[Genealib] U.S. History Publishers (Murrieta, CA)

[Barbara Hill]

Dear Genealib list subscribers,

As a former Acquisitions library assistant before I retired, I am 
deeply suspicious, and am attempting to check this with a former 
colleague.  I urge all of you to hold off ordering any of this 
projected set until more information is available; and whatever you 
do, don't prepay for an order.

Here is some background history on what MIGHT be going on - although 
it may turn out that this company is completely legit.

25 to 30 years ago or so, there was a so-called publishing company 
located in St. Clair Shores, Michigan which sent advertisements to 
libraries around the country for wonderful books, such as an 
encyclopedia of the American Indians.  They required prepayment with 
their orders, refused refunds, and never published any of the books 
they advertised.  Eventually they were arrested and prosecuted for 
mail fraud, and one or more of the people involved did time in 
prison.  The name of the principal ringleaders of the scam was Gille, 
and a search in a library literature database might turn up a more 
accurate story than I can now recall.  See also 
http://serials.infomotions.com/acqnet/archive/2001/200112/0136.html 
(hope I typed that correctly)

After the perps got out of jail, they continued their business, 
mostly under the name Somerset Publishers but also other imprints, 
and managed to stay a few steps ahead of the law by actually 
publishing most of the titles they advertised.  However, their works 
are nearly worthless as to accuracy, completeness, or reference value 
- I have personally examined a few.

Example:  one title is "Encyclopedia of California."  It is a 
compilation of numerous out-of-date government publications (thus 
public domain and not subject to copyright), and additional 
information gleaned from Chamber of Commerce brochures solicited from 
various municipalities.  A section in the back has grainy 
black-and-white photos.  One of the photos is of a totally 
insignificant neighborhood park in my home city, about 3 blocks from 
where I live; and yet there is not one single photo of Golden Gate 
Park in San Francisco.  The neighborhood park photo came directly 
from a Chamber of Commerce brochure, I recognized it.  A section of 
this so-called encyclopedia was devoted to historic sites in 
California, and listed an early California adobe homestead in my town 
as though it still exists - but it was destroyed by fire in 1956 and 
was immediately replaced by a shopping center.  Clearly the 
information came straight out of a really OLD government 
publication.  Somerset Publishers also published several other state 
"encyclopedias."

Example:  another title is "Biographical Dictionary of California" 
which purports to include all sorts of people who contributed to the 
development of the state.  I do not know the sources from which it 
was compiled, but among many glaring omissions, there is no mention 
of "Big Daddy" Jesse Unruh (one of our most colorful state 
politicos); former Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley; former San 
Francisco mayor and state assemblyman Willie Brown; and many, many 
others.  On the other hand, one person included in this work is some 
obscure one-term Tennessee congressman whose only reason for 
inclusion (and only connection to California whatsoever) is that he 
voted in favor of California's statehood.

The questionnaire described below sounds (to me) like a similar sort 
of compilation - publish something that sounds and looks substantial, 
but requires minimal effort to put together, then sell it to 
libraries at inflated prices, get rich, and refuse returns or 
refunds.  If these people aren't the same old perps, they might be a 
new bunch.  Or - perhaps not.

Something to be aware of when looking at WorldCat - some libraries 
use an acquisition system which ties into the OCLC database, so that 
their holdings information gets attached to the record BEFORE they 
actually get the book.  It is not absolutely clear to me (from 
WorldCat) whether ANY of the listed libraries actually owns a volume 
of this purported 14-volume set, or whether the holdings information 
in WorldCat merely reflects orders placed.  I did check the UC Irvine 
catalog and see that their order has been open since June of 2006.

Be suspicious.  Be VERY suspicious.

Barbara Hill


At 04:53 PM 1/14/2008, you wrote:
>Hi, all--
>         My library has received a faxed questionnaire from an 
> organization called U.S. History Publishers.  They are asking us to 
> give them information about our area, to be included in one volume 
> of an upcoming multi-volume set called the Dictionary of United 
> States History.  The questionnaire also asks for the names of 
> historical books about our county, with the note that "We plan to 
> obtain copies of the books you recommended, digitize them for 
> reprinting, and make the digital images available on Google Book Search."
>         I'm a little wary of getting involved with the company, 
> particularly when their website looks new, has little information, 
> and provides no contact information.
>         This data collection effort seems a bit simplistic and 
> underdeveloped.  The company does not stipulate which area they are 
> interested in, for instance; some of the questions ask about our 
> "city/town/unincorporated area" and about our 
> "city/town/county/region."  They ask for very little substantive 
> information, but leave a lot of space for "two or three interesting 
> facts" and "historical and famous people who were born or lived in 
> your city/town/unincorporated area."  They ask for the names of 
> "historical document locations," but only provide room to list one 
> library, one historical society, and an "additional individual." 
> They also ask for the publishing information about historical 
> books, providing room for only seven.  (We have thousands, which I 
> couldn't possibly begin to list.)  Further, the request for books 
> doesn't specify books that are out of copyright, although 
> presumably that's what they'd be interested in, but it does ask for 
> an ISBN, which would only be found on relatively current copyrighted material.
>         Has anyone heard anything about this publisher?  What is 
> this company's reputation?  Thanks for any light anyone can shed on this.
>Best wishes,
>Libby Feil
>--

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