Facing a double whammy, publishers should box clever

Posted on by John Helmer
Received wisdom is that in recessions businesses fall prey to ‘short-termism’, and that this is necessarily a bad thing. But the truth is that even the most far-sighted, deep-pocketed publisher will have a different orientation towards risk and investment in times like these. With resources constrained and markets uncertain, greater business agility becomes not just a fashionable mantra but a necessary attribute for survival. That’s not the same thing as short-termism. It’s all about speed and flexibility. Continue reading →

Library Journal's LaGuardia gives Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology a solid ten

Posted on by John Helmer
We were highly gratified recently to receive a highly complimentary review of our work on behalf of Wiley-Blackwell for the Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology Online (BESO) in Library Journal. This is an especially prized accolade since the reviewer Cheryl LaGuardia, Research Librarian for the Widener Library at Harvard University, is by her own admission not exactly given to lavishing praise on such resources:
“I’m usually not a fan of reference books that are turned into e-products, but this one has been converted quite intelligently. Most important, the e-version transcends the print – you can find more there and do more with what you find. It’s a solid ten.”