I've not seen any information pertaining to the proposed merger of Elsevier
and Kluwer publishers on SERIALST, so I'm forwarding the attached press
release for posting to the list.  Many thanks to Judy Johnson at
University of Nebraska-Lincoln for answering my curiosity questions about
Kluwer this afternoon by forwarding me a copy of the press release!
-- gaele

E. Gaele Gillespie / Serials Librarian / University of Kansas Libraries
210 Watson / Lawrence, KS 66045-2800
Internet: ggillesp@ukans.edu / Bitnet: ggillesp@ukanvm
Voice:  785-864-3051 / Fax:  7685-864-3855 (if busy, use 785-864-5311)

------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
Date:          Mon, 13 Oct 1997 16:46:47 -0500
From:          mwhite@MAIL.UTEXAS.EDU (Molly White)
To:            SLAPAM-L@lists.yale.edu
Subject:       AP on Elsevier/Kluwer

 [The Boston Globe Online][Boston.com]
-----------------------------------------------------------
Reed Elsevier, Wolters Kluwer to form publishing powerhouse

     Associated Press, 10/13/97 15:47

 AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) - The owner of Lexis-Nexis and a slew of
trade magazines made a big push to boost its electronic information
business Monday by merging with one of its biggest rivals.

 Reed Elsevier, the world's largest publisher of academic and trade
journals, is combining with Dutch publisher Wolters Kluwer in a deal that
values Wolter at about $7.8 billion.

 The marriage would create a publishing powerhouse, Elsevier Wolters
Kluwer, that would have had $6.6 billion in combined sales last year with
operations in North America, Europe and Asia.

  ``The main thing is that they can now together make the large
investments needed for the change from print publishing to electronic
publishing,'' said Reinier Westeneng, an analyst with Stroeve Bank in
Amsterdam. The new group will continue to aggressively seek acquisitions,
Elsevier director Herman Brugging said.  Electronic publishing will grow
to 30 percent of the combined companies' sales in the near future, up from
20 percent now, he added.

 Since buying Lexis-Nexis three years ago, Reed has focused on purchases,
especially in the United States, to augment its presence in online
publishing and other electronic data.

 To add to Lexis-Nexis - a huge database used by lawyers, libraries,
students and other subscribers - the Anglo-Dutch company said it would buy
Chilton Co., which publishes 39 U.S. trade magazines, from Walt Disney Co.
for $447 million. Chilton would be combined with Reed's existing
trade-magazine group, Cahners Publishing Co., to build a print and online
library of about 130 journals worldwide, including the Hollywood magazine
Variety.

 Also this year, Reed agreed to acquire MDL Information Systems Inc., a
California company that sells databases and software to scientists in the
pharmaceutical and chemical fields.

    Reed also is the world's largest publisher of scientific journals,
with more than 1,200 titles, and serves other markets including the legal,
travel and medical fields.

     Wolters Kluwer last year bought CCH Inc., a big U.S. business
publisher and database company, for $1.9 billion. The Dutch company has
been steadily acquiring professional publishing businesses while selling
off non-related units.

  The deal with Wolters Kluwer needs approval by shareholders of co-owners
Reed International PLC and Elsevier NV, as well as Wolters holders.

 News of the merger surprised financial markets, pushing Elsevier shares
up 17 percent and Wolters up 4 percent in heavy trading in Amsterdam. Reed
shares jumped 18 percent in London.

 Nigel Stapleton, co-chairman of Reed Elsevier, said he expects the merger
to be completed in the first quarter of 1998.

 If the deal is approved, Wolters shareholders will receive 7.85 shares in
the new company for each share they now hold. Reed shareholders will own
38.3 percent of the combined company, while Elsevier and Wolters holders
will control 34.2 percent and 27.5 percent, respectively.

 The dual holding structure of Reed Elsevier will also apply to the new
company. The two holding companies, Reed and Elsevier Wolters Kluwer, will
maintain their separate listings on the London and Amsterdam stock
exchanges.