We know that libraries only account for 1-2% of fiction/trade sales of books, but what abut scholarly publishing. Goof for Rick and Dean and the University of Chicago Press for looking into it.
How Important Are Library Sales to the University Press? One Case Study
(N.B. — This posting is coauthored by Rick Anderson and Dean Blobaum.)
Following the tables, commentary and analysis are provided by Dean (who will also explain the logic behind the data categories) and by Rick.
“Table 1: Sales by Book Type
| Type | # Titles in Type | % sales in WorldCat |
| Annual | 9 | 13.68% |
| Edited Collection | 21 | 38.35% |
| IH reprint | 68 | 8.82% |
| Monograph | 127 | 46.70% |
| New edition | 19 | 10.99% |
| OOH reprint | 13 | 8.55% |
| Plus monograph | 22 | 29.05% |
| Trade | 47 | 22.58% |
Table 2: Sales of Scholarly Monographs by Subject
| Subject (BISAC) | # Titles in Subject | % sales in WorldCat |
| Art and Art History | 9 | 41.87% |
| Economics and Business | 11 | 37.72% |
| Education | 5 | 34.65% |
| History | 40 | 51.35% |
| Law and Legal Studies | 4 | 42.42% |
| Literary Studies | 15 | 52.74% |
| Medical Topics | 2 | 24.69% |
| Music | 6 | 58.81% |
| Philosophy | 11 | 43.35% |
| Political Science | 14 | 39.65% |
| Psychology | 1 | 48.78% |
| Reference | 2 | 18.83% |
| Religious Studies | 5 | 39.86% |
| Sciences | 16 | 47.56% |
| Social Sciences | 29 | 31.54% |
“
For more analysis follow the link…
Stephen
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