ACRL College & Research Libraries News

Association of College & Research Libraries

INTERNET RESOURCES: Resources for news and research on the publishing/information industry: Sites to keep you informed

by Terry O'Connell and Regina Kennamer

You may have noticed the information industry isn’t what it used to be, to say the least. Traditional publishers are showing they can produce a viable print product and have a strong Web presence without one completely cannibalizing the other. In this dynamic environment of choices and developing technologies, it’s essential to stay abreast of what’s happening in the industry to help make the best decisions for your library. Following are some Internet resources to help you find information about the information industry.

Starting point

• About®.The About network of more than 700 sites is categorized into 36 channels that cover more than 50,000 subjects. This link is to a page that contains a directory of publishers (alphabetically and by state). Ar-

AboutThe Human Internet tides of interest to information professionals are included. There is also an option to submit links for inclusion on the site and a “how to” section that includes segments on copyright, obtaining an ISBN, and evaluating publishers. Access: http://publishing.about.com/ arts/publishing/.

News

• BookWire™.This is a comprehensive online portal into the book industry for librarians, publishers, booksellers, authors, and book enthusiasts. Provides articles on industry news, a directory of book sites, and access to literary journals and reviews. Users can subscribe to the site’s free newsletter, BookWire Monthly. This site contains links to bestseller lists, event calendars, publisher’s sites, statistical information, Publisher’s Weekly, Library Journal, library resource guides, and other sites of interest to the library community such as ALA, American Booksellers Association (ABA), and Association of American Publishers (AAP). Access: http://www.bookwire.com/.

• Library Journal.Founded in 1876, Library Journal is read by more than 100,000 library directors, administrators, and others from public, academic, and special libraries. Like the print edition, the electronic version contains news, features, editorials, job listings, and more. Although most of the information on the site is free, the site has recently added a registration requirement. There is a charge for the archive and review databases. Access: http://libraryjournal.reviewsnews. com.

About the authors

Terry O'Connell is market research/Internet project manager and Regina Kennamer is communications coordinator in the Corporate Communications department of EBSCO Information Services at the EBSCO industries, Inc., headquarters in Birmingham, Alabama, e-mail: toconnell@ebsco.com and rkennamer@ebsco.com

• Online Publishing News.Subscriptions to Online Publishing News are free. Included in this publication are news and features for anyone interested in online publishing/pub- lishers, as well as information on events, products, services and suppliers. This site also offers a free e-mail alerting service so you can automatically receive news as it happens. Access: http://www.onlinepublishingnews.com/.

• Planet eBook.Formerly known as digitalworm.com, the name was changed to Planet eBook in April 2001. It is part of the BinaryThing.com e-publishing network, which runs a group of independent Web communities devoted to the field of electronic publishing and related technologies. Planet eBook focuses exclusively on eBooks and eBook-related technologies and contains a “tools list” with about 150 sources of information on software, hardware, and rights management. The site also contains discussion forums and an online store offering electronic publishing software. Access: http:// www.planetebook. com/.

• Publishers Weekly.. This is the online version of the newsmagazine for the bookselling and publishing industry. Like the print version, it contains industry news, interviews with authors, bestseller lists, and reviews. Registration is required for access to some features. Access: http://publishersweekly. reviewsnews.com/.

• Publishing Trends.Publishing Trends is an online monthly newsletter featuring news and opinions on book publishing. Articles are archived by subject in an easy-to-read list. This newsletter is published by Market Partners International, a consulting firm for consumer publishing companies. Access: http:// www.publishingtrends.com/.

Electronic lists and discussion lists

• Library-Oriented Lists.This site contains an extensive compilation of electronic discussion lists, distribution lists, and serials of interest to library and information professionals. Information is easy to find since the lists can be accessed alphabetically or by subject. This document is based on the 1990-94 work of Charles W. Bailey Jr., assistant dean for Systems at the University of Houston Libraries. From 1996 to the present it has been compiled by Wei Wu at the Washington Research Library Consortium. Access: http:// www.wrlc.org/liblists/.

• Serialst.Serials in Libraries Discussion Forum. This group was established in 1990 to serve as an informal electronic forum for topics on serials processing in libraries. Birdie MacLennan with the University of Vermont serves as moderator. Access: http://www. uvm.edu/~bmaclenn/serialst.html.

