what a publisher actually does??

["Hamaker, Chuck" <cahamake@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

this is probably off topic for the copyright listserv, but its is in
response to Joe Esposito's post:

Joe Esposito observes re the SPARC white paper:
"The paper seems to think of publishing as production (no) and
distribution (no). "
Although publishers and authors may talk about "peer review" as the be all
and end all, there is a sociologial milieu, bonds of friendship, interest,
shared concerns, scholarly passions shared, forged sometimes over many years
with individuals and groups of individuals, that i would guess are probably
more time consuming and maybe as expensive and just as crucial as the formal
review and production systems. 

Relationships and "families of scholars" are cultivated assidiously by
publishers , and my guess is that is probably as important as the existence
of the formal journal review and production mechanisms. 

Scholars and researchers hand their stuff over with copyright intact to
publishers because they trust people and the often invivisble webs of formal
and informal relations journal publishers maintain. 

Chuck Hamaker
Associate University Librarian for Collections and Technical Services
Atkins Library
University of North Carolina Charlotte
704 687-2825