SA2 creates prize for math excellence

WINONA, Minnesota, May 31, 2002 -- The Society of Academic Authors established a new recognition for the excellence in mathematics learning materials, the Keedy Prize, named for Mike Keedy, one of the 20th century's leading math textbook authors. About the honor bestowed in him with the prize in his name, Keedy said: "I am honored and flattered." Nominations for the first Keedy Prize, will be accepted from SA2 members in September, said association founder John Vivian. Keedy began his textbook authoring career in 1953 and stopped counting after more than 50 titles were in use from grade school through college. Keedy was on the faculty at Purdue University. In 1986, after retiring, Keedy drew on his many friends in math education and authoring to found the Textbook Authors Association.

KEEDY

U-presses officer to Bush: Open documents

TRIMMING EXPENSES: Veteran author Frank Silverman has mastered ways to have his publishers pick up more of his authoring expenses. He shares what's worked for him, like asking to use the publisher's priority mail account and dialing into the publisher's 800- number. It's little stuff, but it adds up. SILVERMAN FULL ARTICLE

Messier survives challenge as Vivendi chief

NEW YORK, May 30, 2002 -- By the skin of his teeth, the chair of Vivendi Universal, whose properties include textbook publisher Houghton Mifflin in the United States, has kept his job. French members of the board of directors of the Paris-based Vivendi rallied to keep Jean-Marie Messier as chairman. In a compromiuse with North American directors, a new committee was created to keep close tabs on major strategy and financial decisions. The committee's mandate: Control Messier's acquisitions binging and the leveraging that have piled up debt somewhere around US $31.8 billion. What this means for authors: With Messier now reined in, the acquisitions are expected to stop, and the dust will start to settle about Vivendi's long-term prospects. Meanwhile, Houghton and many subsidiaries are themselves doing well financially. The parent company's massive liabilities remain an issue.

TEXT- BOOKS VIVENDI CORPORATE PROFILE EARLIER ARTICLE Wither Houghton?

ON PARODY: As the attorney for author Alice Randall sees it, a Southern judge let himself get carried away by his love for the character Miz Scarlett in Gone With the Wind. The judge wanted Scarlett alive for a sequel, no matter at what cost to the free expression guaranteed by the First Amendment. Yes, says attorney Zick Rubin, this judge was willing to ban an unauthorized sequel in which Scarlett dies. Alas, cooler and dispassionate minds prevailed on appeal, and parody remains a constitutionally protected form of literary expression. RUBIN FULL ARTICLE SA2 -- GIVING ACADEMIC AUTHORS A VOICE

Blackwell future mired in family feud

Hemingway e-titles being prepared

Geographer to author group board

Book people challenge Ohio decency law

Used-book markup: 50% more

Scrappy Atomic Dog ready to bound high

CINCINNATI, Ohio, May 28, 2002 -- As the executives at Atomic Dog Publishing see the future of textbooks, it's theirs. The upstart publisher, headed by Alex von Rosenberg, now has adoptions at 400 colleges. With the April acquisition of titles from OpenMind, von Rosenberg sees quantum increases -- at the expense of the dominant publishers: "We expect these OpenMind publications, which boast some great authors, to help increase the gap between our value alternative and the offerings from the big four international publishing conglomerates." Atomic Dog emphasizes online textbooks with companion print texts. Cost is a selling point, said Lee Krubner, the company's financial chief: "The college textbook industry needs a Southwest Airlines or a Dell. The prices in this industry are too high for the value offered." Tom Doran, a principal in CourseWise, now part of Atomic Dog, is the editorial director. In one sense, Doran says, the company is old fashioned: "One important component of our approach is a throwback: We truly value authors." Von Rosenberg said a new round of financing has enabled continuing acquisitions. So far, Atomic Dog has picked up CourseWise, Copperhouse, MindLearning and Startt, plus the OpenMind titles. He also says the company has an excellent management team, including executives formerly with Irwin, Prentice Hall, South-Western, Waverly, West, and Wm. C. Brown.

ATOMIC DOG EARLIER ARTICLE Atomic Dog buys OpenMind

Douglas J. McQuaig (accounting), Wenatchee Valley College, and Patricia A. Bille (accounting), Highline Community College, wrote the seventh edition of College Accounting (Houghton Mifflin). William Stallings (computer science), wrote the second edition of High-Speed Networks and Internets: Performance and Quality of Service (Prentice Hall). Andrew S. Tanenbaum (computer science), wrote the second edition of Modern Operating Systems (Prentice Hall).

