Keywords
Citation
(2001), "ICOLC expresses concern about information industry merger", Interlending & Document Supply, Vol. 29 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/ilds.2001.12229cab.023
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2001, MCB UP Limited
ICOLC expresses concern about information industry merger
ICOLC expresses concern about information industry merger
Keywords: Publishing industry, Mergers and acquisitions, Software
At a recent meeting, representatives of consortia of libraries from around the world expressed concern at the news of yet another information industry merger which is further concentrating control of access to publicly-used information into a few commercial hands. The acquisition discussed at the meeting of the International Coalition of Library Consortia (ICOLC) was the purchase of SilverPlatter Information by Wolters Kluwer, a multi-national publishing company. Wolters Kluwer already own Ovid Technologies, which provides an alternative to SilverPlatter for library users to move from bibliographic information to the full-text of scientific and medical literature. SilverPlatter is widely-used as a "front-end" to numerous databases. The ownership of two major access-routes by the same company presents a potential threat to users of information, particularly as the new owner may consider consolidating software platforms and also owns substantial numbers of the full-text journals accessed. Monopolistic control can lead to unjustified price increases and limited service options for users.
The acquisition of SilverPlatter by Wolters Kluwer is part of a wider concentration of access to information into the hands of a few giant multi-national companies. The acquisition of Harcourt General Inc. by Reed Elsevier Inc. is currently being examined by regulatory authorities in several countries. Library organisations across the world have been vociferous in pointing to the danger for society in such mergers. Open and unrestricted access to information is one of the corner-stones of democracy, and control of access to the world's information by a few powerful commercial interests is developing rapidly.
Source: ICOLC press release