Taxon print production and distribution problems

Dear fellow IAPT members,

I hope you are doing well in this difficult time with the global pandemic. I am guessing that pretty much everyone is dealing with disruptions and new challenges. It will probably not be a surprise to learn that the pandemic is also causing disruptions to the publishing business. Printing houses are experiencing challenges and shipping companies and postal services are also under stress. Fewer passenger flights and the need to prioritize medical supplies has also reduced the availability of air freight. Quite a few countries are now restricting incoming post. As a consequence Wiley has decided to temporarily stop production of printed journals until further notice. Digital online publishing will continue, but for now there will be no printed copies of Taxon produced. I do now yet know whether Wiley will print the missed issues later once normal operations resume.

All IAPT members have access to the online journal so I hope this temporary situation is not too much of a burden. Your member access is independent from your library’s online subscription (if they subscribe) so you should be able to access Taxon from home even if your library does not provide remote access. If you have not yet registered on the IAPT website as a member to gain access to member-only content (including Taxon) and need instructions please let me (or Eva or Sarah in the Bratislava and US offices) know.

The good news is that through Franz’s hard work the final issue of 2019 was published and print copied should have been mailed prior to the stoppage of print. Issue #1 of 2020 is very near to being finished and issue #2 is well along. I am extremely grateful to Franz for all his hard work in getting us caught up. Also, please note that many Taxon articles are published online will in advance of when the issue they are in is officially published so be sure to check the “Early View” section for these papers.

With best wishes,

Patrick Herendeen

IAPT President