Re: News Release: Project Transfer

["Joseph J. Esposito" <espositoj@gmail.com>]

Nancy,

Thank you for your note, but I respectfully disagree with the 
comment that Project Transfer is for "the benefit of all 
concerned."  Intentions are not relevant; outcomes are.  How can 
the publisher who is losing a journal benefit?  This is a 
zero-sum game.

Furthermore, with the best of intentions, Project Transfer is 
likely to hurt libraries by easing the move of journals from 
small to large publishers, especially in the commercial segment, 
where higher pricing is more likely. Libraries will have a smooth 
(and desirable) transition, but they will pay for it. Project 
Transfer will have consequences, intended and unintended, good 
and bad.

Joe Esposito

----- Original Message -----
From: "Nancy Buckley" <nancy@burgundyservices.com>
To: <liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu>
Sent: Friday, May 11, 2007 6:36 PM
Subject: RE: News Release: Project Transfer

> Dear Jo
>
> I thought it would be useful to clarify that Project Transfer 
> doesn't relate to the question of journal pricing, but was 
> initiated to facilitate the move of journals between both 
> commercial and non-commercial publishers to the benefit of all 
> concerned: publishers, agents, librarians and readers.  The 
> question of whether there is a correlation between pricing and 
> transferring is unrelated to this project.
>
> I'm pleased you think the project is a good idea though!
>
> Nancy Buckley, Managing Director
> Burgundy Information Services Ltd
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu
> [mailto:owner-liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu] On Behalf Of Joseph J. Esposito
> Sent: 10 May 2007 22:39
> To: liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu
> Subject: Re: News Release: Project Transfer
>
> The proposed Code of Practice appears to be a good idea.  It 
> may have some unintended consequences, however, which 
> participants in scholarly communications may wish to consider.
>
> The Code is for "Journals Transferring Between Publishers." 
> You may well ask why journals transfer.  There are many 
> reasons, but to name just a few: money, access to technology, 
> new managment, and marketing.  While there are exceptions, 
> transfers typically occur from small publishers to larger ones 
> (which may themselves be not-for-profit) and often from 
> not-for-profit publishers to commercial organizations.
>
> Members of this list may wish to confirm or challenge my 
> hypothesis that journals that transfer are more likely to have 
> above-average price increases than journals that do not 
> transfer.
>
> Thus the Code, which facilitates transfer, is likely to result 
> in a smooth transfer AND higher prices.  Is the Code a good 
> idea? Yes.  Are higher prices a good idea?  It depends on 
> whether you are buying or selling.
>
> Joe Esposito
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Acreman, Beverley" <Beverley.Acreman@tandf.co.uk>
> To: <liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu>
> Sent: Wednesday, May 09, 2007 8:50 AM
> Subject: News Release: Project Transfer
>
> > UKSG Working Group "Project Transfer" invites Publishers to 
> > sign-up to an agreed Code of Practice to Improve Procedures 
> > for Journals Transferring Between Publishers
> >
> > Oxford, UK - 9th May 2007- Project Transfer is inviting 
> > publishers to sign up to a Code of Practice which aims to 
> > improve the procedures and policies surrounding the transfer 
> > of journals between publishers. The Code has been drafted with 
> > extensive help from many of the major international publishing 
> > houses and has already been applauded as an excellent step 
> > forward by the contributing library community.
> >
> > The Code outlines a set of guidelines for both the 
> > Transferring and the Receiving publisher in any journal 
> > transfer. Comprehensive in its detail, the Code covers the 
> > thorny issues of ongoing access provision to online content, 
> > exchange of subscriber lists, DOI and URL transfer as well as 
> > the division and definition of born-digital versus newly 
> > digitized backfile content.
> >
> > The Project Transfer Working Group is inviting publishers to 
> > sign up to this Code through the Project website: 
> > <http://www.projecttransfer.org/> where the Code of Practice 
> > can also be found. Full details of the Code were launched at 
> > the UKSG Annual Conference in Warwick (16-18 April 2007).
> >
> > More information is available on the UKSG website: 
> > www.uksg.org/transfer
> >
> > Bev Acreman
> > pp UKSG