Challenges and Challenges and (Solutions?) for Small (Solutions?) for Small

Society PublishersSociety Publishers

October Ivins, MLSOctober Ivins, MLS

President Elect, Society for President Elect, Society for Scholarly PublishingScholarly Publishing

october.ivins@mindspring.comoctober.ivins@mindspring.com

ICOLC Stockholm October 3ICOLC Stockholm October 3, 2007, 2007

OutlineOutline

The Society The Society forfor Scholarly Publish Scholarly Publishinging Scholarly publishers overviewScholarly publishers overview Challenges for small societies Challenges for small societies SolutionsSolutions

– SocietiesSocieties– Libraries and Consortia Libraries and Consortia

BibliographyBibliography Your questionsYour questions

Society for Scholarly PublishingSociety for Scholarly Publishing

Individual/Organizational membersIndividual/Organizational members Broad scope – publishers, publisher Broad scope – publishers, publisher

service providers, librariansservice providers, librarians Founded to promote education and Founded to promote education and

communicationcommunication Not a trade assn, no advocacy roleNot a trade assn, no advocacy role Therefore - my opinions and ideasTherefore - my opinions and ideas

Scholarly PublishersScholarly Publishers

Born and Van Ordsel, Periodicals Price Survey, Born and Van Ordsel, Periodicals Price Survey, Library JournalLibrary Journal, April 15, 2004, April 15, 2004

Tier 1: Group of 7 Tier 1: Group of 7 – Elsevier, Springer, Kluwer, Taylor & Francis, Blackwell, Elsevier, Springer, Kluwer, Taylor & Francis, Blackwell,

Wiley and LippincottWiley and Lippincott Tier 2: Large society and university pressesTier 2: Large society and university presses

– Cambridge, Oxford, Harvard and MIT; AIP, ACS, IEEE; Cambridge, Oxford, Harvard and MIT; AIP, ACS, IEEE; Sage and NatureSage and Nature

Tier 3: Diverse network with one or more title Tier 3: Diverse network with one or more title each. each. – Some in Muse, BioOne, Euclid.Some in Muse, BioOne, Euclid.– And/or hosting services like HighWire, ingenta or And/or hosting services like HighWire, ingenta or

MetaPress MetaPress

Tier 3 Scholarly PublishersTier 3 Scholarly Publishers

Scholarly and Professional AssociationsScholarly and Professional Associationsgenerally: quarterly refereed journal, generally: quarterly refereed journal, newsletter and maybe directory or proceedingsnewsletter and maybe directory or proceedings

University presses (most focus on books)University presses (most focus on books) Independent non-profitsIndependent non-profits

– One or two faculty membersOne or two faculty members– Academic department or instituteAcademic department or institute

Independent for-profitsIndependent for-profits

Commercial Publishers Commercial Publishers

Publish 60% of peer reviewed journals Publish 60% of peer reviewed journals – 45% owned outright45% owned outright– 17% published for non-profits17% published for non-profits

(2005 Ulrich’s data-R Crow)(2005 Ulrich’s data-R Crow) For STM titlesFor STM titles

– 7 largest commercial publishers 7 largest commercial publishers – Publish 30% of journalsPublish 30% of journals– Collect 60% of total revenue Collect 60% of total revenue

(UK House of Commons 2004)(UK House of Commons 2004)

Some Tier 3 SSP Member’s Some Tier 3 SSP Member’s SocietiesSocieties

African Studies AssociationAfrican Studies Association The Endocrine SocietyThe Endocrine Society Estuarine Research FederationEstuarine Research Federation National Center for Developmental National Center for Developmental

EducationEducation Society of American ForestersSociety of American Foresters Society of Financial Services Society of Financial Services

ProfessionalsProfessionals

Small Society Challenges (1)Small Society Challenges (1)

All income streams are threatenedAll income streams are threatened– MembershipMembership– ConferencesConferences– PublicationsPublications

All expenses are increasingAll expenses are increasing– Membership supportMembership support– E-learningE-learning– Online publicationOnline publication– Marketing and salesMarketing and sales

Small Society Challenges (2)Small Society Challenges (2)

Membership income threatenedMembership income threatened– Journal traditionally key benefitJournal traditionally key benefit– But… e-version available free from the But… e-version available free from the

librarylibrary– Baby boomers are retiringBaby boomers are retiring– Membership levels declineMembership levels decline– Must attract new/younger membersMust attract new/younger members

