Reply to David Prosser

I've replied previously to Fred's call for information about
the 
application of publishing surpluses (when they exist) by
learned 
societies

I'm responding now on the 'big deal'.  You would think there
had 
been no changes to this model since its first introduction. 
However, my observation is that publishers (both large ones 
operating on their own, and small (including NFP) ones
working 
together) ARE listening to libraries' concerns about the
original 
BD model, and are modifying it in all sorts of ways to make
it 
more flexible.  You have only to see the enormous range of 
pricing models reported in our own recent study by John Cox
(xx) 
to see the amount of change going on here

Please let's stop talking about the BD as if it was stuck in
its 
original form - I don't believe it is!

Sally
Sally Morris, Chief Executive
Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers
Email: sally.morrisalpsp.org
Website:  www.alpsp.org

----- Original Message -----
From: ""FrederickFriend""
<ucylfjfucl.ac.uk>
To: <liblicense-llists.yale.edu>
Sent: Monday, September 18, 2006 11:16 PM
Subject: Re: Reply to David Prosser

>I applaud Joe's call for more evidence from the NFP
publishers. 
>It would be good, for example, to know what percentage
of their 
>surpluses they plough back into bursaries etc. I am
prepared to 
>believe that this "science dividend" is
important, but if we are 
>to take account of it in the move towards OA we do need
to know 
>how big a factor it is. From JISC's experience with NFPs
in Mary 
>Waltham's study for us on learned society business
models, I 
>know that societies are reluctant to open up their
accounts, but 
>surely they could trust an independent third party with
the 
>information.
>
> To answer the point about the effect of "big
deals", they harm 
> NFPs in transferring library money away from individual

> subscriptions (often NFPs) into block subscriptions
from the 
> major (usually commercial) publishers. Yes, libraries
pushed 
> for these "big deals" but are now beginning
to realise the 
> disadvantage in locking up a large proportion of their
budgets.
>
> Fred Friend
> JISC Scholarly Communication Consultant
> Honorary Director Scholarly Communication UCL
> E-mail ucylfjfucl.ac.uk