In large measure I agree with Fred's sentiments; but I
think we are in danger of oversimplifying and perhaps
falsifying our argument:
> > The barrier to the development of this service is proving to be the
> > copyright payments to publishers for the right to reproduce multiple copies
> > of journal articles or chapters from textbooks. These payments are
> > particularly galling when the payment is for a publication which contains
> > research which has originated at UCL; we have been buying back our own work.
Well, no, you haven't, Fred. Very little of what you have
paid will have gone to the people who did the work. What
you are paying for is the added value the publishers have
given to the work by editing, printing and binding it.
We may well believe that the added value is not worth the
money we are asked to pay, especially when we are
effectively undertaking some aspects of the distribution
ourselves by producing study packs. I don't like arguments
based on extreme cases, but they do sometimes show up the
logic of the situation. If study packs could be produced
without payment, there would be no need for any library to
buy more than one copy; if that were the case, the single
copy would inevitably cost more, to enable publishers to
recoup their costs and make a living. That would penalise
any library which ONLY wanted one copy.
> > if such a service were to be offered by all
universities (some
> > others already do) the cost to the higher education budget nationally of
> > payments to publishers to reproduce work done in universities themselves
> > would be horrendous.
It is; but what would be the cost to the UK HE budget of
universities' undertaking their own publishing of all these
items?
> > Publishers have not gained, therefore, by overcharging.
No, and this has to be brought home to them. But nor do we
(or the students) gain by assuming that the underfunding of
universities has to be carried by publishers.
I believe the rates being charged ARE excessive, and Fred's
figures for his own printing costs should perhaps be shared
with publishers to show that we are not undertaking this
form of distribution without cost. But we must recognise
that there is a genuine place for publishers to have an
interest in, and a reward from, the "publication" of their
work by others.
Or do we all buy pirated CDs and Videos whenever we get a
trip to the Far East?
Ian
----------------------
Ian Lovecy
Cyfarwyddwr / Director
Gwasanaethau Gwybodaeth / Information Services
Prifysgol Cymru, Bangor / University of Wales, Bangor
Ffordd Sackville
Bangor
Gwynedd LL57 1LD
Ffon / Tel: 01248 382960
Ffacs / Fax: 01248 383826
Post-e / e-mail: [log in to unmask]
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