I am intrigued by David's last statement - please elucidate!
Sally
Sally Morris, Secretary-General
Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers
South House, The Street, Clapham, Worthing, West Sussex BN13 3UU, UK
Phone: 01903 871686 Fax: 01903 871457 E-mail: sec-gen_at_alpsp.org
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----- Original Message -----
From: "David Goodman" <dgoodman_at_PHOENIX.PRINCETON.EDU>
To: <AMERICAN-SCIENTIST-OPEN-ACCESS-FORUM_at_LISTSERVER.SIGMAXI.ORG>
Sent: Sunday, April 21, 2002 10:58 PM
Subject: Re: ALPSP statement on BOAI
> What will prove or disprove the case is not your study, or anyone's,
> but the market. If people value the features, they will pay for them.
> And it is really that simple, assuming there are no artificial
constraints,
> such as excessively rigid tenure requirements and other
> administrative interference.
>
> The possible responses to competition from less expensive
> suppliers are to increase value, lower costs and prices, accept a much
> smaller part of the market, or make use of anti-competitive measures.
> In this case, the alternative suppliers are
> intrinsically so much less expensive, that it seems doubtful whether you
> can increase value or lower costs enough to compete, however much I wish
> you could. But my opinion, or other peoples' opinions, regardless of how
> carefully collected, decide nothing. What they do is decisive.
>
> If my patrons want expensive publications, rather than less expensive
> provision of the same material, they will continue to use the many we
> have. I will determine the use by my routine measurements, and those who
> supply the funds will, as in the past, allocate the money to buy them. If
the
> patrons cease to want them, they will stop using them. I will similarly
> determine the lack of use, and, being responsible within my sphere for not
> wasting my institution's funds, I will not request the money to buy them.
>
> We all know that ongoing measurements
> already show an almost total nonuse of conventional publications, print or
> electronic, in one of the science subject areas.
>
> Dr. David Goodman
> Research Librarian and
> Biological Sciences Bibliographer
> Princeton University Library
> dgoodman_at_princeton.edu 609-258-7785
Received on Mon Apr 22 2002 - 12:59:06 BST