FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FROM: Laura Ralstin
EBSCO Subscription Services
Corporate Communications
(205) 991-1492

1996 Global Serials Price Projections Update

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., U.S.A. -- Subscription rates for 1996 have been
received from most major publishers. As predicted earlier this year,
base price increases for most journals fall within the average range of
10 to 11 percent. U.S. libraries that subscribe to European journals
for which publishers set U.S. dollar prices face the steepest increases
 -- 21 to 23 percent. For libraries worldwide subscribing to journals
priced in publishers' country-of-origin currencies, exchange rates in
effect at the time publishers are paid for next year's subscriptions
will determine ultimate prices.

The recent increase in the value of the U.S. dollar (due in part to
organized buying of dollars by the central banks of major countries
worldwide) has caused us to revise our predictions slightly upward for
U.S. journals bought by European libraries and to lower our predictions
for European journals priced in country-of-origin currency and bought
by U.S. libraries. Japanese subscribers will likely pay more than was
predicted earlier for U.S. and European journals, partially due to cuts
in the Japanese discount rate and the organized U.S. dollar buying
mentioned above, which have resulted in a decreased value of the yen.

*Projected increases by customer billing currency*
Updated projections for libraries invoiced in selected currencies are
provided in the box below.

A base price increase of 10 to 11 percent for 1996 journal
subscriptions is assumed in these projections. This range is based on
historical data and on recent information received from publishers.

For U.S. journals, projections are based on estimated subscription
price increases and the current, relative value of the customer billing
currency compared to the U.S. dollar. (Mid-Sept. currency exchange
rates were used for these projections.)

For European journals, projections are based on estimated subscription
price increases and the current, relative value of the customer billing
currency compared to that of a European currency composite. The
European currency composite is the average value of the British pound,
French franc, German mark, Dutch guilder and Swiss franc. Mid-Sept.
currency exchange rates were used for these projections. Ranges shown
are for European journals published outside the corresponding country
for each billing currency (e.g., the projected increase for customers
invoiced in British pounds does not apply to U.K. journals).

PROJECTED PRICE INCREASES BY CUSTOMER BILLING CURRENCY

Customer                Projected       Projected
Billing                 Increase for    Increase for
Currency                U.S. Journals   European Journals
______________________________________________________________
Australian dollar       10.0 - 12.0%    13.0 - 15.0%
British pound           10.0 - 12.0%    13.0 - 15.0%
Canadian dollar         9.0 - 11.0%     15.0 - 17.0%
Dutch guilder           5.0 - 7.0%      8.0 - 10.0%
French franc            5.0 - 7.0%      8.0 - 10.0%
German mark             5.0 - 7.0%      8.0 - 10.0%
Italian lira            9.0 - 11.0%     13.0 - 15.0%
Japanese yen            9.0 - 11.0%     12.0 - 14.0%
New Zealand dollar      5.0 - 7.0%      9.0 - 11.0%
South African rand      13.0 - 15.0%    14.0 - 16.0%
Spanish peseta          4.0 - 6.0%      9.0 - 11.0%
Turkish lira            28.0 - 30.0%    29.0 - 31.0%
U.S. dollar             10.0 - 11.0%    11.0-13.0%*
                                        21.0 - 23.0%**

*For European journals priced in country-of-origin currency -- journals
priced in this manner will be affected by the strength of the U.S.
dollar in early fall when publishers are paid for these journals. This
range will be lower for journals published in the United Kingdom, as
the dollar has not lost as much strength against the British pound as
it has against other European currencies.

**For European journals priced in U.S. dollars or with fixed conversion
rates -- this rate is most applicable to U.S. libraries, as most major
European publishers now set prices in U.S. dollars for U.S. customers
instead of pricing in native currencies. These rates are generally set
in mid to late summer. One component of U.S. dollar rates is the
strength of the U.S. dollar as compared to publishers' native
currencies at the time these rates are set.

Released: Sept. 18, 1995

["Laura A. Ralstin" <LRalstin%CORPCOMM.EBSCO@ISS.EBSCO.COM>]