News
Mathematics News
Nancy Carter
The Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) has announced that its journals will be available to subscribers via the Web beginning with the 1997 issues. Full text of articles from eleven journals can be accessed in three formats: PostScript, Adobe Acrobat PDF, and DVI. These electronic subscriptions are available during 1997 at no charge to libraries and members that subscribe to the 1997 print version.
For more information about SIAM and SIAM Journals Online access their web site.
San Diego
American Mathematical Society (AMS)
Library Committee,
Friday, 10 January 1996, 10-12AM.
Report by Nancy D. Anderson.
Members present: Nancy Anderson, George Andrews, Bruce Berndt, Carol Hutchins, Dorothy McGarry, Jim Rovnyak, Mary Ann Southern, Jim Tattersall, Martha Tucker, and Jack Weigel.
Guests present: Keith Dennis, Deborah Kegel, Maxine Moser, and Bert Tepaske-King.
1. Makeup of Library Committee: Andrews, Southern, Rovnyak, and Weigel have terms ending in January, 1997. Hutchins and Tucker will replace Southern and Weigel. Anderson and Berndt will co-chair the committee for 1997. As Anderson's term ends in January, 1998, another librarian will be named to co-chair with Berndt. The committee reaffirmed its informal policy of 2 terms of 3-years as maximum. Also, there was consensus that terms of co-chairs need to be staggered, but the mathematician will always be the "head chair."
2. Program for January 1998 Baltimore meeting: Since the committee has not sponsored a panel discussion for some time, Anderson proposed that we develop a program for the 1998 joint meetings. The committee considered, but rejected the suggestion to ask Paul Ginsparg to speak. Anderson proposed examining how the relationship between librarian and mathematician has/has not changed as the environment is more and more electronic (i.e., office access for mathematician, educational role for librarian, access vs. ownership - "just in time", costs). Andrew Odlyzko was suggested as speaker to give a mathematician's viewpoint as his article gives the impression that support for libraries is not essential. Dennis suggested that the committee consider inviting someone from the American Institute of Mathematics and/or JSTOR. Included in this panel discussion would be a presentation from the committee, comparing the 1990 and 1996 library surveys. Suggestions from PAM members are most welcome, especially with regard to names of librarians to speak on this panel. In addition to a panel discussion, the committee will staff an information booth in the exhibit area (preferably Thursday afternoon, in advance of the committee meeting and panel discussion) to answer questions from mathematicians and distribute flyers on the upcoming panel discussion.
3. Library survey: Rovnyak reported that while the initial response rate was very bad, 77% of the Group I institutions have returned their questionnaires. The committee concurred that he should telephone those Group I institutions which completed the survey in 1990, but did not in 1996. The Group I non-respondents will be contacted during January 1997. Group II-III non-respondents would receive another mailing.
4. Raise visibility of the committee: Now that many members of the original committee will be "retiring", the committee discussed what direction it should take in the future to retain its visibility in the mathematical community and AMS on library concerns. The committee could help both librarians and mathematics department heads avert the eroding support for the mathematics libraries by describing the unique characteristics of the mathematics literature and its value to mathematicians, and to solicit suggestions. Southern suggested that some of the announcements in the PAM Bulletin which would be of interest to mathematicians could be published in the AMS Notices (and vice versa). Also, the committee could publish items of interest in the "For Your Information" section of the Notices. McGarry reiterated the suggestion that mathematics librarians should have the opportunity for a discussion group during the AMS meeting. It would have to be informal as the AMS is discouraging the creation of additional meetings. Anderson suggested that the committee have its own Web page on E-math. Lastly, it was suggested that the chair of the AMS Publications Committee be invited to the Library Committee meetings (and vice versa).