EDITORIAL
Publish and Perish Easy access to comprehensive science libraries is as important to research as the availability of modern instruments and computers. These repositories of written knowledge and progress at universities and research establishments, which play vital roles in research and teaching, have been taken for granted until recently. Because of the tremendous proliferation of new journals during the past decade and the staggering cost of scientific books and journals, many academic libraries are facing huge deficits and are being forced to cancel significant numbers of periodicals. Libraries in the United States have been hard hit by the decrease in the value of the dollar; even the Library of Congress has had to discontinue certain periodicals. In addition, the price of some European journals has risen by as much as 40%. The increased emphasis on the number of publications for professional advancement has forced scientists to divide experimental results into several papers in order to lengthen their publication lists. Thus quantity rather than quality has become a way of life. Peer review is particularly important for maintaining the high quality of published papers; however, publishers of many minor journals are eager to accept manuscripts of any standard in order to survive. This proliferation of scientific journals can be traced directly to the commercial publishers whose main objective is to earn
money. As long as there remains a library market for new journals, they will continue to appear. A falling number of subscriptions are usually passed on to the consumer in the form of increased prices. Now consumers are beginning to strike back. This crisis came to my attention recently when the Physical Sciences Library Committee at Cornell University circulated lists of potential journal subscriptions to be terminated. The first list included journals in chemistry, physics, applied physics, and astronomy that have subscription rates of $300 or more. A second list included journals priced under $300. Many other academic libraries around the country are faced with similar serious deficits in their budgets and are taking steps to drastically cut subscriptions. As I reviewed the list of journals in analytical chemistry and related fields considered for termination, it became readily apparent that some would not be missed. Others, however, are vital to research and teaching. Great care must be taken to protect the literature for future generations; however, we must face the reality of the financial pressures on our libraries.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY, VOL. 60, NO. 5, MARCH 1, 1988 · 321 A
