AN INDEX TO PUBLISHER QUALITY REVISITED - A PARTIAL REPLICATION

A replication of the Calhoun/Bracken 1983 study of publishers listed i n Choice's annual Outstanding Academic Books was conducted. Data were gathered for the years 1988-1992 and compared with the results of the Calhoun/Bracken analysis. The results show that several of the commerc ial and university publishers that had been prominent in 1983 had been replaced by new presses. During the decade between studies, universit y publishers have showed marked growth as a percentage of the top 60 p resses identified in the two studies. Collection development librarian s need to be aware of the fluctuations in publisher output and reputat ions over time in the Outstanding Academic Book lists.