GeSIG e.V. introduces itself

The situation

During the last years the magazine market has changed dramatically: scientists, professional societies, publishing companies, press enterprises, data bank suppliers, trade and libraries are affected by it equally. Furthermore volume and prices of the published magazines rise annually. Increasingly libraries suffer from economy measures and see themselves constrained to cancel magazines. Publishing companies and corporation also offer their publications in electronic form. Therefor questions arise concerning licensing, copyright, utilization data, archiving etc., which need urgent clarification. Libraries use management knowledge from the economy and see themselves as modern service enterprises. Agencies develop new products, distribution structures and service performances. Publishing companies, libraries and agencies are confronted with new expectations from users.

All involved parties of the magazine market are called on to help with the design of basic conditions.

The topically most radical questions are obvious:

• Which role / function do the market participants assume today and in the future?
• How do we form the interface between printed and electronically available professional information?
• How can we influence the development of the digitization in trade, libraries and publishing companies?
• Which expectations do users of electronic professional information have?
• How can we promote an international standardization of interfaces, formats and copyright?
• How do sustainable license models and commercial arrangements look like?
• How do we persuade policy- and decision-makers in politics and economy of the necessity of a global supply with scientific professional information?

Our activities

GeSIG was founded in 1999 and approved as a non-profit association. Since then GeSIG has established itself as a dependable partner in the professional information market.

GeSIG is present on the Frankfurt book fair, library congresses and other trade conferences with own arrangements. In partnership with libraries it offers professional training and provides referees.

The information of the mandate bearers has special value in parties and federations. The success and the resonance of our petition "science location of Germany in danger" reveals a big need for action.

We see another main focus in launched projects in which methods of resolution for selected questions are developed.

The study groups are open to all members and are co-ordinated by project advisors.

In the following you find an overview of the ongoing project groups. If you have interest in a cooperation, please, get in touch with us using our contact form.

AG use and acceptance of electronic magazines
Finished

AG course of business of electronic magazines
Finished

AG standards of the collaboration between agencies and libraries
Administration: A. Kirchgäßner, University Library Constance

AG newspapers
Administration: Dr. J. Zeller, Berlin State Library

AG magazines data bank
Administration: Dr. J. Zeller, Berlin State Library

AG document delivery
Administration: W. Stephan, University Library Stuttgart

AG licenses
Administration: Christine Hasemann, University and Technical Library Hannover