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Onerous "me first" language surfaces

Three presses open joint warehouse

Opinion: Academics must be academic too

Harvard Business Press seeking synergies

Wiley links to ISI Web of Science

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania, May 25, 2002 -- In another link between databases and its e-publications, John Wiley & Sons hooked up with Thomson-owned ISI Web of Science and Wiley InterScience. The link gives ISI subscribers access and to a more than 400 Wiley journals available online. "The links with ISI Web of Science significantly increase the efficiencies of the research process, adding substantial value to Wiley InterScience for our subscribers," said Eileen Dolan, a Wiley vice president.

ACADEMIC JOURNALS WILEY RELATED ARTICLE Wiley, chemistry group link resources

Hakim's history texts to television

NEW YORK, May 25, 2002 -- The U.S. history books by Joy Hakim, which have sold more than 1 million copies, are being made into a 16-part television series on the Public Broadcasting Service in 2003. The books, although originally marketed for retail stores, are widely used in school curriculums. The PBS series, produced Kunhardt Productions and WNET in New York, is titled "Freedom: A History." NBC Today Show anchor Katie Couric will be host. Kunhardt said a large cast of celebrity contributors has been assembled. Oxford University Press, publisher of the base series, the 11-volume History of US, plans to publish a companion volume for the television series, tentatively this November.

ELHI HAKIM

Speech author resigns text group's board

MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin, May 24, 2002 -- A champion of author rights and a former president of the Text and Academic Authors Association, Frank Silverman, resigned from the association's governing board. Silverman cited family health reasons. Silverman writes mostly in speech pathology. In recent years has produced a series of books on authoring, including Self-Publishing Books and Materials for Students, Academics, and Professionals (2000); Publishing for Tenure and Beyond (1999) and Authoring a Textbook or Professional Book (1993). Silverman is on the faculty at Marquette University and the Medical College of Wisconsin. He has been honored for pioneer work in speech pathology by the Palestinian Authority and the Saudi royal family.

SILVERMAN

Houghton heralds Fresno adoption

FRESNO, California, May 1, 2002 -- The Fresno Schools adopted Houghton Mifflin's Legacy of Literacy K-6 reading series and the McDougal Littel's 6-8 (grades K-6) Language of Literature. McDougall is part of Houghton. Houghton executives heralded the adoption as a major step for the company in California schools. The Fresno district, with 81,000 pupils, is the fourth largest in California and one of the largest to have adopted Houghton Mifflin's research-based reading programs. Said George Logue, a Houghton vice president: "The selection represents a significant commitment to improving student achievement."

EL-HI HOUGHTON MIFFLIN

Author objects to repackaging of his work

WASHINGTON, May 24, 2002 -- Science author Stephen Hawking asked the Federal Trade Commission to stop publication of an authorized book drawn from his A Brief History of Time and 1989 Cambridge lectures. Hawking said the new book, The Theory of Everything: The Origin and Fate of the Universe, due out soon from New Millennium Press, may give the impression to readers that he "is trying to pass off old material as new material." He called it "a fraud on the public." Hawking's complaint cites prior FTC action to prevent books that were considered "repackaged material without adequate disclaimers regarding its contents." He asks for "adequate disclaimers and notice regarding its retitling, prior publication and duplicative subject matter, and the fact that he has not authorized its publication." Hawking's complaint renews a 1999 skirmish with Michael Viner, publisher at New Millennium, which stopped another book drawn from Hawking lectures. Viner has been quoted that he disputes the claims. What this mean for authors: Any textbook author who has had a competitor rip off concepts and repackage them will want to follow Hawking's complaint closely. The issues he raises strike close to home.

AUTHOR LAW HAWKING

Arguments advanced over copyright extension

School relents on banning monograph

BALTIMORE, Maryland, May 22, 2002 -- A Baltimore girls school that had suppressed publication of a scholar's history of the school bowed to a storm of protest from historians and other scholars and agreed to allow publication. The school trustees made the decision, reversing a two-year battle against the book written by Andrea D. Hamilton. The decision was faxed to Hamilton, which apparently clears the way for Johns Hopkins University Press to publish the book. The Bryn Mawr School had threatened legal action on grounds that Hamilton had signed a documents agreeing to pre-publication review of her work in order to gain access to the school's archives.

