Globalization, Consolidation and the Growth of the Giants

Abstract

The creation of publishing conglomerates and the emergence of purchasing consortia are changing the economic model of scholarly publishing and the process of individual collection management. But will the giants fundamentally change the serials community? Despite the undoubted impact of consolidation, the needs of authors and readers will predominate, and the place of quality control and peer review, though under challenge, will be central to formal scholarly communication. Nevertheless, both publishers and librarians will have to change their traditional cultures and processes, and work in collegial alliances. Size and dominance will be factors impacting the serials community. This paper surveys the likely impact of the giants on the serials community in the next decade: alliances between publishers and other information providers, the continuing importance of quality control and peer review, and the needs of authors and readers. Some informed speculation will challenge the complacency and conservatism of many in the serials community.