Associations, organizations, and societies

• Book Industry Study Group (BISG).BISG is a not-for-profit research organization that includes members from all aspects of the publishing community—librarians, publishers, wholesalers, retailers, and others. BISG seeks to provide accurate and current research information about the industry for its members and others. BISG provides statistical information and more about markets, suppliers, and sales trends, and establishes and provides technical standards for improved distribution. BASIC (Book And Serial Industry Communications) is a standards forum of BISG. BASIC is the entity created by the 1998 merger of the Book and the Serial Industry Systems Advisory Committees (BISAC and SISAC). BASIC develops bar code and EDI formats, publicizes and promotes the correct use of standard numbering systems (ISBN, SICI, SAN), and more. Access: http://www.bisg.org/.

• National Federation of Abstracting and Information Services.The National Federation of Abstracting and Information Services (NFAIS) includes members from more than 55 not-for-profit commercial, government, and academic organizations involved with promoting access to scholarly literature and research information. NFAIS is dedicated to the advancement of the scholarly publishing community and sponsors seminars, publishes newsletters, reports, position papers, and preprints, and facilitates communication and cooperation among members. This site contains membership information, NFAIS news, conference andevent information, subscription information for the NFAIS newsletter, and newsletter preprints. Access: http://www.pa.utulsa.edu/ nfais.html.

Electronic publications

• Book Magazine.Book Magazine is printed bimonthly and covers all aspects of the world of books. Publishing news, trends, issues, bookstores, technological developments affecting books, and stories about authors are included with excerpts from the works of new and well-known writers. More than 50 reviews are included in each issue. This publication was named one of the ten best new magazines of 1998 by Library Journal. This Web site contains excerpts from each issue as well as archives of past issues. Access: http://www.bookmagazine.com/.

• Editor & Publisher.Editor & Publisher covers the North American newspaper industry and has been published for 117 years. Publications include both print and electronic periodicals, annual newspaper industry reference books, and market data reports in both print and CD-ROM formats. Ten times per year Editor & Publisher includes an interactive section that covers online news gathering and distribution. Editor & Publisher is an Adweek Magazines publication, part of BPi Communications, Inc. (see section on Industry Research Firms). The company’s news and industry information Web site, Editor & Publisher Online, contains daily news headlines, weekly features, recent news, an online media directory (Media Links), classifieds, archives, subscription information, and ordering information on E&P products. Editor & Publisher article abstracts are available online free, with a daily, monthly or annual fee payable to view full text. Access: http://www. editorandpublisher.com/.

• InfoToday.This site provides information on conferences, periodicals, information services, books, calendars, and news for library and information professionals and users. It contains links to publications such as

Information Todayand Computers in Libraries, where subscription, advertising, and other information is contained. Some full-text articles are included online. This site also contains links and information on current and upcoming conferences and an annual calendar. The site contains “NewsBreaks & Conference Reports” that keep viewers up-to-date on library and information industry news. A new feature, Weekly News Digest, posts stories on a weekly basis. Access: http://www. infotoday.com/.

• Internet Publishing Magazine.A source for information, strategies, and technology solutions on Web publishing. Access: http://www.ipubmag.com/.

• Journal of Electronic Publishing.A free, quarterly journal published by the University of Michigan Press covering the challenges in electronic publishing. Each issue contains articles by contributors invited to write on a given subject. In-depth pieces from publishers, scholars, and others involved in electronic publishing are welcomed. Regular columns are also being added. Access: http:// www.press.umich.edu/jep/.

• Information World Review.This online version of the information industry monthly newspaper Information World Review contains news, commentary, reviews, editorials, trends in technology, Internet developments, industry jobs, and more. Every other month’s issue features Careerwatch, detailing how the latest industry developments can affect the information professional’s career, and Content Closeup, a behind-the- scenes look at a major information provider. Access: http://www.iwr.co.uk/iwr/.

• ContentBiz.From this site, you can sign on for free subscriptions to six different publications in b-to-b commerce, marketing, media, and finance. ContentBiz focuses on media and the new media industry and contains news, interviews, case studies, jobs, and archives of past issues. Access: http:// www.contentbiz.com/.