UNIVERSITY PRESSES JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY PRESS EARLIER ARTICLE School gigged for suppressing book

Elsevier buys medical publisher

NEW YORK, May 25, 2002 -- Academic publishing house Elsevier Science purchased medical publisher Hanley & Belfus from the German-based Holtzbrinck Publishing Group. Terms weren't disclosed. Hanley, which publishes 10 medical journals, has more than 400 titles in print. Its lines include the Secrets and the Pearls series. Hanley will become part of Elsevier's health sciences division, which includes Saunders, Mosby and Churchill Livingstone. Linda Belfus, cofounder of Hanley & Belfus, will become a senior editor at Elsevier Science.

ACADEMIC JOURNALS HANLEY & BELFUS

School gigged for suppressing book

SANTA BARBARA, California, May 21, 2002 -- Historian Laura Kalman rounded up signatures from 100 fellow historians to call on a Baltimore, Maryland, girls school to allow publication a dissertation about the school. Kalman called Bryn Mawr School's legal pressure against the dissertation an attack on academic freedom. So far, the school has blocked publication of the book by Johns Hopkins University Press and, reportedly, one other university press. The letter from Kalman, who is on the faculty at the University of California, Santa Barbara, said the Bryn Mawr school had engaged in "apparently arbitrary suppression of responsible scholarly work." Bryn Mawr has argued that doctoral student Andrea Hamilton signed a form agreeing to pre-publication approval in order to have access to the school's archives. Kalman said Bryn Mawr is misusing the form, which she said is merely a standard mechanism to assure that archival material is cited correctly. Such forms have never been used to suppress scholarship, she said.

UNIVERSITY PRESSES JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY PRESS EARLIER ARTICLE School cows Johns Hopkins Press

Study: Book purchases to grow steadily

Professional College El-hi University presses

$5.6 billion 4.9 billion 4.5 billion 576.6 million

21.9 percent 18.2 percent 17.8 percent 15.4 percent

Scholastic unveils quiz support

NEW YORK, May 21, 2002 -- Educational publisher Scholastic announced new K-12 reading assessment tools tied to five basal programs from other publishers. Computerized quizzes, all customizable, will be available for Harcourt Trophies, Houghton Mifflin Reading, McGraw-Hill Reading, Open Court Reading and Scott Foresman Reading, the company said. Scholastic abandoned its own basal reading series last year to concentrate on its Reading Counts support and assessment program. The new quizzes are part of Reading Counts.

EL-HI SCHOLASTIC

Kluwer buys pension-data firm

CHICAGO, May 21, 2002 -- A Chicago-based pension data supplier and analysis company, Charles D. Spencer & Associates, was purchased by academic publisher Wolters Kluwer. Terms were not announced, but Spencer is a $3 million-a-year business. Spencer titles will go into Kluwer's Aspen operating unit. What this means for authors: Nothing immediate. The acquisition further broadens Kluwer's base beyond academic journals.

ACADEMIC JOURNALS WOLTERS KLUWER

Sybil Fleming Montreal, Quebec, wrote Pink Inside Feels Best of All (GoodValues). Stan Gibilisco (science and technology), Chippewa Falls, Wis., wrote the third edition of Teach Yourself Electricity and Electronics (McGraw-Hill). William Stallings (computer science), wrote Wireless Communications and Networks (Prentice Hall).

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Weekly Readers creates reading series

NEW YORK, May 21, 2002 -- A new line of early literacy and reading proficiency books was announced by WRC Media. The series, Weekly Reader Early Learning Library, is being developed under Susan Nations, co-author of Primary Literacy Centers: Making Reading and Writing Stick. The books, all nonfiction, are tied to national curriculum standards in science and social studies. Included will be teacher guides and professional development material, the company said.

EL-HI WRC MEDIA

Wiley, chemistry group link resources

NEW YORK, May 21, 2002 -- The American Chemical Society and John Wiley & Sons agreed to link their online chemistry resources from Chemical Abstracts Service and Wiley InterScience. The agreement will enhance chemistry research around the world with seamless pathways between the resources. the companies announced. The linking arrangement is expected to lead to further cooperation, the companies said. Wiley InterScience operates more than 100 chemistry journals, including Advanced Materials, Angewandte Chemie, Biopolymers, the European Journal of Organic Chemistry, the European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry, Polymer International and the Journal of Mass Spectrometry. The Chemical Abstract Service, a division of the American Chemical Society, offers a database of journal and patent literature in chemistry and other scientific disciplines.

