The problem is...
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"The problem is that we have tied tenure to the publication of a
scholarly book. No, others say: uncoupling tenure from books cannot
solve the problem because journals are in trouble, too. Others suggest
that the problem is the scholarly monograph itself, or that the
problem is curtailed library spending on humanities books. The problem
is price-gauging by commercial publishers of science journals,
necessitating that libraries spend less money on humanities and social
science publications. The problem is chain bookstores, the dwindling
number of independent bookstores, and the increasing conservatism of
those that remain. The problem is electronic booksellers like
Amazon.com with their heavy discounting and selling of used books. The
problem is that books cost too much to produce. The problem is that
electronic publishing is too expensive and doesn't work for
monographs. The problem is shrinking subsidies to presses in the wake
of cutbacks to higher education for state universities. [...]
The problem is that, since 9/11, people are watching CNN and not
buying books, trade or academic. The problem is that university press
books are underpriced relative to their production costs. The problem
is that university press books cost too much relative to the income of
their target audience. The problem is too many books. The problem is
too few books. The problem is too many books of one kind and too few
of another. The problem is students don't know how to read any more
font>.
Cathy N. Davidson,
"Crises and Opportunities: The Future(s) of Scholarly Publishing"
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