Re: paleonet Paleo Society Memberships

[Peter Paul Smolka <smolka@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Tue, 23 Nov 2004, Jere H. Lipps wrote:

> Date: Tue, 23 Nov 2004 22:01:40 -0800
> From: Jere H. Lipps <jlipps@berkeley.edu>
> Reply-To: paleonet@nhm.ac.uk
> To: paleonet@nhm.ac.uk
> Subject: paleonet Paleo Society Memberships
>
> PaleoNetters:
>
> While at GSA a couple of weeks ago, several (maybe a dozen) of us talked
> about memberships in the societies.   Something is up and we did not have a
> consensus on what is happening or whether it is good or bad for
> paleontology.  Here's the scoop:

Dear Prof. Lipps,

in the past there appeared to be the need to feel as member of something
vs. the "non-members".

Today the trend goes to receiving a service, whether it is a
brand, a society or a goverment.

Viewed from my own attempts to subscribe (= where in concrete I
subscribed, where I tried unsuccessfully, where I did not try):

Needed as service in general: The existance of paper journals
to be referenceble. E-Publications (only) are volatile.

Needed for me personally: The contents (online access).

Attempted: AAAS with the purpose: Online access only, no
paper copy (where to store). E-Mail sent. No reaction.

Nature: Same reasons. When I considered it no "Online only access
possible".

EUG: A society I think I am member but I am not sure. The online
version of their Journal I get.

Cushman and the others: Not tried. Reason: What is the service / the
data I get from them? This is meant friendly. Formulated compact.

German Geol. Soc. / Pal. Soc.: With EUG providing in Strasbourg
(pre Nice) a real good bieannual meeting / J.: I see right
now no reason for Socs. beyond EUG.

AGID: Lifetime membership paid. Nothing heard from them since a while.

IAGOD: I think I still have to pay. Credit card port I have to find.
Bank drafts are (possibly strange for US readers) extremely expensive
from Germany.

A spontaneous decision, compared to a spontaneous book-buy.

IAMG: Seriously considered. I think I will join when I am in schedule
again (= no backlog).

A church: Subscribed to as infant by my parents.

An automobile club: Subscribed to because they offered an "all inclusive
insurance". That is: The service I needed. Their "creed" I did not
subscribe to. Since some years: No car - no subscription any more.

So: If more members are sought:

A clear communication of the service / benefits / value the (sorry
for the term) customers get for their money, particularly if the annual
fee is high compared to a subscription fee of a "standard journal".

Or: A low fee (USD 15 / a) for being member with online access knowing
that by paying the fee the "infrastructure" (the journal with
reference paper copies) is kept alive.

Or: A two level fee: Above USD 15 / a vs. USD what is needed for
the paper version.

So: Anybody might consider why he/she did/did not joint a Society
(memberships are "products"). Data based on own personal experience
might be considered unrepresentative. Often they are more
representative the "unrepresentatives themselves" think.
>
> Cushman Foundation for Foram Research has lost a huge number of members and
> institutional subscriptions in the past few years.

By the way: I (friendly written) was a little bit astonished that
they still exist (no sharp comment, honest truth).
>
> Paleo Society is down about 15% in the past 4-5 years.

>
> Quite a few of us in the societies are trying to anticipate the new
> future.  It will be very different from the past with e-publications, but
> how?  And what impact will it have?   Can we modify the members benefits
> sufficiently to maintain a large membership or should we go "smaller,
> cheaper and more efficient"?
>
> This will have impact on all paleontologists and so should be worth some
> discussion on PaleoNet.  So should e-publishing and the various business
> models and publication modes.  Maybe we can discuss this one too.

>
> Jere

Best regards


Peter
>
>
>

**********************************************************************
Dr. Peter P. Smolka
University Muenster
Geological Institute
Corrensstr. 24
D-48149 Muenster

Tel.: +49/251/833-3989   +49/2533/4401
Fax:  +49/251/833-3989   +49/2533/4401
E-Mail: smolka@uni-muenster.de
E-Mail: PSmolka@T-Online.de
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