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Writer's pictureJohn Bond

All Things Change

I love to collect quotes. I have probably amassed about 1,500 from years of reading and web browsing. One of the quotes I love is, “All thing change and we must change with them.” It is attributed to Lothair the First (a European emperor from the 800's). There is a whole Wikipedia article on the quote and its various version and attributions.


I think publishing is all about change, as is life. Years ago, someone that worked for me said in response to a recent procedural change, “I don’t want things to change. I want them to stay exactly as they are now.” I responded that she was in the wrong industry.




Publishing may seem to have change to a greater degree than other industries, but I doubt it. Since we are so immersed in these changes, it may just feel that way. Change has brought many positive developments. Without digitization, we would still be going to a physical space (a library) to find a back issue of a journal. Now, virtually all major (and minor) journals are available anywhere in the world with internet access (of course, many at a fee). This is a great advancement.


But, also comes the negative. Piracy and Sci-Hub have also accompanied these changes, to name just two. There are alternate opinions on these two negatives as well.


Whatever your perspective, change is here to stay. And likely increasing in pace by the year. Embrace change, both professionally but also personally. You will be a better person for it.

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