ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries C&RL News ■ September 2001 / 813 IN T E R N E T R E S O U R C E S Resources for news and research on the publishing/information industry Sites to keep you informed by Terry O'Connell and Regina Kennamer Y ou may have noticed the information in­ dustry 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 com­ pletely cannibalizing the other. In this dynamic environment o f choices and developing tech­ nologies, it’s essential to stay abreast o f what’s happening in the industry to help make the best decisions for your library. Following are some Internet resources to help you find in­ formation about the information industry. Sta rtin g p oin t • About®. The About network o f 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 o f publishers (alphabetically and by state). Ar- About T he H u m an I n t e r n e t tides o f interest to information professionals are included. There is also an option to sub­ mit links for inclusion on the site and a “how to” section that includes segments on copy­ right, obtaining an ISBN, and evaluating pub­ lishers. Access: http://publishing.about.com/ arts/publishing/. N e w s • 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 o f book sites, and access to literary journals and reviews. Users can subscribe to the site’s free news­ letter, 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 o f interest to the library community such as ALA, American Booksellers Association (ABA), and Association o f American Publishers (AAP). Access: http://www.bookwire.com/. • Library Journal. Founded in 1876, Li­ brary 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 list­ ings, and more. Although most o f the infor­ mation on the site is free, the site has re­ cently added a registration requirement. There is a charge for the archive and review data­ bases. Access: http://libraryjournal.reviewsnews. com. A b o u t the authors Terry O'Connell is market research/Internet project manager and Regina Kennamer is communications coordinator in the Corporate Communications department o f EBSCO Information Services at the EBSCO industries, Inc., headquarters in Birmingham, Alabama, e-mail: toconnell@ebsco.com and rkennamer@ebsco.com http://publishing.about.com/ http://www.bookwire.com/ http://libraryjoumal.reviewsnews mailto:toconnell@ebsco.com mailto:andrkennamer@ebsco.com 8 1 4 /C&RL New s ■ September 2001 • 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, prod­ ucts, services and suppliers. This site also of­ fers 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 o f the BinaryThing.com e-publishing network, which runs a group o f independent Web com­ munities devoted to the field o f electronic publishing and related technologies. Planet eBook focuses exclusively on eBooks and eBook-related technologies and contains a “tools list” with about 150 sources o f infor­ mation on software, hardware, and rights management. The site also contains discus­ sion forums and an online store offering elec­ tronic publishing software. Access: http:// www.planetebook. com/. • Publishers Weekly.. This is the online ve rs io n o f the n ew sm agazin e fo r the bookselling and publishing industry. Like the print version, it contains industry news, in­ terviews with authors, bestseller lists, and re­ views. 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 Part­ ners International, a consulting firm for con­ sumer publishing companies. Access: http:// www.publishingtrends.com/. Electronic lists a n d d iscu ssio n lists • Library-Oriented Lists. This site con­ tains an extensive compilation o f electronic discussion lists, distribution lists, and serials o f interest to library and information profes­ sionals. Information is easy to find since the lists can be accessed alphabetically or by sub­ ject. This document is based on the 1990-94 work o f Charles W. Bailey Jr., assistant dean for Systems at the University o f Houston Li­ braries. From 1996 to the present it has been compiled by W ei Wu at the Washington Re­ search 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 o f Vermont serves as moderator. Access: http://www. uvm.edu/~bmaclenn/serialst.html. A sso ciatio n s, orga n iza tion s, an d societies • Book Industry Study Group (BISG). BISG is a not-for-profit research organiza­ tion that includes members from all aspects o f the publishing community— librarians, publishers, wholesalers, retailers, and oth­ ers. BISG seeks to provide accurate and cur­ rent research information about the industry for its members and others. BISG provides statistical information and more about mar­ kets, suppliers, and sales trends, and estab­ lishes and provides technical standards for improved distribution. BASIC (Book And Se­ rial Industry Communications) is a standards forum o f BISG. BASIC is the entity created by the 1998 merger o f the Book and the Se­ rial Industry Systems Advisory Committees (BISAC and SISAC). BASIC develops