4 messages:

1)____

Date: Tue, 11 May 1999 08:31:18 -0500
From: Jeanette Skwor <skworj@GBMS01.UWGB.EDU>
Subject: Re: Cellular & molecular life sciences add'l vol (John Lucas)

> Since the new Volume 56 contains a significant amount
> of additional material, it cannot be included in the
> regular subscription for 1999.  The subscription rate for
> Volume 56 is $ 758.00.  Please contact your subscription
> agent to subscribe."

***Speaking generally, because we do not subscribe to this title, I think
the more accepting the library community is of this practice, the more we
will see it.

***We received a cumulative index with one of our subscriptions a couple
of years ago, and like John Crissinger's experience with IJCS, checked it
in, assuming it was part of the subscription.  We were later billed for
it, on that--and this--assumption that it was such a wonderful and special
addition to our subscription that surely we would be thrilled to shell out
another $70 or so for it.  We did not.  And the next time we got one, we
notified our vendor immediately we were not paying for it, and were told
to keep it "on the shelf" ready to return if necessary.  After 6 months or
so, we stamped and shelved it, and have not been billed.

***I find myself thinking they had so many irate subscribers after the
first attempt for extra billing--and/or so many returned indexes--, they
didn't find it worth it.

***Depending on your faculty, your budget and the importance of this
journal in your collection, you may want to choose to receive just that
part of the subscription you have contracted for.

Sympathetically,

Jeanette Skwor
Cofrin Library-UWGB

2)______

Date: Tue, 11 May 1999 09:48:15 -0400
From: Cindy Hepfer <hslcindy@BUFFALO.EDU>
Subject: Re: Cellular & molecular life sciences add'l vol (John Lucas)

I sympathize with John Lucas' anger upon receiving the letter from Springer
about the additional volume of Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences.  As we
have previously, my library's collection development coordinator and I have
elected to refuse the additional volume and will live with the resulting gap
in the collection.  We paid over $1100 for 1999 issues already --  we cannot
afford, and will not pay, an additional charge of over $750 for one more
unscheduled volume.  Inhouse use of this title only marginally justifies the
original price; given the new price, when we consider titles for
cancellation this summer, Cellular & Molecular Life Sciences will certainly
be on that hit list.  We will see which faculty will speak out for its
retention.

I wrote Springer last week when I received their letter and declined the
additional volume. And this isn't the first time I've written them about
this publishing practice.  I wrote to Springer back in 1997 when they added
an additional volume to another title midyear -- with an even more
substantial additional charge.   See Newsletter on Serials Pricing Issues:
http://www.lib.unc.edu/prices/1997/PRIC190.HTML   --  section 190.3.

Cindy Hepfer
Head, Collection Management Services
Health Sciences Library
Abbott Hall
State University of New York at Buffalo
3435 Main Street
Buffalo, NY 14214-3002
716-829-2139; Fax: 716-829-2211
HSLcindy@buffalo.edu
==================================

3)_____

Date: Tue, 11 May 1999 08:56:58 -0500
From: "Anne C. Bunting 448-5634" <ABUNTING@UTMEM1.UTMEM.EDU>
Subject: Re: Cellular & molecular life sciences add'l vol (John Lucas)

John
I am too.  I have passed this information on to the departments I think might
use this journal so they will know.  I've asked for their opinion on the
journal.  If no one complains this might go on a list to cancel.

Anne C. Bunting
University of Tennessee, Memphis
abunting@utmem1.utnen.edu

I would have e-mailed you directly but I didn't see your e-mail address.

4)_____

Date: Tue, 11 May 1999 11:44:18 -0400
From: David Goodman <dgoodman@PRINCETON.EDU>
Subject: Re: Cellular & molecular life sciences add'l vol (John Lucas)

If the publisher is trying to kill CMS, it could not think of a better method.

I will now decide wether to cancel this subscription altogether, or possibly
if it is really so valuable--instead to cancel another of the journals from
that publisher.
I will quite certainly do one or the other.

--
David Goodman
Biology Librarian, Princeton University Library
dgoodman@princeton.edu         http://www.princeton.edu/~biolib/
phone: 609-258-3235            fax: 609-258-2627