A publishing institution, faithfully mailed at least twice a year to thousands of stores and libraries for about as long as the industry has existed, may be on its way out: The paper catalog.
HarperCollins announced Monday that it was planning to make its listings of upcoming releases available only online, calling the current system both economically and environmentally indefensible.
"I think we are overdue. We produce thousands and thousands of catalogs, many of which go right into the wastebaskets," HarperCollins President Jane Friedman, who said the switch would likely begin by summer 2009, told The Associated Press. "It's such a waste of paper and so inefficient."
Other major publishers are moving in a similar direction, including Penguin Group (USA) and Random House Inc.
"We would do this over time and hopefully with the support of our booksellers," Random House spokesman Stuart Applebaum said. "The booksellers are great traditionalists. They are environmentalists, but they are also traditionalists."
According to HarperCollins, about 100,000 catalogs _ a print run worthy of a best-selling novel _ are sent for each publishing season: summer, winter and fall. Friedman notes that besides saving money and paper, online catalogs can be updated instantly to reflect changes in price and cover art and can include other media. The Harper catalogs will offer links to reviews, interviews, audio excerpts and promotional video.
"It's not brain surgery to come up with this idea," Friedman said.
Cecile Fehsenfeld, who co-owns the Michigan-based Schuler Books, said HarperCollins and other publishers had met with booksellers in March and discussed e-catalogs. She said the response was mixed.
"The general consensus among booksellers was that they are very wedded to a paper catalog," said Fehsenfeld, who likens the paper catalog to reading a traditional book.
"Booksellers like to sit around the table with the catalogs. They thumb through them and make notes. It's a real interactive kind of experience, so there is an emotional attachment to the current kind of catalog."
Fehsenfeld said her greatest concerns were that the transition be made slowly _ Friedman says it will _ and that rival publishers use similar formats.
Friedman said HarperCollins will be meeting with booksellers at the industry's annual convention, BookExpo America, in Los Angeles at the end of the month.
"We will talk to them about what they think they need and we will try to incorporate those needs," she said. "And if people want to download the catalog, be my guest."
HarperCollins is owned by News Corp. Penguin is owned by Pearson.
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