bar code and EDI formats, publicizes and promotes the correct use o f standard numbering sys­ tems (ISBN, SICI, SAN), and more. Access: http://www.bisg.org/. • National Federation o f Abstracting and Information Services. The National Federation o f Abstracting and Information Ser­ vices (NFAIS) includes members from more than 55 not-for-profit commercial, government, and academic organizations involved with pro­ moting access to scholarly literature and re­ search information. NFAIS is dedicated to the advancement o f the scholarly publishing com­ munity and sponsors seminars, publishes news­ letters, reports, position papers, and preprints, and facilitates communication and cooperation among members. This site contains member­ ship information, NFAIS news, conference and http://www.onlinepublishingnews.com/ http://publishersweekly http://www.publishingtrends.com/ http://www http://www.bisg.org/ C&RL N ew s ■ September 2001 / 815 event information, subscription information for the NFAIS newsletter, and newsletter pre­ prints. Access: http://www.pa.utulsa.edu/ nfais.html. Electronic p u b lic ation s • Book Magazine. Book Magazine is printed bimonthly and covers all aspects o f the world o f books. Publishing news, trends, issues, bookstores, technological develop­ ments affecting books, and stories about au­ thors are included with excerpts from the works o f new and well-known writers. More than 50 reviews are included in each issue. This publication was named one o f the ten best new magazines o f 1998 by Library Jour­ nal. This Web site contains excerpts from each issue as well as archives o f past issues. Access: http://www.bookmagazine.com/. • Editor & Publisher. Editor & Publisher covers the North American newspaper indus­ try and has been published for 117 years. Publications include both print and electronic periodicals, annual newspaper industry ref­ erence books, and market data reports in both print and CD-ROM formats. Ten times per year Editor & Publisher includes an interactive sec­ tion that covers online news gathering and distribution. Editor & Publisher is an Adweek Magazines publication, part o f BPi Commu­ nications, Inc. (see section on Industry Re­ search Firms). The company’s news and in­ dustry information Web site, Editor & Pub­ lisher Online, contains daily news headlines, w eekly features, recent news, an online me­ dia directory (Media Links), classifieds, ar­ chives, subscription information, and order­ ing information on E&P products. Editor & Publisher article abstracts are available online free, with a daily, monthly or annual fee payable to v ie w full text. Access: http://www. editorandpublisher.com/. • InfoToday. This site provides informa­ tion on conferences, periodicals, information services, books, calendars, and news for li­ brary and information professionals and us­ ers. It contains links to publications such as Information Today and Computers in Librar­ ies, where subscription, advertising, and other information is contained. Some full-text ar­ ticles are included online. This site also con­ tains links and information on current and upcoming conferences and an annual calen­ dar. The site contains “NewsBreaks & Con­ ference Reports” that keep viewers up-to-date on library and information industry news. A new feature, Weekly News Digest, posts sto­ ries on a weekly basis. Access: http://www. infotoday.com/. • Internet Publishing Magazine. A source for information, strategies, and tech­ nology solutions on Web publishing. Access: http://www.ipubmag.com/. • Journal o f Electronic Publishing. A free, quarterly journal published by the Uni­ versity o f Michigan Press covering the chal­ lenges 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/. • Inform ation W o rld Review. This online version o f the information industry monthly newspaper Information World Re­ view contains news, commentary, reviews, editorials, trends in technology, Internet de­ velopments, industry jobs, and more. Every other month’s issue features Careerwatch, detailing how the latest industry developments can affect the information professional’s ca­ reer, 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 pub­ lications in b-to-b commerce, marketing, media, and finance. ContentBiz focuses on media and the new media industry and con­ tains news, interviews, case studies, jobs, and archives o f past issues. Access: http:// www.contentbiz.com/. Statistics • A d v e rtisin g Age C ircu latio n Rankings. The well-known Advertising Age magazine publishes news, information, and http://www.pa.utulsa.edu/ http://www.bookmagazine.com/ http://www http://www http://www http://www.press.umich.edu/jep/ http://www.iwr.co.uk/iwr/ http://www.contentbiz.com/ 816 / C8iRL News ■ September 2001 analysis on the marketing, advertising, and media industries. Ad Age Dataplace provides statistical information in many areas, includ­ ing 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 pre­ vio u s year. Access: