Westwood, MA, September 19, 1995 - With many 1996 publisher price lists now in hand, Faxon has analyzed actual journal subscription price increases versus its projections made earlier this year. The actual 1996 subscription price increases correspond to the projections, showing high increases for European journals due to a weak US dollar.
The last projections, made in June 1995, are provided below, along with preliminary actual increases based on publisher price lists received to date:
| June 1995 Projections |
Actual Preliminary | |
|---|---|---|
| North American Titles | 10.5% | 10-11% |
| Continental European Titles | 23.5% | 24% |
| UK Titles | 15% | 14% |
| Typical Overall Collection Increase | 14.8% | 14.5% |
"As we predicted earlier in the year, the weakness of the US dollar against the continental European currencies is largely responsible for high increases for journals from those countries," said Ron Akie, Senior Vice President of Marketing. "We saw the same effect in 1991 and 1993, other years when the dollar weakened."
While the US dollar has strengthened very recently, this will only affect European journals where publishers set the price in their own currency and let the exchange rate float with market rates. These are primarily smaller publishers whose journals make up a small portion of most US library collections. Therefore, the dollar's strengthening so late in the year will have little net impact for most clients. The larger European publishers either set their prices in US dollars or fix the exchange rate earlier in the year.
The detailed breakdown of price increases by component from Faxon's June 1995 projection is provided below:
| N.
Amer. Titles | Continental European | UK Titles | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Page Inflation | 2.5% | 3.0% | 2.0% |
| Paper/Postage | 3.0% | 3.0% | 3.0% |
| General Inflation | 2.5% | 2.0% | 2.0% |
| Cancellations | 2.5% | 3.0% | 3.0% |
| Currency Changes | N/A | 12.5% | 5.0% |
| Total Increase | 10.5% | 23.5% | 15.0% |
| Typical overall increase | 14.8% |
44.2 NEWS: THOMAS REGISTER ON WEB
Forwarded from: net-happenings <net-happenings@lists.internic.net>
Thomas Register of American Manufacturers provides instant sourcing and contact information on industrial products and services offered by 150,000 U.S. and Canadian companies in 52,000 categories. The Thomas Register Home Page provides access to the full Thomas Register database, including company name, location, contact numbers, and company/product line descriptions.
44.3 REPLY: TELEPHONE SALES CALLS
From: Jerry Perry, Rush University <perry@lib.rpslmc.edu>
I would like to reply to Melanie's anguish over telemarketing from publishers, as I'm of a similar mind. Starting several months ago, I began receiving telephone inquiries from the publisher of a standard reference title covering medical equipment and whatnot. The first time I was called, I advised the telemarketer that our library received the title via standing order, that we would be receiving the then-new edition, and thanks for the call. I received a total of six calls to remind me of the new edition, and was my library planning on making a purchase. The first four times I politely went through my spiel, but by the fifth time I was truly angry. Each call was an interruption, and the failure on the telemarketer's end to remove my name from whatever list being used was really inconsiderate, IMHO. I have since opted to use my voice mail as a screening device to weed out the many unsolicited calls I receive from publishers. This is tricky, as I obviously want to take as many calls (from library customers) as possible. Essentially what I do is simply not return calls from publishers if they are inappropriate or what they're selling is of no interest. If one does catch me "live" I politely listen and if they're selling something I think is worthwhile I ask them to follow up via mail with documentation. You'd be surprised how many are unwilling or unable to comply with this reasonable request!
Thanks for the pulpit!
44.4 REPLY: TELEPHONE SALES CALLS
From: Anne_Prussing, UC San Diego <aprussing@ucsd.edu>
I was interested in Melanie's frustration with the telemarketers, as it is certainly one I share. My "strategy", if one could call it that, is similar to the one I use for polite but annoying telephone solicitations during dinner. I tell them that I have to have something in writing. If they care enough, they usually mail or fax the information. If they don't care enough, that's fine; their product probably wasn't worth it anyway. (At home I say it is my policy NOT to respond to telephone requests, no matter how worthy. The callers do not learn quickly). If the marketer wants to come by and see me, he has to have an appointment and I keep it to 1/2 hour max. If he drops in unannounced, it's 10 minutes max if I have the bad luck to be available. I'm glad Melanie brought up the problem, because I think it's going to get worse. Let's close our ranks and get tough.
44.5 REPLY: TELEPHONE SALES CALLS
From: Hannah King, SUNY Syracuse <KINGH@VAX.CS.HSCSYR.EDU>
I've found a satisfactory way to respond to telemarketing from publishers. I simply explain that I find myself unable to concentrate on information that I receive over the phone and ask them to fax me the information. Sometimes I am actually quite grateful to be notified about an upcoming publication and the budget may actually allow me to order it. Sometimes I am given the fax right in the middle of a reference session and lose it. Quite often I will receive follow-up calls and not remember they actually faxed me the information a month ago. But most telemarketers recognize I am limited intellectually, re-fax their announcements, and trust that eventually I will at least consider the possibility of purchasing the product they're trying to sell me. The process doesn't tie me to the phone too long and I sense that the process meets the marketer's needs as well as mine.
44.6 REPLY: CHINESE MEDICAL DICTIONARIES
From: "Linda Hulbert, Saint Louis University <hulbertla@SLUVCA.SLU.EDU>
I just got an add for a Japanese-Chinese-English medical dictionary by Joint Committee of Medical Dictionary from Japan and China. 634 pgs. 4-254-30051-4 C3547 P9785E. PUblished in Tokyo Japan 1994. $290.45 I have heard of neither the tool of the publisher and that's a high price. It is available from Alaken, Inc. 305 W. Magnolia St., Suite 196 Fort Collins CO 80521. No phone number. They also publish an English-Chinese dictionary for food Science and Technology and an English Chinese Dictionary of Life Science. Each of those are $119. 45. Can't vouch for quality.
