---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 16 Jul 1997 12:13:16 -0400
From: Trisha L. Davis <davis.115@OSU.EDU>
To: SEREDIT@LIST.UVM.EDU

In response to Nancy Cundiff's questions, included below, I think we're
beginning to see some new models that publishers are more comfortable with.
Blackwell's has taken the direction of offering a fairly unique one-stop
shop for access to electronic journals.  The publishers don't have to give
up control to their web sites or their products.  Blackwells provides a
front-end search engine and the ability to determine whether or not you're a
current subscriber or someone who just wants to order an article.  Their
product is called Electronic Journal Navigator (EJN), and OSU is one of the
libraries that's been testing it.  It's now up live with 400+ journals from
about 20 publishers ... and more publishers are talking with them about
future ventures.

In talking with publishers at SSP this year, I too was
surprised/disappointed to learn how leery they are of the aggregator
scenario.  I'm sure none of the aggregators have a magic bullet to force
publishers to offer access.  However, I see the EJN as a successful model
and they're well on the road to aggregating a large number of STM and also
Hum & SS publishers' materials.

If we librarians tell publishers we want them to make their e-journals
available through services such as those offered or planned by
Blackwell's, Faxon, Swets, EBSCO and OCLC, perhaps they'll listen.  Are there
any publishers on this list who care to comment?  We need to understand your
concerns.

Trisha Davis
Ohio State University Libraries

>>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>>Date: Mon, 14 Jul 1997 07:19:58 -0400
>>From: Nancy Cundiff <ncundiff@DOW.COM>
>>To: SEREDIT@LIST.UVM.EDU
>>Subject: Re: Electronic Serials Institute (Beverley Geer)
>>
>>While this looks like a very informative session, I think one piece of the
>>puzzle is missing.  Where are the publishers???  I attended several
>>sessions on electronic journals at ALA in San Francisco.  I did not see
>>representation of the publishers here who are refusing to participate in
>>the "one stop shop" concept.
>>
>>I believe the hands of serials agents such as Faxon and Ebsco or even
>>OCLC's archiving efforts are tied until publishers relinquish their
>>information.
>>
>>What I am looking for is one interface to all of the journals our
>>corporation subscribes to.  I don't want my clients to have to wade through
>>a mirage of different publishers, all of which have a different interface,
>>to get to the issue they desire.
>>
>>I would like to see some discussion of this issue.  I think the more we
>>accept the publishers saying, "You have to come to me for our journals",
>>the less likely it will be that any vendor - be it Faxon, Ebscon, OCLC -
>>will be able to offer a full service access to electronic journals.
>>
>>Nancy K. Cundiff
>>The Dow Chemical Company
>>ncundiff@dow.com
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Trisha L. Davis                        davis.115@osu.edu
Ohio State University Libraries
1858 Neil Avenue Mall 040N             phone: (614) 292-6314
Columbus  OH  43210-1286                 fax: (614) 292-2015