“
In case you didn’t know, this “9 times a year” journal (when they don’t combine issues) costs a cool $10,784. I believe it’s by far the most expensive serial within librarianship.
I always wondered what could possibly justify that price.
I’ve taken a look and can only suggest that the curious look for yourselves. It’s not hard; a year runs to 450 pages or so. Any comment from me would come off as mean-spirited.”
$24 per page
I find it fascinating that there are libraries (because you know that none of us make enough money for personal subscriptions) willing to pay $24 per page for this journal! That’s nearly as much as a trade hardcover book, and two pages of this journal can get you an entire ALA Editions book on the topic of library administration and management!
The heck?
US$10,784? There’s no possible way to justify that. Any price that I can easily express in scientific notation (10.784 x 10^3) is not only too much to spend on a journal, but the publisher should be hauled in for robbery. For $10,784 I should get a gold leaf journal printed in the finest of india inks with full colour plates hand painted by a master artist, oh yeah and a slave to read it to me.
I think, if there’s any justification for this, all they have to do is sell one subscription to pay for everything.
madness
I’ve never heard of this journal before. And I do a LOT of research. I suspect that researchers shy away from citing papers in this journal because they know how expensive and difficult to access this title is. I am not seeing coverage of any issues that are not found in other journals, so it wouldn’t be hard to find something else to cite.
The starred guide to research implications, practice implications, originality and readability is telling. None of the articles I browsed have more than two stars for research or practice implications. So this journal is hardly essential.
I am offended that librarians continue to submit material to a journal that is so expensive, given the outcry over journal prices in the last 5 years.
Library Management – Volume 24 Number 6/7 2003
Meeting the needs of remote library users?
It’s the overly friendly ones that give me a pain in the ass.
XB
The overly friendly ones are somewhat better than
the psychotic, violent ones.
Re:$24 per page
OhioLINK (the consortium of nearly every academic library in Ohio plus that state library) provides its members with online access to “Library Management” back to Vol. 15 (1994). I wonder what they paid, ’cause their director is known for spending money wisely.
Also, any library purchasing the print version of this overpriced journal should be embarrassed. One thousand dollars would be an outrage!!