How can the Web be turned from alphabet soup to gourmet feast, and who is going to do it? There is a strong belief in the line of chefs waiting to stir the pot, that greater bandwidth, cheaper access, secure financial transactions, and better search engines will transform the Web into the information feast we dream about.
While such technological fixes will help, there are more fundamental issues involved such as content, and it is in this area that book publishers have a key role. Traditionally, publishers have been the conduits of information. They have added context and meaning, coordinated design and distribution, and established the authority of the author. Publishers have used the format of the book and given it 'a vital role in the transmission of knowledge and culture in literature, entertainment, information and education.' (Australian Book Publishers Association 1994:1)
The Web seems badly in need of such talents. At present there are over 100 book publishers [HREF 2] with a Web presence. Have they been able to effectively transfer their skills to the Web? What impact have they made on the Web? This paper will investigate the current activities of book publishers on the Web, presenting the Reed Elsevier Group as a case study.
How does print media fit in with this convergence? You could certainly make a case that newpapers and magazines found their television equivalents years ago, and so fit quite neatly. In fact one could be tempted by the declaration of the Interactive Publishing Alert [HREF 3] that 1994 was 'The Year That Publishing Came Of Age' and '1995 The Year That Online Publishers Cash In.' However this must be qualified, because for book publishers there seems to be no analogous situation. Is there any need for book publishers to publish on the Web? Or is it better left to the participants of the Great Convergence and the magazines and newspapers? Regardless of need, print publishers have in fact been very keen to establish a presence on the Web.
To authors publishers offer editorial assistance, marketing and distribution, the company of great authors, and the guarantee of reasonable payment for work done. Importantly publishers offer both readers and authors a marketplace in which to buy and sell information. Part of this service involves creating and maintaining indexes and catalogues of information, and the development of sophisticated search mechanisms.
The Reed Elsevier Group is represented in such bookshops but is also exploring other avenues on the Web. In the academic publishing sector, Elsevier Science [HREF 5] launched its Web site in October 1994, providing public access to Elsevier Science Complete Catalogue, and subscriber-based services offering journal abstract databases and news alerts in key academic disciplines. They published the Proceedings of the WWW '94 Conference, as well as driving the TULIP project in conjunction with seven universities, which aims at developing full text retrieval of a selection of journals.
Mead Data Central [HREF 6] has provided online services since 1973, and was purchased by the Reed Elsevier Group late in 1994. Mead Data Central, through Lexis/Nexis, offers subscriber-based legal, commerical and news databases and alerts. Mead Data Central is also involved in a joint research project with The University of Dayton School of Law, exploring the use of computers and online services in legal education. Reed Interactive [HREF 7] launched its Australian Web site in February 1995. This site features a virtual (trade) bookshop, and a range of educational resources.
The rapidly expanding Virtual Bookshop has approximately 70 titles at present, giving a blurb about each book, author bio details, an image of the book cover and the text of the first chapter. Readers can e-mail the author and get order information. Educational resources on the site include Hot Topics, Subject Areas and The Global Classroom. The Hot Topics area focuses on current affairs and significant events. Each topic has background material, classroom activities and Internet resources. Recent topics include the Earthquake in Japan, and Global Warming and Antarctica. Hot Topics also features relevant material from Heinemann publications, including the Heinemann Atlas.
The Subject Areas, representing the eight national curriculum areas, features online projects, relevant newsgroups and key Web sites. The Global Classroom focuses on the communicative possibilities of the Web, and features Keypal Contacts, K-12 Newgroups and Online Projects. Reed Interactive is actively providing opportunities for schools to publish on the Web in an area called School-space.
Reed Interactive is also exploring a publish-on-demand system which combines e-mail and the Web in order to deliver articles and selected chapters from key books and texts.
The immediate problem of the Web is that one finds that there is no shortage of information, but instead huge difficulties in accessing it. As such this will undoubtedly lead to a reduction in the tendency or need for consumers to hoard information, as noted by Lance Rose (Rose 1995). With information in overabundance the key difficulty is in distinguishing the wheat from the chaff; the most profitable services, Rose argues, will be 'helping people use information (rather) than metering the stuff out.' As such, publishers will have to concentrate their energies on developing their expertise in indexing, searching and marketing material on the Web.
In the print world the experience of publishers in the area of indexing is apparent, as is their desire to keep pace with improvements in distribution methods. A great example of this is D.W.Thorpe, who publish Australian Books In Print (1995) in multiple formats. Books In Print provides detailed bibliographic information on all in print Australian books and began as a monthly magazine. It then appeared as an annual volume with quarterly updates, then as monthly updates on microfiche, later becoming a monthly CD-ROM. Books In Print is now currently online via Ferntree (a library-based online service) offering daily updates. There are also plans to publish on the Web.
For schools, Reed Interactive is also offering an indexing service by providing lists of the best available Web sites in each subject area,as well as resources based on current affairs topics. Although small-scale the site has received a warm welcome from teachers as it offers what they want - useful information within a few mouse clicks. The Web also offers the allure of interactivity. However, to cut short a long detour into the philosophy and practice of interactivity, publishers will be most interested in interactivity initially being defined as the consumer being able to describe and receive the information they need. This offers the possiblity of developing a publish-on-demand system. Such a system will enable readers to request and receive portions of books, articles directly to their e-mail box.
There will be also be specific developments in terms of pay-per-byte mechanisms, and software such as BookPort and Folio, which promise a secure way of charging for publications via the Web (by, for example, not being able to download or copy a Web document unless payment is made and the user authorised) and avoid compromising copyright.
Australian Book Publishers Association (1994) Introduction to Publishing APBA, Melbourne
B Diller (1995) "Don't Repackage -Redefine!" Wired 3.02 February 1995 pp. 82-84
L Rose (1995) "The Emperor's Clothes Still Fit Just Fine" Wired 3.02 February 1995 pp. 103-106
AusWeb95 The First Australian WorldWideWeb Conference