Re: Vanishing Print Encyclopedias

[Dorothy Tissair <ricflair@MAIL2.NAI.NET>]

What Bob says is true for libraries and encyclopedia use.  However, the
publisher is in the business to make money.  They never did make it on
library sales.  The local school and/or public library got the set at little
more than cost.  The money was made on sales to the parents who saw the
encyclopedia in the library and bought one for their children to use at
home.  The retail price was generally half again as much as the library
price.  Most parents who have just dropped $2000 to buy a home computer are
not going to spend the price of a print encyclopedia when the two kids can
share the CD-ROM on the computer.  It is simple economics.  Supply follows
demand.  WE just don't constitute a large enough demand for the publishers
to make a profit on print.  Has anyone out there inquired about the cost of
multiple machine licenses for all or part of the school LAN?  It seems a
sensible alternative to the single user problem.  Personally, I would rather
spend the money on strengthening my non-fiction collection and leave the
encyclopedia as a ready reference source.  But I'm not employed (yet).

Dorothy E. Tissair, M.L.S.
Old Saybrook, CT
ricflair@mail2.nai.net


----- Original Message -----
From: bookworm@lightspeed.net <bookworm@LIGHTSPEED.NET>
To: <LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU>
Sent: Sunday, May 30, 1999 5:21 PM
Subject: Re: Vanishing Print Encyclopedias


> Dorothy focused on the cost of one CD ROM version of the Britannica v. a
> print set. What she forgot is that when I put one set of encyclopedias on
> the library shelves it was possible to have as many students using that
one
> set as there are volumes. With the CD version, only one student, at one
> station can use the product. In fact, if you explore the cost for
Britannica
> on line ( and that is what is being pushed for school libraries) you find
> that they are charging almost as much for one year of on line contact as
the
> cost was for the whole print set. I think the publishers have found a way
to
> exploit libraries even more than they did before.
> Bob Laramee
> Arvin High School Librarian
> Arvin, CA 93203
> bookworm@lightspeed.net
>
> ----------
> >From: Dorothy Tissair <ricflair@MAIL2.NAI.NET>
> >To: LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
> >Subject: Re: Vanishing Print Encyclopedias
> >Date: Sun, May 30, 1999, 9:54 AM
> >
>
> > This was a topic of concern and discussion in my Reference class last
year.
> > We had not yet heard of the stopping of publication, but the difference
in
> > price between the CD-ROM version of Britannica ($100) and the print
version
> > of the same ($1500+) has to have effected the marketability of print.  I
am
> > sure that print sales for home use, where the price was much higher than
> > school and library cost have vaporized.  Libraries received a lower
price to
> > encourage home sales.  No home sales mean the publishers don't need the
> > product placement in libraries.  Never mind the fact that fewer school
and
> > small public libraries when presented with the CD-ROM price, not to
mention
> > the perpetually updated online option as low as $150/yr., would opt to
buy
> > print.  You can buy a lot of other books and still have money for
printer
> > paper with $1400.
> >
> > Dorothy E.Tissair, M.L.S.
> > Still looking for work
> > Old Saybrook, CT
> > ricflair@nai.net
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: Carlton Martz <cmartz@EEE.ORG>
> > To: <LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU>
> > Sent: Saturday, May 29, 1999 11:56 PM
> > Subject: Vanishing Print Encyclopedias
> >
> >
> >> I spoke with a Grolier rep. last week who said their print Academic
> >> American Ency. as well as the print Britannica are no longer being
> >> published. Is the rush to CD-ROM and online encyclopedias all that
great
> >> for children learning to read given all the multimedia distractions on
the
> >> electronic versions?  Carl Martz, Librarian Yucaipa High School,
Yucaipa
> > CA
> >> cmartz@eee.org
> >>
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