Scientific and technical journals on microfiche

Production of journals on microfiche provides such radically new possibilities for both publishers and subscribers that it can reasonably be described as a publishing revolution. For the publisher, using microfiche rather that print makes possible significant cost savings for black and white periodicals with circulations up to at least 50 000. It is even economically feasible to produce microfiche publications in full color. For many journals, the savings are so great that distribution can be by first-class mail, thus bypassing second-class mailing regulations and increasing the speed and reliability of distribution. If publishers pass along these savings to subscribers, the latter benefit from lower subscription costs. Although some individual subscribers will have to purchase microfiche readers, the low cost of a reader (approximately half that of an office typewriter) suggests they will be willing to make this investment. Most advantaged by microfiche publishing are libraries; they benefit not only from reduced subscription costs but also from elimination of the need for binding and for finding shelf space for bound volumes. The present predicament of scholarly libraries is so serious and the economic advantages of microfiche publishing are so great that libraries may exert a backward pressure on publishers to force them to use microfiche, whether they want to or not.