October 7, 2005

To: YBP/L&C Approval and Slip Plan Customers

Fr: Bob Nardini, Senior Vice President & Head Bibliographer

Re: New “Basic Studies” Content Level for YBP and L&C

This week YBP and Lindsay & Croft are introducing a new content level into our bibliographic terminology. “Basic Studies” will join “General-Academic” and the other terms we have used for many years to denote accessibility and primary readership for the books we profile on behalf of our Approval Plan and Slip Plan customers.

We created the new content level because we have begun to see a type of book that did not fit well into any of our prior categories. These books are sometimes referred to as “bridge books,” because they bridge what used to be entirely separate readerships (and markets): secondary school students and beginning undergraduates. Many of our customers, from large as well as small college and university libraries, report a growing need for highly accessible non-fiction books that can be used by first-year students enrolled in introductory or even remedial programs or courses designed to teach basic study skills.

A few publishers have focused on this type of book. The “Opposing Viewpoints” series from Greenhaven Press has become well known. Abortion, by James D. Torr (ISBN 073772921X) is an example of a recent volume from this series. “Library in a Book,” from Facts on File, is a similar series. “Securing the Nation,” from Chelsea House, is a third example. Titles within series such as these, which in the past we have considered out-of-scope for Approval and Slip Plan programs, will now be profiled using our new “Basic Studies” content level.

Below is the definition for “Basic Studies.” Approval and Slip Plan customers, and all GOBI users, will begin to see the abbreviation “BASIC” in the content level field on printed and online bibliographic records. We have established default “slips” coverage for most libraries. Please contact your YBP representative if you would like this to be changed, either to exclude “Basic Studies” books or to acquire them through automatic Approval Plan shipments.

Please contact me if you have any questions (rnardini@ybp.com). By responding to new currents in the world of book publishing, we respond to needs shared by many of our library customers.



BASIC STUDIES (BASIC)

Non-fiction books primarily developed by publishers for secondary schools, but bridging the college market through usefulness in basic courses. Usually published in series in concise and uniform format, they are written in a highly accessible style, are usually well illustrated, and normally treat topics of current or longstanding interest. They are used by novice undergraduate students enrolled in required courses designed to assist them in learning to critically synthesize information in research and writing, and by students whose first language is not English.