Responses to ChallengesResponses to Challenges

Market to students and new professionalsMarket to students and new professionals– Offer reduced rates for students, early careerOffer reduced rates for students, early career– Revamp website (add social networking Revamp website (add social networking

functionality)functionality)– Create formal mentoring programsCreate formal mentoring programs– Provide travel grants to encourage conference Provide travel grants to encourage conference

attendanceattendance– Invest in e-learning for continuing educationInvest in e-learning for continuing education

Cash flow, short term vs. long termCash flow, short term vs. long term

Small Society StaffingSmall Society Staffing

May have only one or two paid staff; May have only one or two paid staff; executive director (governance, executive director (governance, membership, continuing education) and membership, continuing education) and director of publicationsdirector of publications

Focus on core functionality;Focus on core functionality; keep author keep author recruitment, peer review, editorial, recruitment, peer review, editorial, member servicesmember services

Who can identify and implement standardsWho can identify and implement standards No staff for licensing, consortia mgmt, No staff for licensing, consortia mgmt,

respond to sales inquiriesrespond to sales inquiries

Journal Challenges (1)Journal Challenges (1)

Aggregator* participationAggregator* participation– Shift from extra income to cancellation Shift from extra income to cancellation

justificationjustification– May be only e-versionMay be only e-version

Library budgets tied up with big Library budgets tied up with big deals and other packagesdeals and other packages

Library preference for e-onlyLibrary preference for e-only Individual subscribers still want printIndividual subscribers still want print

Journal Challenges (2)Journal Challenges (2)

Journal cancellations of 5-10% yearJournal cancellations of 5-10% year User driven demands for seamless User driven demands for seamless

electronic access of all resourceselectronic access of all resources Increasing IT costs for hardware, Increasing IT costs for hardware,

software and staff; ongoing training software and staff; ongoing training and developmentand development

E-publishing requires major workflow E-publishing requires major workflow and staff retrainingand staff retraining

Journal Challenges (3)Journal Challenges (3)

No such thing as an “integrated No such thing as an “integrated publishing system”publishing system”

PublishersPublishers select and implementselect and implement a a variety of non-integrated tools and variety of non-integrated tools and technologiestechnologies

Next several slides list modules Next several slides list modules which may be licensedwhich may be licensed

Software/Service Options (1)Software/Service Options (1)

Content AuthoringContent Authoring Digital Art PreparationDigital Art Preparation Author “preflight” for Digital ArtAuthor “preflight” for Digital Art Electronic submission and peer Electronic submission and peer

reviewreview Production tracking Production tracking Automated copyeditingAutomated copyediting

Software/Service Options (2)Software/Service Options (2)

Markup and codingMarkup and coding Composition/ typesettingComposition/ typesetting Content management Content management Distribution (multiple formats and Distribution (multiple formats and

streams- hosts, aggregators, A&I streams- hosts, aggregators, A&I services, RSS, TOCs, etc.)services, RSS, TOCs, etc.)

Retrospective print to digital Retrospective print to digital conversionconversion

Decisions, decisions…Decisions, decisions… Join a package? Find a host? Partner with Join a package? Find a host? Partner with

a larger publisher?a larger publisher? Conduct an RFP process, with or without a Conduct an RFP process, with or without a

consultant?consultant? How to involve the officers and members? How to involve the officers and members?

Conflict of interest?Conflict of interest? What are the goals? Widest distribution? What are the goals? Widest distribution?

Best technological support? Increase Best technological support? Increase impact factor/attract authors? Best impact factor/attract authors? Best financial return? Remain affordable to financial return? Remain affordable to libraries?libraries?

How much lead time is required/available?How much lead time is required/available?

Tough Sells for Small Societies Tough Sells for Small Societies

Open AccessOpen Access– Both skepticism and experimentationBoth skepticism and experimentation– Not likely for non-STM journalsNot likely for non-STM journals– Institutional RepositoriesInstitutional Repositories

Copyright, Fair Use, DRMCopyright, Fair Use, DRM– eReserveseReserves– Course management systemsCourse management systems– Digital ILLDigital ILL– Licenses supersede/erode Fair Use?Licenses supersede/erode Fair Use?

