From: William Gunn <[log in to unmask]> Date: Wed, 21 Jan 2015 01:38:38 +0000 Digital Science may well prove wise in choosing to remain separate from all this. On Tue, Jan 20, 2015, 3:37 PM LIBLICENSE <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > From: "Hamaker, Charles" <[log in to unmask]> > Date: Tue, 20 Jan 2015 04:05:12 +0000 > > I will have to agree with Joe. This will never result in lower prices > to libraries. In addition in my personal opinion it is culturally > likely to result in shell shock for the employees of the two companies > in terms of cultural and every day expectations of what each values. I > can't speak highly enough of the quality of Springer book decision > making while I detest their sales model. > > On Springer journals end, they don't measure for the most part up to > Nature's stable in terms of quality. But all springer journals > together do not cost much different than Nature's smaller list of > elite titles. Derk Haank is a bit of a magician but I suspect the > culture clash will take more than 3 years to remediate > > Chuck > > > > -------- Original message -------- > From: Joseph Esposito <[log in to unmask]> > Date: Mon, 19 Jan 2015 21:04:22 -0500 > > Does anyone really believe that this merger will result in LOWER costs > to libraries???? > > And as for the notion that the two companies will continue to operate > autonomously, I would be astounded if that proved to be true. The > point of a merger is to merge. > > Joe Esposito > > > On Mon, Jan 19, 2015 at 8:55 PM, LIBLICENSE <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > > > From: Colin Steele <[log in to unmask]> > > Date: Mon, Jan 19, 2015 at 4:42 PM > > > > http://www.theaustralian.com.au/higher-education/springer-nature-deal-sign-of-times/story-e6frgcjx-1227187481600?nk=4c5503e7bb13693a21dbc4cfbf6b1104 > > > > by: ANDREW TROUNSON > > From: The Australian > > January 19, 2015 12:00AM > > > > Andrew Trounson > > Higher Education Reporter > > Melbourne > > > > THE merger of scholarly publishing giant Springer with the publisher > > of leading academic journal Nature, is the latest sign of the > > disruption facing scholarly publishing in the face of online > > technology and the growing pressure for journals to provide free > > access to research papers. > > > > The incorporation of the Nature suite of journals will give Springer a > > big boost in prestige compared with rival giants such as Elsevier, > > Wiley and Taylor & Francis. Macmillan Science and Education, which > > owns Nature and is proposing to merge with Springer, only produces > > about 160 scientific journals, well behind sector leader Elsevier with > > 3,057. But in Nature it has arguably the biggest single journal brand. > > Springer has 2,987 titles, putting it second behind Elsevier, but if > > the merger goes through it will be the biggest, just. > > > > The proposed merger still needs clearance from European competition > > regulators and academic libraries have been quick to voice concerns > > that they could be squeezed by the reduction in competition. But there > > is also optimism that the merger will bring efficiencies that can be > > passed on to libraries in the form of lower subscription costs. > > > > “We are continually becoming more efficient and are expect the > > publishers to also take some of the hard yards they need to rather > > than expect us to simply keep paying more,” said Philip Kent, the > > University of Melbourne’s library head. Mr Kent is also chairman of > > the Council of Australian University Librarian’s journal purchasing > > consortium. He noted that the weak Australian dollar, which has > > declined steeply since September, is significantly increasing costs > > for university libraries. > > > > Mr Kent welcomed the fact that both Springer and Macmillan were > > quality publishers, suggesting there was no reason to worry that > > quality could be put at risk from the merger. “They are both quality > > publishers and we have had good dealings with both of them,” he said. > > > > Aidan Byrne, chief executive of the Australian Research Council, said > > the proposed merger continues a long trend of publishers seeking to > > get bigger through mergers. He said a key question will be whether > > they may be some centralisation of how the often autonomous journals > > in the enlarged stable are run. “My guess is that they will stay > > fairly autonomous.” > > > > In a stock market research note Exane BNP Paribas said “the players > > are two of the largest scientific publishers and in our view the > > merger will create significant cost synergies and make their journal > > collection more ‘must have’ for university libraries.” > > > > “Nature’s smaller, very high quality journal portfolio will complement > > Springer’s wider, lower impact factor portfolio,” it said. > > > > [SNIP] > > > > Selective belt tightening: Journal publisher Springer’s merger with > > Nature publisher Macmillan looks to be a defensive move, securing the > > high profile journal when the future of academIc publishing is looking > > decidedly shaky. But will the merger deliver economies of scale that > > can be passed on to the libraries? As Melbourne University library > > head Phillip Kent points out, there’s been a lot of belt tightening in > > recent times and it would be nice to see the journal publishing giants > > cutting back on costs and passing them on. Given the merger is the > > first step to an ultimate plan to sell the business on a stock market, > > HW suspects Mr Kent is dreaming. > > > > --------------------------------------------- > > > > Colin Steele > > Emeritus Fellow > > ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences > > The Australian National University > > Acton, ACT, 2601 > > Australia > > E: [log in to unmask]