----------(1)
Date: Wed, 5 Sep 2001 21:13:51 -0400
From: Albert Henderson <chessNIC@COMPUSERVE.COM>
Subject: Re: Disappearing microform titles... (Noreen Fish)

While I cannot actually speak for any specific publisher
mentioned below, I can suggest that the main reason for
cancelling microforms is probably economic: they aren't
paying for themselves. From most publishers' point of view,
the market deserves what it is willing to pay for. If the
"publishers had decided not to continue to pay for microform,"
it is likely that they had not gotten reasonable returns on
their investments.

Perhaps if "the market" were more robust (less impoverished),
format options would be increasing.

Best wishes,

Albert Henderson
Former Editor, PUBLISHING RESEARCH QUARTERLY 1994-2000
<70244.1532@compuserve.com>

----------(2)
Date: Wed, 5 Sep 2001 21:43:49 -0600
From: Dan Lester <dan@riverofdata.com>
Subject: Re: Disappearing microform titles (2 messages)

The point is that UMI/Proquest can't microfilm them without permission
of the publisher.  It is the publishers that have withdrawn the
permission for the filming to be done.  As noted by the comment from
my colleague, Lisa, the publishers of at least one journal think
they've done us a service by putting the archive on the web.  If it is
the full content and will be maintained, I'd agree with them.  It
would save me from even paying for or storing the film.

dan

Wednesday, September 05, 2001, 6:25:57 PM, you wrote:

> Date: Wed, 5 Sep 2001 09:01:46 -0500
> From: Peter V. Picerno <ppicerno@UTMEM.EDU>
> Subject: Re: Disappearing microform titles... (Noreen Fish)

> I would suggest that the publisher is not the agency to contact in this
> instance -- or regarding microfilming in general -- since preservation of
> their material is usually one of the last things on their mind. Contacting
> the microfilming agancies, such as Bell & Howell (aka UMI), and pleading our
> case with them would probably yield better results since it has been their
> business in the past to supply libraries with the means of preserving this
> information.

> Peter Picerno

--
Dan Lester, Data Wrangler  dan@RiverOfData.com
3577 East Pecan, Boise, Idaho  83716-7115 USA
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