Destabilization and CompetitionDestabilization and Competition

Increases financial pressure on all Increases financial pressure on all publisherspublishers

Large publishers are far ahead, have Large publishers are far ahead, have already made investmentsalready made investments

Tier 3 least able to “ride it out”Tier 3 least able to “ride it out” Limited market for new titles makes Limited market for new titles makes

taking over established titles attractivetaking over established titles attractive Increased competition for society titles Increased competition for society titles

from Tier 1 and 2 publishersfrom Tier 1 and 2 publishers

Tier 3 Publishers MarginalizedTier 3 Publishers Marginalized

An accelerating number of small societies An accelerating number of small societies contract with Tier 1 publishers. contract with Tier 1 publishers.

Consolidation continues as smaller Consolidation continues as smaller independent STM publishers are independent STM publishers are purchased.purchased.

Many small humanities and social science Many small humanities and social science publishers, including university presses publishers, including university presses fail.fail.

Individual scholars post articles in their Individual scholars post articles in their local or discipline IRs. Post publication local or discipline IRs. Post publication peer review becomes the norm.peer review becomes the norm.

Libraries scramble to network IR holdings.Libraries scramble to network IR holdings.

Why it Matters– not just STMWhy it Matters– not just STM

MUSE 2003 or 2004

New prices 2007 or

2008

Increase New Publisher

$153 $407 265% Sage

$140 $224 160% Cambridge

$40 $436 1090% Palgrave Macmillan

$42 $186 443% Blackwell's

$69 $152 220% Blackwell's

$235 $862 367% Taylor & Francis*

$81 $173 214% Lawrence Erlbaum*

$760 $2,440* title moved in

2005

Solutions for Societies (1)Solutions for Societies (1)

Consider open source platformsConsider open source platforms– OpenJournal System (open access)OpenJournal System (open access)– DPubS (Cornell and Penn St), etc.DPubS (Cornell and Penn St), etc.

Clearinghouse of options, RFP Clearinghouse of options, RFP checklist, etc.checklist, etc.

SERU (Shared E-Resource SERU (Shared E-Resource Understanding)Understanding)

Replicate JISC Online Product Replicate JISC Online Product Description Description

Solutions for Societies (2)Solutions for Societies (2)

Publishing Cooperatives (Raym Crow)Publishing Cooperatives (Raym Crow) Services with linking to full text; link Services with linking to full text; link

resolvers (like Lund Univ for OA?)resolvers (like Lund Univ for OA?) University presses (Ithaka/Laura University presses (Ithaka/Laura

Brown)Brown) Library/press cooperative projectsLibrary/press cooperative projects

Libraries/Consortia Can Help (1)Libraries/Consortia Can Help (1)

Your purchasing decisions have an Your purchasing decisions have an enormous impact- JISC, Blackwells enormous impact- JISC, Blackwells and Academic Press first ejournalsand Academic Press first ejournals

Subscribe to/continue subscriptions Subscribe to/continue subscriptions to good value titles from Tier 3 to good value titles from Tier 3 publisherspublishers

Don’t cancel OA journalsDon’t cancel OA journals Recognize when a price increase is Recognize when a price increase is

justifiedjustified

Libraries/Consortia Can Help (2)Libraries/Consortia Can Help (2)

Refuse to pay/protest unjustified Refuse to pay/protest unjustified increasesincreases

Help educate society leadership/ Help educate society leadership/ facultyfaculty

Support university pressesSupport university presses Join the Society for Scholarly Join the Society for Scholarly

PublishingPublishing

ReferencesReferences

NASIG Proceedings 2004, NASIG Proceedings 2004, 3 Papers by SSP members Ivins, 3 Papers by SSP members Ivins, Kasdorf, SeitterKasdorf, Seitter

Raym Crow, “Publishing Cooperatives: Raym Crow, “Publishing Cooperatives: an alternative for Non-Profit an alternative for Non-Profit Publishers” FirstMonday, Sept. 2006Publishers” FirstMonday, Sept. 2006

Laura Brown et al, “University Laura Brown et al, “University Publishing in a Digital Age”, Ithaka, Publishing in a Digital Age”, Ithaka, July 2007July 2007

Your QuestionsYour Questions

Thank You!Thank You!