ACADEMIC JOURNALS WILEY

Whither Houghton? To German hands perhaps?

Courts beset with indecency dilemma

Stephen Jay Gould: He changed paleontology

NEW YORK, May 20, 2002 -- Paleontology author Stephen Jay Gould, a Harvard University scholar who broke new ground with his theory of evolutionary bursts, died at age 60 after a 20-year battle with lung cancer. His books, which attracted a popular following, won many awards. Gould appeared on the cover of Newsweek in 1982, where colleagues described him as "the bulldog of evolutionary biology" for his outspoken advocacy. Harvard colleague Richard Lewontin eulogized Gould for his ability to explain the complex: "Steve always told the truth in ways people could understand, and he did it better than anyone." Gould held a National Book Award for The Panda's Thumb, a National Book Critics Circle award for The Mismeasure of Man, a Phi Beta Kappa award for both Hen's Teeth and Horse's Toes and Wonderful Life. He also held the Golden Trilobite writing award from the Paleontological Society. Gould's most recent book, the 1,400-page The Structure of Evolutionary Theory, took more than 20 years to complete. Gould had said that when he was diagnosed with cancer in 1982 he believed he had "almost zero chance of finishing it."

GOULD R.I.P.

Schroeder: Book business not on death bed

NEW YORK, May 20, 2002 -- The president of the Association of American Publishers, Pat Schroeder, said nay-saying about the U.S. publishing industry is "greatly exaggerated." Speaking to the National Federation of Abstract and Information Services, Schroeder pointed to a Book Industry Study Group report that sales will rise 2.8 percent in 2002. "While this may be modest growth," she said, "it's a far cry from the end of the world." Mrs. Schroeder noted that gains are expected in the K-12, college, adult trade, mass market, and professional and scholarly market segments. "Our statistics show sales for publishers have been up for the first three months in 2002," she said. "These statistics are certainly not showing a drastic downturn but rather growth." Schroeder noted that when she joined AAP in 1996, she "was determined to detach the adjective 'beleaguered' from publishing." Continuing, she quipped: "I thought we'd passed that psychological hurdle, but apparently there are recidivists among us."

SCHROEDER EARLIER ARTICLE Forecast: Shine is off

Barbara Fine Clouse (English), Youngstown, Ohio, wrote the third edition of Transitions: From Reading to Writing (McGraw-Hill). Sybil Fleming, Montreal, Quebec, wrote You Can Do It Rosy (GoodValues). Richard Kowles (biology), Saint Mary's University of Minnesota, wrote Solving Problems in Genetics: Genetic Analysis Explained for Students (Springer Verlag). William Stallings (computer science), wrote the fourth edition of Operating Systems: Internals and Design Principles (Prentice Hall). Peter Booth Wiley, a member of the board at John Wiley & Son since 1984, was elected chair to succeed Bradford Wiley II, who will continue to serve on the board. Peter Booth Wiley has written numerous books, including Yankees in the Land of the Gods: Commodore Perry and the Opening of Japan.

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New Mexico Press cuts staff 23% ALBUQUQERQUE, New Mexico, May 20, 2002 -- The University of New Mexico Press laid off six of its 26 employees, including two editors, to address fiscal problems. Director Luther Wilson said downsizing will help with an accumulated $1.9 million deficit.

UNIVERSITY PRESSES NEW MEXICO

Sales forecast: Shine is off

Transition again in transition

CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts, May 18, 2002 -- Duke University Press served notice that it's dropping the journal Transition as too costly to produce, prompting a search for a new publisher . Michael Colin Vasquez, executive editor, said he hopes to find a new home by June. Transition, edited out of the W.E.B. DuBois Institute for Afro-American Research at Harvard University, includes photographs that complicated production and ran costs higher than typical academic journals, Vasquez said. Transition has moved a lot. It was founded in 1961 in Uganda to examine issues from an African perspective but was shuttered in the mid-1970s during the Idi Amin dictatorship. Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Kwane Anthony Appiah revived the journal in 1991 at Oxford University Press. It moved to Duke in 1996.