Statistics

• Advertising Age Circulation Rankings.The well-known Advertising Age magazine publishes news, information, and analysis on the marketing, advertising, and media industries. Ad Age Dataplace provides statistical information in many areas, including this link to circulation numbers for paid and non-paid magazines and newspapers. The numbers are updated quarterly and are compared with the same period for the previous year. Access: http://adage.com/ dataplace/CIRCULATION_RANKINGS.html.

Directories

• AcqWeb. AcqWebis for librarians and other professionals who have an interest in acquisitions and collection development. This link is to a directory of publisher’s Web sites, e-mail addresses, geographic and subject directories, and notifications by publishers of new titles. Other links to publishers, vendors, and book suppliers are included. AcqWeb is a sister publication of ACQNET, a managed electronic list for acquisitions librarians and others interested in acquisitions work. Access: http://acqweb.library.vanderbilt.edu/acqweb/ pubr.html.

• MediaFinder.Subscribers to this site can access print media data online and an online demo is available. Several print publications can be ordered from this site: Standard Periodical Directory, the Oxbridge Directory of Newsletters, National Directory of Catalogs, and the National Directory of Magazines. These publications are also available on CD-ROM. Directories of newspapers, journals, and directories can also be ordered as CD-ROM data sets. Access: http.// www.mediafinder.com/.

• Publishers’ Catalogues.From here you can search for publishers by keyword or browse by city, state, country, alpha- betical listing of U.S. publishers, list of all publishers on the site (7,000+), and by topic or type of material (magazines, journals, newsletters, e-books, etc.). Links to the publishers’ sites are included. Northern Lights Internet Solutions Ltd. maintains this site. Access, http://www.lights.com/publisher/.

• E-Journals.This site is part of the World Wide Web Virtual Library. Links to information about, or access to, electronic journals is listed by subject. Also contains a listing of HighWire Press journals that are either free, have a free trial period or offer free back issues. Access: http://www.e-journals.org/.

• PubLink.net.This site is billed as “the source for book information” and contains links for BookSite Stores, authors, and publishers. The search process is designed for simplicity so people of all ages can use it. PubLink.net gives authors and publishers a vehicle for adding information to databases used by independent booksellers and customers. Information added to PubLink.net is included in the BookSite database and distributed to BookSite network stores. PubLink.net data is also integrated with existing data, such as reviews, author biographies, and publisher contacts. Access: http:// www.publink.net/.

Industry research firms

• Simba.Simba Information is a unit of Primedia Information. Simba provides news, analysis, statistics, and industry forecasts for both traditional and new media organizations. Simba publishes newsletters, research reports, and directories. Simba’s Web site contains a product catalog, order information on its publications, press releases, industry events, and contact information. Access: http://www. simbanet.com/.

• Outsell.Outsell, Inc. is a research and advisory service for users, buyers, and vendors of information. Outsell offers several services that provide information about information, including e-briefs, which is an analysis of events and issues affecting the information industry. In e-briefs, Outsell’s analysts discuss anticipated events in the industry and bring insight to the week’s industry news. This weekly publication is distributed via e-mail. Outsell performs custom research and provides training in subjects such as content acquisition strategies and intranet strategic planning. Outsell’s I-Price product provides industry-wide pricing information that is useful to both content buyers and information vendors. Access-. http://www. outsellinc.com/.

• Veronis Suhler.Media industry merchant bank Veronis Suhler is a provider of communications industry financial and merger and acquisition advisory services. Veronis Suhler is research oriented and provides a good source of information on the media, communications, and information industries. Each year, the firm publishes two media and communications industry research publications—The Communications Industry Forecast and The Communications Industry Report. Veronis Suhler’s Internet Research Library contains links to Web sites that are sources for industry and financial information for various segments of the communications industry. The site includes a section on industry associations and information providers for the professional and educational publishing industry, which contains links to many of the sites referenced earlier in this article. Access:- http://www.veronissuhler.com/.

• BPi Communications.BPi Communications is a leading information provider in the entertainment, media, marketing, literary, and visual arts communities. It publishes top publications in these fields such as Adweek, Billboard, and Editor & Publisher. Access: http://www.bpicomm.com/.