Last month I posted a lengthy note on the problems of transferring treatises
to three-ringer binder sets for public county law libraries. I was
contacted last month for permission to put my comments in the Criv-Sheet.
Today we have had many more irate posts about Couch's pricing.
I do not feel that posting complaints about price increases is productive. I
have many questions about the publishers' pricing structures and methods. We
librarians need an analysis of the publishing industry and not these
re-active postings. Earlier today, a post suggested that librarians start
reviewing new editions and supplements for substantative change. This was a
valuable suggestion and should be part of an AALL committee's
responsibility. In September, I attended a conference "Intellectual Property
Rights, the Infobahn, and the Labour Movement" where the participants,
authors and journalists, shared our concerns (Report on conference in IGC's
labr.tech forum). We have allies!
I would like AALL to sponsor a study on legal publishing. Areas for a study
of the publishers study could include:
1) how has the practice of lawyers searching online for the most recent
cases created a feeling amongst publishers that they must increase
supplementation?
2) what kind of work is required to supplement a treatise?
3) If publishers are selling titles or consolidating different companies, do
we have a true variety of treatises or simply multiple versions from a
single editorial staff.
4) What prices increases affect legal publishers more: paper stock increases
or on-line searches?
5) How much exchange of ideas exists between publishers, practicing lawyers
and universities?
Are we getting the kind of research and publications we need? Or is a single
market being fought over by the publishers and other areas neglected?
AALL would be better served if we analyzed the industry that provides us
with the tools of our trade.
To quote the old printer's adage, it costs money to make money. Just
complaining about costs will not change things. Maybe it really does cost
that much to produce a book for a lawyer that bills at $250 an hour. I
realize that this is a heretical view, but if our users want certain
materials, they will have to pay or negotiate better prices. Or they can
do without. We cannot be everything to everyone.
Jacqueline Cantwell
125-12th Street
Oakland, California 94607
510-272-6465
I
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Wed Nov 14 2007 - 20:49:09 PST