ACADEMIC JOURNALS TRANSITION

Sales: College textbooks lead sales

WASHINGTON, May 17, 2002 -- College textbook sales grew 15.8 percent in the first three months of 2002, compared to a year earlier, according to the Association of American Publishers. Other genres in which academic authors write did not fare as well. Schoolbook sales continued to reflect tight state budgets and delayed adoption schedules. Here are the year-to-date AAP data through March, extrapolated from 76 member-publishers, for genres in which academic authors write: College University press (paperback) STM, professional El-hi University press (hard cover) 15.8 percent 0.1 percent -7.0 percent -7.6 percent -10.2 percent What this means for authors: College textbook authors can strengthen their posture in contract negotiations by citing numbers about the recent spectacular performance.

EARLIER DATA

COLLEGE ROYALTY CLAIMS: Textbook author John Vivian says the colleges that claim a share of the royalties earned by their faculty-authors are making a mistake. Taking royalties discourages the writing that fuels better teaching. A college should be pleased enough to be associated with authors whose work passes double-blind peer reviewing and wins acceptance in the marketplace. VIVIAN FULL ARTICLE SA2 -- GIVING ACADEMIC AUTHORS A VOICE

Pearson trims Prentice list in refocusing

BOSTON, Massachusetts, May 17, 2002 -- In another move to make its Prentice Hall subsidiary a pure education player, Pearson Education trimmed the P-H list further. The business, health and self-improvement lists sold under the Prentice Hall Press imprint were reassigned to Pearson's Penguin Putnam. Also, some business and financial titles have been sold to Wolters Kluwer. Eventually the Prentice Hall Press imprint will be retired, a spokesperson said.

EARLIER ARTICLE Prentice Hall sells series to Aspen

Astronomy author wins education prize

NEWARK, Delaware, May 16, 2002 -- An astronomy textbook author, Michael Zeilik, was awarded the 2002 Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society. Zeilik wrote the ninth edition of Astronomy: The Evolving Universe this year. The chair of the society's education awards committee, Harry Shipman of the University of Delaware, said the prize recognizes "outstanding contributions to the education of the public, students and/or the next generation of professional astronomers." Zeilik is on the University of New Mexico faculty.

AWARDS ZEILIK

Sage issues new visual culture title

LONDON, May 16, 2002 -- A new interdisciplinary journal on the study of images and perception, The Journal of Visual Culture, was announced by academic publisher Sage. The introductory editorial describes the journal as "a springboard," "an incitement" and "a laboratory." Foremost, the publication aims to encourage visual-culture scholarship "from a range of methodological positions, on various historical moments, and across diverse geographical locations." Signing the editorial were Marquard Smith, University of London, editor-in-chief; Raiford Guins, University of California, Irvine, a principal editor, and Joanne Morra, Central St. Martins College of Art & Design, a principal editor. The initial press run is 1,000 copies.

ACADEMIC JOURNALS JOURNAL OF VISUAL CULTURE

Guild chief: $2 million at stake? More?

Barbara Fine Clouse (English), Youngstown, Ohio, wrote the fifth edition of Progressions with Readings (Longman). Michael J. Leboffe (biology), San Diego City College, and Burton E. Pierce (biology), wrote Microbiology Laboratory Theory and Application (Morton). Jim Rodgers (political science), Saint Mary's University of Minnesota, and Tim Kullman (sociology), University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, wrote Extremists, Radicals and Rogues: Stories of the Anti-Government Leadership in America (University Press of America). Karen C. Timberlake (chemistry), Los Angeles Valley College, wrote the eighth edition ofChemistry: An Introduction to General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry (Benjamin Cummings).

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Student spending up at college stores

Historian protests Bush access limits

Guild castigates CCC for tight lips

Frederic H. Martini (anatomy), University of Hawaii, Michael J. Timmons (anatomy), Moraine Valley Community College, and Robert B. Tallitsch (anatomy), Augustana College, wrote the fourth edition of Human Anatomy (Prentice Hall). Scott G. Pasewark, William R. Pasewark Jr., William R. Pasewark Sr., Carolyn Pasewark Denny, Frank M. Stogner, Jan Pasewark Stogner and Beth Pasewark Wadsworth wrote Microsoft Office XP, Introductory Course, (Course Technology). Leonard Shatzkin, 82, former book publishing executive, died May 11 of congestive heart failure at his home in Croton-on-Hudson, New York. Shatzikn's innovations included standardizing book sizes for production efficiency. His career was mostly at Doubleday, Anchor and Dolphin. In 1982, he wrote In Cold Type, an examination of the U.S. trade book industry. Michael Zeilik (astronomy), wrote the ninth edition of Astronomy: The Evolving Universe (Cambridge University Press).

