From: Anthony Watkinson <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Wed, 3 Jul 2019 09:41:32 +0100

Hi Eric



I read your later email first and answered it.  I can explain why
publishers have ignored library warnings but I would rather do so offline.
I do understand the point you have been making



Anthony





From: Eric Elmore <[log in to unmask]>

Date: Tue, 2 Jul 2019 16:39:54 +0000

You're right Anthony, I don't have any special evidence to support my
position.  Do you have any to support the belief that libraries actively
use Sci-Hub as a means to support journal cancellations?  I’ve been in the
field for over 20 years, gone to countless conferences, read uncountable
list-serv posts and have yet to see or hear any librarian say they rely on
and intend to cancel journals based on either of those sites.  Possibly I
missed that session or thread, but I honestly don’t believe so.  I think a
session on that would be fairly well attended just to hear what someone had
to say and how they could justify taking that position.  No, the sessions I
have seen and attended that mentioned Sci-Hub were always about how to stop
that site from downloading articles from our campus networks.  That seems a
VERY strange session to have when libraries are actively using Sci-hub as a
budget relief option.



No, the argument libraries rely on those sites seems more like someone is
scrambling to understand how universities could cancel their contracts with
them.  I think the publishing industry find themselves in a situation where
the industry they rely on is seriously considering ways to walk away from
them completely and are looking for any reason that makes sense. The
publishing industry seems to have completely forgotten that they are a
service industry to academia, not the other way around.  Academia is not
there to service the financial needs of the publishing industry.  The
publishing industry is there to package the content academia produces and
then to distribute it back out to other academics.



A better question would be why some publishers refuse to see the writing on
the wall when every year libraries publish annual reports and articles
 saying “library budgets continue to shrink” and “publisher prices continue
to go up” for 30+ years.  If you’re looking for the reasons the current run
of library cancellations are happening just look at the base economics.
30% profit margins and average annual 7% price increases.  Strawmen
arguments are not going to change the base economic reality.  Librarians
have literally been warning publishers FOR YEARS that the situation was
unsustainable.







From: Anthony Watkinson <[log in to unmask]>

Date: Fri, 28 Jun 2019 07:55:29 +0100

I am fascinated by Eric’s assurance. Is this based on any special evidence
which he can produce? He may well have done a study on how publishers think
which is not known to me and which I cannot detect.



Anthony