Subject: categories: About a journal policy: "Cahiers de Top. et Geom. Diff. Categoriques"

From: Andree Ehresmann <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 01 Jun 2001 17:53:49 +0200

As the publisher of the non-commercial category-theoretic Journal

"Cahiers de Topologie et Geometrie Differentielle Categoriques" 

I have read with interest Michael Barr's Newsletter on Serials Pricing and
the following postings on the subject. I would like to add some information
on the "effective" cost of publishing, and also answer a question of Tom
Leinster which could be of interest to the authors who have published or
want to publish in the "Cahiers".

The "Cahiers" have been created by Charles Ehresmann about 40 years ago.
>From 1967 to 1972, they were printed and distributed by the commercial
editor Dunod. When Dunod merged with Bordas, he refused to go on because
there was no "profit".

At that time Charles and I decided to undertake the publication ourselves,
and since the death of my husband in 1979, I assume this job alone. I have
no support nor material help whatsoever from any institution. If the
address is at the Faculte de Mathematique of the Universite de Picardie, it
is just because it is my own professional address. 

As many people of this category list know, to avoid typesetting problems,
after the papers have been refereed and accepted, authors are required to
send me laser printed copies of the papers in a specific format, to which I
add the title, name of authors, headings and page numbers. 
I give the so prepared volume to a (commercial) printer who prints and
binds it. The mailing of the issues as well as the handling of
subscriptions is done by myself.

The only resources come from the subscriptions (almost all from foreign
universities, of which about 100 in the USA). For this year, the price is
460 Francs for 320 pages; thus, depending on the dollar rate, it amounts to
less than 0.20 $ for a page. This price is fixed so that if just covers the
printing and mailing costs, and a small part of the material costs (printer
ink, computer,...). 

The "Cahiers" have some exchange with "TAC" since each year "TAC" contents
are published in the second issue of the "Cahiers" volume, while "Cahiers"
contents are mailed to this category list.

Now an answer to Tom Leinster who asks:
> What I'd like to find is that it is actually possible to publish in
respected
>journals while keeping my papers free to whoever wants them.  
>So my first question is: which journals have enlightened policies?  

I don't know if the "Cahiers" are "respected". But I can assert that my
policy is to allow the authors to keep their papers free to whoever wants
them. Indeed, the papers can be freely posted in any electronic archive
(with  reference to the volume where they are published) and/or
photocopied, if the 50 reprints I send free are not sufficient. 

Any suggestion to make the "Cahiers" more useful to the category community
will be appreciated.

			Andree C. Ehresmann

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From: [email-masked] (Eduardo Dubuc)
Date: Mon, 4 Jun 2001 15:59:38 -0300 (ARG)

I take this opportunity to thank Andree C. Ehresmann for all she has
done and is still doing in order to keep the "Cahiers" going and in good
health. The contribution of the cahiers to the category theory community
is inmense, and even more was so during all those years when there was not
electronic printing. We all in this community have a great debt to Mme
Andree, and I feel we should let her know explicitly how important her
work has been and still is.
   Personally, every time I have to reference a good article, I never
remember in which journal it was published, except if it was the
cahiers. It may be that the cahiers is close to my heart. 
   Good job Andree, and keep going ...
                                              Eduardo J. Dubuc