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Attorney: Wind Gone settlement ends it

BOSTON, Massachusetts, May 16, 2002 -- The attorney for author Alice Randall said that the recently announced settlement of the Wind Done Gone case was "wonderful news" for his client. As a result of the settlement, the copyright infringement lawsuit brought by the heirs of Margaret Mitchell against publisher Houghton Mifflin was dismissed, and the book continues to be published as an "unauthorized parody." Randall was not a defendant in the Atlanta lawsuit and was not a party to the settlement agreement. But the lawsuit has dogged her, says Zick Rubin of the Boston law firm Hill & Barlow. "There was a time when she thought the book might never see the light of day," he said. "She has been through more than enough on this." There are unanswered questions about the settlement. Attorneys for the principals, Houghton Mifflin and the Mitchell heirs, have declined comment beyond a joint formal statement. One provision of the settlement is that Houghton will make a gift to historically black Morehouse College. Why? Said Rubin: "My guess is that this was a way for the Mitchell heirs to save face."

COPY- RIGHT RANDALL EARLIER ARTICLE Author pleased case over AUTHOR VOICE Rubin on the issue

Bright idea: "You read, you decide"

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA PRESS EARLIER ARTICLE Pages go on web OPEN LETTER SA2: Call off review

The fine and proper members of the Library Board in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, didn't want the townsfolk scandalized by Elia Kazan's racy new novel The Arrangement. Too explicit, they said. They sent the book back to Stein & Day, the publisher. In a brillant marketing move, Stein & Day mailed a letter to the Mount Pleasant newspaper, offering a free copy to everyone in the community: Read the book and decide for yourself. Eight-hundred people did so, which generated a bundle of publicity. Sales soared nationally. Taking a leaf from the Arrangement case study more than 20 years later, the embattled director of the University of Minnesota Press, Douglas Armato, has put four controversial pages from Judith Levine's Harmful to Minors on the web: Read the pages and decide for yourself. His ostensible goal is to give lie to charges by critics that the book endorses pedophilia and get the critics off his back. À la Stein & Day, another outcome undoubtedly will be more sales. Even before Aramato posted the pages, he had increased the press run from 3,500 to 10,000. That's a far cry from Elia Kazan's The Arrangement but not bad for a university press title. Expect an announcement soon on yet another printing.

Chelsea seeks authors for Mid-East series

BROOMALL, Pennsylvania, May 16, 2002 -- The social sciences editor at Chelsea House, Lee Marcott, is looking for authors for several series of library books. "We are currently working on series for the high-school level on the creation of the modern Middle East and an ongoing series of biographies of modern world leaders, Marcott said. "Many of our high school titles are written by authors with experience teaching and writing for the college level in geography and history." Marcott asked for interested authors to send a résumé and writing samples or a list of prior publications: Lee M. Marcott Executive Editor for the Social Sciences Chelsea House Publishers 1974 Sproul Road Broomall PA 1900

EL-HI CHELSEA HOUSE

Text group in $10,000 pledge drive

Scholastic buys Heller Reports, EdNet Week

SKOKIE, Illinois, May 16, 2002 -- Educational publisher Scholastic acquired Nelson B. Heller & Associates, a Skokie education newsletter and research publisher. Terms were not disclosed. Heller puts out The Heller Reports and e-mail EdNet Week Headlines. Heller will become part of Scholastic Marketing Partners, which develops advertiser-supported educational materials.

EL-HI SCHOLASTIC HELLER

WRC Media: Sales fell 5.5 percent to $46.8 million in its first quarter, which ended March 31, compared to a year earlier. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization grew 7.5 percent to $8.1 million. The company attributed EBITDA gains to slimmed-down restructuring into two groups: Assessment, Curriculum & Educational Technology and Reference & Periodicals.