44.7 QUERY: IS THE PRICE RIGHT?
From: Mark Funk, Cornell Univ. Medical College <mefunk@med.cornell.edu>
*Is the price right?*
Has anybody else noticed a strange tendency for some book list prices to be about as firm as jelly? Here's a recent example:
TRANSCULTURAL NURSING :CONCEPTS THEORIES RESEARCH & PRACTICES
Author : LEININGER
Publisher : MCGRAW-HILL (1995)
Subject : NURSING ISSUES/TRENDS/RESEARCH Binding : Paper
Edition : 2
Book vendor A: list price is $35.00
Book vendor B: list price is $47.25
Book vendor C: list price is $31.95
McGraw-Hill list price: $48.13 (if you have an account with them, price is $39.38)
I'm fairly certain that only the paperbound version is available, so binding doesn't account for the differences. Can any librarian or vendor representative explain this?
From: Margaret Henderson at CSHL Library <henderso@cshl.org>
I just finished reading the following book and I wanted to let others know about it.
Why We Get Sick: The New Science of Darwinian Medicine by George C. Williams, Ph.D. and Randolph M. Nesse, M.D. Times Books, 1995 ISBN: 0-8129-2224-7
This book is a fascinating look at why our human history and prehistory is important in any research about disease and health. The authors have written a highly readable book about the new field of Darwinian medicine - finding evolutionary explanations for why we get sick. It involves the study of why certain traits from our past can cause disease today, and why some traits that are maladaptive today, may have been a help to our ancestors, the early hunter-gatherers.
There are sections on injury and infection, genetic diseases, cancer, pregnancy, aging, and psychiatric problems. Having recently had two children, I was very interested in the theories about 'morning sickness' and the fight between the mother and fetus. The authors discuss the theories of several researchers. For example one theory suggests that 'morning sickness' could be an adaptation to keep us away from strong tasting foods which are usually high in toxins during the critical first few months of pregnancy. There are also evolutionary explanations for why we crave fat, sugar, and salt.
The authors are very careful to stress that they are not just another medical fad. They want to work with the medical establishment to provide better treatment and understanding of illness. It has recently been shown that running a fever has a function in healing of certain illnesses. With the help of Darwinian medicine, a doctor would know when to let a fever run its course and when it is best to bring a fever down with medication.
I recommend this book for any library collection. Doctors in hospitals and at medical schools should be aware of it. Any public library patron would enjoy reading it and find it highly informative. And students of any discipline would find it interesting and I'm sure would get ideas about how evolution effects all sorts of things in our daily life.
44.9 ANNOUNCEMENT: NASIG AWARD
From: Anne E. McKee, Faxon Company <MCKEEA@faxon.com>
The North American Serials Interest Group (NASIG), composed of many constituents of the serials industry, is an independent organization which provides for the exchange and dissemination of information among the various links in the serials information chain.
NASIG is sponsoring the 1996 NASIG Horizon Award, (originally established in 1995 to recognize its tenth annual conference.) The purpose of this award is to welcome an aspiring new serialist to the serials profession by introducing the recipient to NASIG, to further enhance the recipient's knowledge of and interest in serials, and to provide an opportunity for interaction with other members of the serials chain.
DESCRIPTION OF AWARD: The NASIG Horizon Award provides the recipient an opportunity for professional development by attendance at NASIG's eleventh annual conference to be held June 20-23rd, 1996 at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque.
NASIG will assume all conference fees and travel costs. The recipient will receive a free year's membership to NASIG, and will be invited to serve on a committee the year following the award. The recipient will also receive a framed certificate in commemoration of the event.
ELIGIBILITY: Applicants should currently be in a position of a professional nature with primary responsibilities for some aspect of serials, e.g. head of serials, serials acquisitions, serials vendor, serials publisher. Applicants must have served in this position for no more than three years. Applicants do not have to be a member of NASIG, and they should not have attended any previous NASIG conferences. Preference will be given to applicants with previous serials experience, to those employed by a North American organization or institution, and to those whose career goals include long range plans for professional growth and development in serials.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE: Applications will be available after November 15, 1996 from:
Anne E. McKee, Chair, NASIG Horizon Award; Territory Sales Manager,
The Faxon Company
15 Southwest Park
Westwood, MA 02090
602-876-8228
602-933-1544-fax
internet: McKeea@Faxon.com
Applications must be accompanied by a letter of reference from a current supervisor.
Completed applications should be returned to Anne E. McKee as above.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: January 16, 1996. Applications postmarked after this date will not be considered.
AWARD NOTIFICATION: The award recipient will be notified by February 19, 1996.
| The BIOMEDICAL LIBRARY ACQUISITIONS BULLETIN (ISSN: 1064-699X) is published
by
the Medical Library Association's Collection Development Section with the
cooperation of the University of Southern California Norris Medical Library.
BLAB is published more or less monthly, and includes items of news and opinion
contributed by its readers concerning biomedical library acquisitions.
Editor: David H. Morse: dmorse@hsc.usc.edu. Paper mail: USC Norris Medical Library, 2003 Zonal Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90033. Telephone: (213) 342-1134. The BULLETIN is distributed free of charge, in electronic form only. Back issues of BLAB are available at http://colldev.mlanet.org/BLAB/.
Requests for subscriptions and all editorial correspondence should be sent to the editor <dmorse@hsc.usc.edu>. | |