http://adage.com / dataplace/CIRCULATION_RANKINGS.html. D irectories • AcqWeb. AcqWeb is for librarians and other professionals w ho have an interest in acquisitions and collection development. This link is to a directory o f publisher’s Web sites, e-mail addresses, geographic and subject di­ rectories, and notifications by publishers o f new titles. Other links to publishers, vendors, and book suppliers are included. AcqWeb is a sister publication o f 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 Di­ rectory, the Oxbridge Directory o f Newsletters, National Directory o f Catalogs, and the National Directory o f Magazines. These publications are also available on CD-ROM. Directories o f news­ papers, 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 o f U.S. publishers, list o f all publishers on the site (7,000+), and by topic or type o f material (magazines, jour­ nals, 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 o f the World Wide Web Virtual Library. Links to informa­ tion about, or access to, electronic journals is listed by subject. Also contains a listing o f HighWire Press journals that are either free, have a free trial period or offer free back is­ sues. 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 pub­ lishers. The search process is designed for simplicity so people o f all ages can use it. PubLink.net gives authors and publishers a vehicle for adding information to databases used by independent booksellers and cus­ tomers. Information added to PubLink.net is included in the BookSite database and dis­ trib u ted to B ook S ite n etw o rk stores. PubLink.net data is also integrated with ex­ isting data, such as reviews, author biogra­ phies, and publisher contacts. Access: http:// www.publink.net/. In d u stry research firm s • Simba. Simba Information is a unit o f 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 pub­ lications, 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 ven­ dors o f information. Outsell offers several services that provide information about in­ formation, including e-briefs, which is an O U T S E L L analysis o f events and issues affecting the information industry. In e-briefs, Outsell’s analysts discuss anticipated events in the in­ dustry and bring insight to the w eek’s indus­ try news. This weekly publication is distrib­ uted via e-mail. Outsell performs custom re­ search 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 in­ form ation vendors. Access-. http://www. outsellinc.com/. (cont. on page 821) http://adage.com/ http://acqweb.library.vanderbilt.edu/acqweb/ http://www.mediafinder.com/ http://www.lights.com/publisher/ http://www.e-journals.org/ http://www.publink.net/ http://www http://www C&RL N ew s ■ Septem ber 2001 / 817 C&RL N ew s ■ Septem ber 2001 / 821 3. Faith Gabelnick, Jean MacGregor, Roberta S. Matthews, and Barbara Leigh Smith, Learning Com­ munities: Creating Connections Among Students, Faculty, and Disciplines ( New Directions fo r Teach­ ing and Learning, no. 41 Spring 1990, San Fran­ cisco: Jossey-Bass, Inc., 1990): 19. 4. Roberta Matthews, Barbara Leigh Smith, Jean MacGregor, and Faith Gabelnick, “Learning Com­ munities: A Structure for Educational Coherence,” Liberal Education 82, no. 3 (Summer 1996): 4-9. 5. Ibid., 9. 6. Appalachian State University’s Strategic Plan can be found at http://www.appstate. e d u / w w w _ d o c s / d e p a rt/ irp / p la n n in g / plancont.html. 7. “New Learning Communities Conference” at http://www.arl.org/newsltr/184/newlearn.html. 8. Peter M. Senge, The Fifth Discipline: The art and practice o f the learning organization (New York: Doubleday, 1990). 9. Melissa Cast and Shannon Cary, “Members assess ACRL,” College and Research Libraries News 62, no. 6 (June 2001): 627. 10. Ibid., 627. ■ ( “Resources fo r news . . . ” cont. from page 816) • Veronis Suhler. Media industry mer­ chant bank Veronis Suhler is a provider o f communications industry financial and merger and acquisition advisory services. Veronis Suhler is research oriented and provides a good source o f information on the media, communications, and information industries. Each year, the firm publishes tw o media and communications industry research publica­ tions— The Communications Industry Fore­ cast and The Communications Industry Re­ port. Veronis Suhler’s Internet Research Li­ brary contains links to W eb sites that are sources for industry and financial informa­ tion for various segments o f the communica­ tions industry. The site includes a section on industry associations and information pro­ viders for the professional and educational publishing industry, which contains links to many o f the sites referenced earlier in this ar­ ticle. Access:- http://www.veronissuhler.com/. • BPi Communications. BPi Communi­ cations 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/. ■ http://www.appstate http://www.arl.org/newsltr/184/newlearn.html http://www.veronissuhler.com/ http://www.bpicomm.com/